Mini Twice Baked Potato Bites: 28 Days of Super Bowl Recipes
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Recipe type: appetizer
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4-6
 
Bite sized twice baked potatoes are fun change from stuffed potato skins on game day.
Ingredients
  • 2 pounds baby potatoes, cleaned
  • 1-2 medium russet potatoes, cleaned
  • ½ pound bacon (optional, can be omitted for vegetarians)
  • 1 cup or so of shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
  • ⅓-1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 bunch chives, chopped
  • approximately 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350º.
  2. Stab the clean russet potatoes all over with a knife to release the steam while baking. Rub each potato with olive oil and individual wrap the spuds in aluminum foil and throw in the oven.
  3. While the large russets are baking, put the baby potatoes in a medium roasting pan and toss with olive oil until lightly coated and about a teaspoon of kosher salt.
  4. After the russets have baked for about 30 minutes, put the baby potatoes in the oven along side their larger cousins. Bake for another 30 minutes, shaking the baby potatoes once or twice while roasting for even baking.
  5. With the potatoes in the oven, chop the bacon and cook until crispy. Drain and set aside.
  6. When the potatoes are done remove from the oven and allow to sit aside for a couple of minutes to cool. Once the baby potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice each potato ¾ of the way through and give a gentle squeeze to create a pocket for potato-on-potato stuffing and set aside.
  7. In a mixing bowl, take a baked russet potato or two (you'll be able to judge on how much you need based on potato size), and scoop out the baked potato insides. Mix in the shredded cheddar, sour cream and about ½ teaspoon of salt and about a teaspoon of ground pepper combine until smooth. Fold in the bacon and the chives.
  8. Using either a pastry bag with an extra-large tip or a plastic bag with a corner cut off, pipe the seasoned potatoes into the baby potatoes. (You can also use a spoon for the task, but it's a little more time consuming.)
  9. Once all the baby potatoes have been filled, sprinkle with a touch more salt and pepper and bake at 350º for about 20 more minutes or until the top of the potatoes are golden.
  10. Garnish with chives and serve.
Notes
If you're planning a large spread for the game and need to save yourself some time, you can make the potatoes and stuff them the day before, refrigerate and then bake for a second time -- adding about 10-15 minutes to the cooking time --  when ready to serve. Have some leftover potato stuffing? Pipe it onto a lined cooking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until golden to create little potato puffs.
Recipe by sarah sprague at https://sarahsprague.com/2012/01/19/mini-twice-baked-potato-bites-28-days-of-super-bowl-recipes/