In our continuing series of bite-size foods, I bring you bite-size twice-baked potatoes. Ta Daaa!!!
I feel these little babies deserve their own fanfare because they’re so good they’ll be the star of your next get-together.
Now, to be fair, I’ve never met a potato I didn’t like. What kind of Irish girl would I be if I didn’t like the humble spud? And twice-baked potatoes are pretty much my idea of food nirvana. But they are a little difficult to eat. I mean, you have to have a plate and a fork and maybe even a napkin. And who’s got time for that?
Well, these adorable spuds solve those problems. No civilized utensils required! All you need are your own two hands.
I got the idea when I saw this package of goodness at my local Trader Joe’s store. How cute are they? I couldn’t not buy them, but I didn’t want to waste their adorableness on mashing or roasting. I wanted to do something that celebrated their size. I wanted their size to be the main attraction. And then it hit – bite-size twice-baked potatoes. Eureka! Sometimes I have moments of culinary brilliance.
Just to show you how really teeny tiny they are, here is an average size teeny tiny potato next to a quarter. Awww….so cute!
Start by washing the potatoes thoroughly. You’ll be eating the skins, so you want to make sure every bit of dirt is scrubbed off. Pat dry and lay them on a baking sheet. Shake the baking sheet around a bit so they naturally land in their most stable position. Poke a fork into each potato and bake at 350 until soft.
In hindsight, I would have coated these guys with a little olive oil and a sprinkle of salt before baking them to give the skins a little flavor. Oh, well – I’ll just have to make them again. And again. And again.
Let the potatoes cool just enough to handle, but not all the way. (They’re easier to hollow out when they’re still a little warm.) Slice off the top, and place the cut-off bit into a medium bowl.
Using a paring knife, slice around the skins, being careful not to cut through the bottom. I tried to hollow these out using a teaspoon, but the spoon was just too big to get into these miniature spuds. Place all the potato flesh into the medium bowl with the potato tops.
Place the hollowed-out skins back onto the baking sheet.
Using a fork, mash the potato innards.
Add 1/2 cup sour cream.
Add 1/2 cup shredded cheese, and mix until everything is evenly distributed. You can use whatever type of cheese you like. This cheese is Bravo Farms’ Western Sage Cheddar. (That’s sage, not mold, in the cheese.) I discovered this delicious fromage on another Single Girl Adventure, and then realized it’s sold in local shops. Hurray!
Add salt and pepper and spices to your taste. If you like things a bit on the spicy side, you can add a couple dashes of hot sauce. Or, some Dijon mustard would be yummy. Really – you can make the filling to suit your tastes. If I had any bacon in the house, you bet I would have added a slice or two!
Confession: I used 2/3 cup cheese.
Confession: I lied in the previous sentence. I really used closer to 3/4 cup cheese.
Please don’t judge.
Spoon the filling into the hollowed-out shells. The addition of the filling may make the potatoes a little unstable. So, you may need to push them down a bit to flatten out the bottom of the potato shell. Put the filled potatoes back into a 350 degree oven and bake for 20-30 minutes until they’re heated through and the cheese has melted.
Top with a little more sour cream, a sprinkling of chives, and a dusting of fancy sea salt.
All that’s left is to place them on a fancy platter and impress your friends with how delicious they are!
Here’s the complete recipe. Enjoy!
Ingredients
1 package of teeny tiny potatoes (about 24 bite-size potatoes)
1/2 cup sour cream, plus extra for topping
1/2 cup shredded cheese of your choice
Seasonings of your choice
Instructions
1) Scrub potatoes thoroughly, pat dry, poke holes with a fork, and bake on a baking sheet at 350 degrees until soft (about 30 minutes).
2) Let cool until potatoes can be handled. Slice a small portion of the top. Place the sliced-off portion in a medium bowl.
3) Using a small knife, hollow out the potatoes, placing the flesh in the bowl with the tops.
4) Use a fork to mash the potato flesh. Add sour cream, cheese, and seasonings. Taste to make sure seasonings are right.
5) Spoon potato mixture into hollow potato shells, pressing down slightly to ensure potatoes are stable.
6) Bake at 350 degrees until heated through, the cheese is melted, and the top starts to brown (about 30 minutes).
7) Top with a dollop of sour cream, chives, and a few grains of sea salt.
