Steve's Stuffed Spuds

Well, my dad's birthday dinner was pretty great! Everything turned out quite well and it was a very filling meal. The carb of the meal this evening was my stuffed spuds. This is really a spin off of a spin off of a spin off of the original recipe that I started with, But it turns out awesome every single time, so I thought I would share it with you.

You can download the recipe for my spuds RIGHT HERE!

This is honestly one of the easiest things I make, although it looks really fancy, believe me, it is super simple, and does not take a ton of time. You can even make them in advance, like a day or so, before you actually want to serve them, and then just throw them in the oven when you are ready.

So here we go, this is how I make my stuffed spuds.


First, I preheated my oven to 450 degrees. Then, I put the potatoes in a colander and washed them off in the sink, making sure to get all the dirt and grime off.

Next, I put the spuds in the oven, directly on the oven rack. (Now I have heard of people poking holes, or wrapping the potatoes in tin foil, but, honestly, this way has been fine for me.)

While the potatoes are baking, I use this time to chop up my toppings, and take out the butter and cream cheese from the fridge, to let it soften up a bit.
After about an hour, the potatoes are done, so I take them out of the oven and let them cool down for about five minutes. Here's a tip, don't let the potatoes cool off too long, because you need the heat from the insides of the spuds to help melt your butter and cheeses. If you wait too long, it makes mixing more difficult.
After they are cool enough to work with, slice off about 1/3 from the top (lengthwise) of each potato. Some people cut theirs in equal halves, but honestly, I like the looks of a huge stuffed potato. My preference is one big one, over two dinky ones.
Next, take a spoon and begin to take out the insides of each potato. It's easy once you get past the first one. But be careful not to push through or tare the sides of the potato skins. This makes them ugly, and when you put them back in the oven, the stuffing will drip out of the holes.
Now its time to make the "stuffing". Cut up your butter and your cream cheese and drop it into the mixing bowl. Add the milk, and begin to start mixing. (If you are using a hand mixer like mine, start at a very low speed, unless you like the view of launched pieces of potato splattering against your kitchen walls. I speak from experience people....LOL)
Once I see that the butter cream cheese and milk are well worked into the mixture, I add the shredded cheese.
Now you don't have to use the same as what I use. I have used shredded velveta, Feta, mozzarella, really, whatever your favorite kind is. I just recommend at least something with a yellow tint to it. It makes the whole look of the finished product better. (In my humble fat guy opinion.)
Once I see the cheese getting worked into the mixture well, I add the bacon, onion, and garlic to the mixture. continue mixing until you get a nice even distribution of the ingredients.
Whooop there it is. Man I have always wanted to say that....LOL
Now that our mixture is all set, taste it! Make sure you don't need to add salt or pepper before you start spooning it into the shells. Every time Steve's stuffed spuds are under seasoned a puppy in Idaho dies! LOL Don't kill puppies! Season your spuds!
So I just spoon in the filling, until they are all good and full.
There we go. Slightly over stuffed. That my friends, is one attractive potato.
Now we put them on a baking sheet, and put them back in the oven for about 15 minutes, or until the tips of the stuffing start to turn brown.
Perfection! here they are just before they are plated. Man these are good, but honestly, don't make them too often, or your nearest heart doctor will be outside your house going cha-ching!
Here's a couple of shots of my potatoes plated with my Dad's 71st birthday dinner. Marinated Ribeye steak, grilled garlic bread, stuffed potatoes, with some steamed brocoli. Garnished with some cucumber spears that were leftover from chopping up the salad.
Here's a shot of my son's face when he found out I was making these with dinner!
Again, Thanks to my wife Shanon for helping me with the pictures. They are awesome as usual.