30 Comments / By Lisa Leake / July 16, 2015 / Recipes
5 Reviews / 4.2 Average
My whole family gobbled up these Kale and Bacon Stuffed Potatoes. I think they're filling enough to serve as the main dish or pair with soup and salad.
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If you’re trying to get more greens into your diet (aren’t we all?) then I’ve got a recipe for you. I already LOVE bakedpotatoes, but mixing the filling together with a bunch of yummy good stuff and then putting it back in? Oh my, even better. My whole family gobbled up these Kale and Bacon Stuffed Potatoes, and I think they’re filling enough to serve as themain dish.They pair wonderfully with a soup and salad. Enjoy!
My Go-To Store-Bought Bacon: Applegate
I’ve been cooking with Applegate for some time now, but the reason ourrelationship is so perfect is because I loved and used their products before they ever became a sponsor. And the reason is simple – they offer ORGANIC versions of some of our occasional indulgences such as bacon, lunch meat, and hot dogs. Plus they’re a well-meaningcompany with their heart in the right place.
I know many of you have been asking questions regarding the recent purchase of Applegate by Hormel, but personallymy main concern is about their products more than who the parent company is and what their politics may be. Hormel obviously wouldn’t make this move if Applegatewasn’t already doing something right. And so far (I’ve been told), they have no big changes planned, so we can all rest easy for now. :) Phew!
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My whole family gobbled up these Kale and Bacon Stuffed Potatoes. I think they're filling enough to serve as the main dish or pair with soup and salad.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Scrub the potatoes clean, prick a few holes in the skin with a fork, and bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork. (Alternatively, you could cook the potatoes in the microwave if you are short on time.)
Meanwhile, set a skillet over medium heat and add the bacon without overcrowding the pan (no cooking oil is necessary). Cook for several minutes or until the bacon starts to curl up and darken on the bottom. Flip and cook for several minutes longer until cooked all the way through or to your desired doneness. I like my bacon crispy, so I cook it until both sides are dark brown. Drain on a paper towel lined plate, set aside, and reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon grease.
Wash the kale, remove and discard the large stems, and cut or tear the leaves into shreds. Heat the bacon grease back up in the same skillet and add the kale and garlic to the pan. Cook and stir until the kale wilts, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Once the potatoes are ready, slice them in half and carefully scoop the insides into a large mixing bowl (while being careful not to break the outer shell). Add the bacon, cooked kale, Parmesan, sour cream, milk, butter, salt, and pepper. Stir until well combined but do not overmix.
Turn the oven up to 450 degrees F, scoop the seasoned mixture back into the potato shells, and bake until the tops turn golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes more. Serve warm or store the leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 or 5 days.
Notes
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition Facts
Kale and Bacon Stuffed Potatoes
Amount Per Serving
Calories 439Calories from Fat 234
% Daily Value*
Fat 26g40%
Saturated Fat 13g81%
Cholesterol 61mg20%
Sodium 804mg35%
Potassium 1120mg32%
Carbohydrates 38g13%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 17g34%
Vitamin A 7215IU144%
Vitamin C 90mg109%
Calcium 355mg36%
Iron 2.6mg14%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Soaking potatoes in water helps remove excess starch. Excess starch can inhibit the potatoes from cooking evenly as well as creating a gummy or sticky texture on the outside of your potatoes. Cold water is used because hot water would react with the starch activating it, making it harder to separate from the potatoes.
Rub the skin with vegetable oil. Sprinkle with salt. Pierce the skin of the potato in several places with the tines of a fork. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the sides are soft when pressed.
Wash the potatoes and place them directly on the oven baking rack. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until very tender when pierced with a skewer. When the potatoes are done, cut them down the middle and squeeze both ends. Place a slice of butter in the middle of the potato, sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve hot.
You can get out your baking sheets and place the potatoes on each sheets and fit them on rack or more. We have three racks in our one oven but we have a double oven. Pre pierce a few areas on the potato, salt and pepper for the out side. You can wrap one sheet all together or wrap each potato.
The main reasons to cut the potatoes and pre-soak in water are: To allow the excess starches and sugars to be removed from the outer surface of the fry strips AND to keep the potatoes from browning prematurely from exposure to air. Covering in water helps the potato from turning a dark color.
Parboiling helps soften the potato insides before the roasting begins, so you won't be tempted to burn the outsides in exchange for less undercooked insides. Boil the potato chunks for eight to 10 minutes—they won't be fully cooked, but they'll be ready for the next step.
People are often accustomed to placing their taters on a baking sheet with parchment paper or wrapping their spuds in foil. But one of the reasons why restaurant baked potatoes taste so good is because kitchens know that using wire racks or oven grates allows all sides of the spuds to be exposed to hot air.
Is it faster to bake a potato in foil? Technically, it could decrease the cook time a little bit, but it's not worth it. Trust us! Wrapping potatoes in foil produces a soggy potato because the foil holds in moisture and steams the potato.
Toups also calls out a common mistake people make when baking potatoes. "I see a lot of people using foil to wrap their potatoes in but this is a big no-no and causes soggy skins!" he says. Foil holds in moisture and steams the potatoes, resulting in a "boiled" taste and texture.
The ideal potato for baking is low in moisture with a high starch content. These qualities allow a potato to bake up with a delightfully fluffy center and crispy skin. Because it has all of these features, Russet potatoes are the ideal potato for baking and the most commonly used choice.
A loaded baked potato is typically topped with a variety of ingredients such as cheese, sour cream, and bacon, whereas a regular baked potato is often served with just butter and perhaps some salt and pepper.
After they are removed from the oven they get wrapped in aluminum wrap tightly.Then the potatoes are are piled closed to the oven to keep warm. Often just befor they're served the potatoes are Nuked so they are piping hot. That's how we did it.
Cool baked potatoes completely, place them in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag and refrigerate them. The USDA says they can be safely refrigerated for 3 to 4 days. Like all foods that have been cooked and cooled, potatoes should be reheated to at least 165 degrees F.
You should certainly rinse the potatoes — we prefer russets — to remove any dirt and debris. You can even give them a quick scrub with a vegetable brush. But you need to dry the spuds well after the bath. Excess moisture on the skin can seep into the potato during baking and cause soggy skins.
How long can peeled and cut potatoes sit in water before cooking, before they begin taking on too much water? A: We usually recommend no more than 24 hours. You can keep the potatoes from absorbing the water by making sure the water is not salted, and is chilled (you can even add ice to the water).
The reason is to prevent the potatoes exposure to air, which causes dehydration, oxidation, and discoloration. Immersing cut potatoes will also help rinse off excess starch.
If you don't rinse and soak the potatoes in water, all that starch that is naturally in potatoes will cause your mashed potatoes to become gluey and gummy. So rinse and soak the potatoes to remove as much of the starch as possible. The less starch the potatoes have, the fluffier and lighter they will be!
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