Day 28: Crispy Baked Potato Fans, Part 2

I still have several of the large baking potatoes left and since The Geek and I enjoyed them so much the other night, I decided to make the Crispy Baked Potato Fans for the kids tonight. A single potato is large enough to be a meal in and of itself but needs a little protein so I mixed in some cooked turkey bacon with the breadcrumbs and cheese. A green salad rounded out the meal.

The online recipe has full instructions and pictures but I'll outline them here as well.

1. Cut about 1/4" off the bottom of the potato to get it to stand up and off the ends to give it room to fan out.
2. Cut the potato into slices. Line up a pair of chopsticks lengthwise on either side of the potato to prevent cutting all the way through to the bottom.
3. Put the potato on a plate and microwave until soft, about six to seven minutes. Start with the potato slices-side down and then turn upright halfway through.
4. Brush the potatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper being sure to get inbetween all the slices.
5. Roast in a 450F oven until browned and crispy, about 20-30 minutes.
6. Take the potatoes out of the oven and stuff with a mixture of breadcrumbs, cheese, and melted butter. Salt and pepper and other seasonings are optional.
7. Roast under the broiler until the topping is all melted and starting to brown.
8. Eat and Enjoy!

The Geek suggested I post a picture of the potatoes before they are stuffed so that you can see how they are cut.This photo was taken after the potatoes came out of the oven (between steps 5 and 6).

The Results

Both kids raved about the potatoes, even the finicky one who does not like blue cheese. My son ate the potatoes dipped in ranch dressing, which was delicious albeit fattening.

Ratings

• Difficulty: Medium
• Time to prepare: About an hour for the potatoes
• Prognosis: Definitely a keeper

My Shopping List

Nothing - I made do with what I had on hand.

The Tally

• The day's tally: $0
• Total this week so far: $14.61
• Total this month, to date: $50.61