The giveaway info is below the recipe, so make like a scuba diver and keep on going down!
Some of the best food is just not pretty. It’s gooey, gloppy, brown, and not even a little bit elegant. It looks like it’s not worth the paper plate it rode in on. But when the scent wafts to your nose, when you take that first bite and the inelegance of the whole thing gives way to an explosion of flavour, it suddenly transcends the need to be another pretty dish. You plate it how you want. Heck. Sometimes you just skip a plate if the spirit moves you. It doesn’t matter as long as you get the food to your mouth. How can this happen? Isn’t there the axiom about eating with your eyes before you eat with your mouth? I’m working on a hunch about the phenomenon, though.
I call it my Frog in a Box theory.
Everyone remembers the Looney Tunes cartoon where the down-on-his-luck, unemployed construction worker finds a frog with the extraordinary ability to sing like an angel, right? The man hoards his new found, potentially lucrative critter in an attempt to make money off of it. He goes to a talent agent’s office, talks a big game, plops the frog on the desk where he promptly delivers a resounding, “Brrrrrrrrrrrr-ibbit!” The man and his frog are bounced out on their respective ears* and once the door is slammed shut, the frog sings an aria in the hallway. Oh the frustration! Darned frog!
*Do frogs have ears? I should know this. I feel a homeschooling unit coming on…
After a few more rejections the man takes matters into his own hands and rents a theater where he resorts to trickery to bring in a crowd. (Free beer and chicken, anyone?) He gets a full house, raises the curtain, shoves the frog on stage and once more, “Brrrrrrrrr-ibbit!” The crowd exits, stage left and the frog consoles the man by singing a few popular ditties.
So here’s the deal. This dish is my Frog in a Box. No matter which light, which plating, which lens and which toppings I used, these things just plain looked ugly. And every time I took a bite, I heard a glorious choir in my head. What was a gal to do? I don’t give up as easily as our poor Looney Tunes construction worker. I’m posting it anyway, ugly photos and all. That blasted frog was able to escape detection but these potatoes? They’re here for everyone else to try and enjoy. Make them. Try them yourself! Stick it to the frog!
The crispy potato shell holds a creamy Cheddar, chorizo and green onion studded mashed potato filling. Eat them for breakfast, second breakfast, lunch, snack or dinner. Plate them or hold them in your hot little hands while you eat them. Have them with a proper dinner or slap a platter of them on the coffee table for the ultimate hockey or football viewing snacks. You can even make these up to the point where you’d bake them and stash them in the freezer (minus their cap of shreddy-cheddy) until you want to serve them. Top with cheese as directed and bake. How neat is that?
Cheddar and Chorizo Stuffed Twice Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
- 6 leftover baked potatoes
- 4 tablespoons softened butter
- 1/2 cup room temperature milk or half and half
- 4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese divided
- 2 1/2 cups cooked and crumbled Mexican style chorizo divided
- 6 green onions cleaned and thinly sliced
Optional for serving:
- sour cream
- candied jalapenos
- additional sliced green onions
- salsa
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Halve each potato lengthwise. (Before halving each potato, pay attention to how it naturally lays on the cutting board so that after halving, they don't tip when placed skin side down on the pan.) Scoop most of the potato innards into a mixing bowl, just leaving enough in place to maintain the shape of the potato skin. (This means leaving about 1/4" of potato guts in place.)
- Smash the potato guts together with the softened butter, milk or half and half, and 2 1/2 cups of the cheese in the mixing bowl until the potatoes are relatively smooth. Stir in the chorizo and green onions until evenly distributed.
- Divide the potato filling evenly among the potato shells, spreading the filling to the edges of the potato skins. Sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly over the tops of the stuffed potatoes.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling and the filling is hot all the way through. Serve as is or topped with sour cream, candied jalapenos , salsa, and sliced green onions.
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Amy Livers says
“Like” the dress! And looking forward to making these potatoes with homemade chorizo. (Thanks for both recipes.)
Emily says
Did it! I love the shape and the color of this dress! And as always, love the recipe you put up…so many things to try!
Emily says
Did it! Love the color and shape of this dress! And as always, looking forward to making the recipe!
P the great says
Uh.muh.gah. I WANT EVERYTHING IN THIS POST.
And I would just like to say that the ugly of the taters is compensated for by the oooooober cute dress.
Beth S. says
Did it!
kate C. says
Liked! And I also like the sound of these potatoes… yum! Thanks!
momgateway says
I really like the color and the style of this dress so I just headed off to their site and liked it!
ro mu says
I just liked Shabby Apple’s FB! Thanks!
Lisa says
I’ve ‘liked’ Shabby Apple forever and a day and covet their clothing. This is such a great style and color for essentially anyone and everyone. Want. Thanks for the discount code as well! Lurve!
Shayna says
I liked shabby apple on fb. Those potatoes look delish btw 🙂
Samantha says
Liked it! Those potatoes look deeeelicious!
Jess says
Whoa, yummy looking potatoes–I must try to make these with soy-rizo? I think I want to mix some homemade yogurt in these because I happen to be obsessed with it right now. I think they were beautiful, btw, as if a humble perfect potato could ever be ugly, and also, so is the dress, pretty that is, wow! So, I liked it on FB too! Thanks for the contest!
jackie says
I LOVE Shabby Apple (and “like” them on facebook). Those taters look good.
Judith says
I liked Shabby Apple on facebook and I love the dress and the color.
Corrie says
I “liked” ’em!
Lynette Weaver says
“Liked” it on Facebook, like the recipe! Your mango salsa has been a hit at parties btw 😉
Sandy Kempton says
The dress is gorgeous! The taters will be a big hit with my hubby and 3 teenagers. Thank you so much for posting these!
Amber says
Did it! And I adore the dress and the website!
Patty says
I went over and “liked” Shabby Apple on fb…not sure why I hadn’t yet as I love their clothes!
On another note, I made your chorizo recipe yesterday and made one little mistake..my pan was too hot…burned the hottest peppers almost instantaneously and managed to fill my house with pepper smoke…love to cook, but am a bit of a clutz! As I’m a fellow Michigander, you can imagine that it was a bit chilly airing out the house 🙂
Can’t wait to try this recipe with my brand-new stash of chorizo!
Anne Weber-Falk says
I LIKED Shabbyapple and I think that dress would look fabulous on my daughter. I’m headed over to Shabbyapple to look at some more dresses for her.
Abbie says
I love that dress almost as much as your recipes!
Abbie says
I guess I should have said that I liked Shabby Apple on FB in my last comment. Well, I did. 🙂
Emily says
Those potatoes look delicious!!! I like Shabby Apple!!
Jenna Z says
I liked them on Facebook!! I love, love, love that dress!! Good picking!
Erica says
Did it – AND I made the Frog-in-a-Box potatoes for a party this weekend! Snuck a bite and wow… these have earned a spot in the permanent rotation of potato dishes in our house. Yum!
Michelle says
I like Shabby Apple on Facebook. Love the dress! and can’t wait to try these potatoes. Just one question – never had chorizo before – is it spicy? (My 4 & 5 yo don’t like spicy)
Julie L says
like SA on fb Julie Scott Laws
Shaunna Ulrick says
I like Shabby Apple on FB
Miranda says
Liked on FB.
Katie says
I liked them on Facebook!
Michelle Wright says
I like on fb. I’m making those tonight for an appetizer.
Thanks.
Linda G says
I liked it on Facebook. I love their website and their dresses are seriously pretty. Thank you for bringing this retailer to my attention!!!
Sylvia says
“Liked” the Shabby Apple website and I realy like your website too!
Sue Zabritski says
Love the recipe and love Shabby Apple…and “Liked” them, too!
Alice says
Hey Mikey, I “LIKED” it!
ha ha
xoA
Kate says
Love Shabby Apple’s stuff!
Shell J says
I “Liked” Shabby Apple! I love their clothes. Thanks for all of the super good recipes you share on your blog. My 6 boys have loved them all. That says a lot!!!
Melissa M says
Liked, but actually love!
And the recipe looks yummy, especially today where we will not get above freezing.
Mary C. says
I liked them on FB.
Love the recipe too 🙂
Melanie says
I liked them too, and Love the dress you picked out. Also, the potatoes sound amazing, and I feel that’s a keeper for supper this week. 🙂
Emily G says
Please can I enter even though I don’t have Facebook? I can’t ‘like’ Shabby Apple on Facebook, but I love ’em for real. I just can’t afford their beautiful clothes.
Lisette Heckathorn says
LOVE THAT DRESS!! Would like to enter a hundred times, thankyouverymuch!!! The recipe looks great as always too, but I am REALLY feeling that dress would get me out of my frumpy feeling phase I am in right now :).
Karen D. says
I “Liked” Shabby Apple. Love the dress. Very flattering.
Alicia says
I like Shabby Apple on Facebook. Thanks for the giveaway
Joye Foote says
Liked them, love those taters
Kathleen S says
Did it — and boy am I ever glad I did! Of course, after making these potatoes this afternoon I may need to srder a size up! Thanks for both.
Lisa R says
I “liked” shabby apple…..and so glad to learn of their site! What beautiful clothing!
The recipe looks yummo as well!
Melissa says
Done. So glad you picked my favorite color:)
Lauri says
I “like”!!
Yasmin says
Liked it! And, I love their dresses (I checked out their website).
Jennifer says
Liked it! (And love your blog!)
Andi Gayle says
Liked Shabby Apple…and love that dress!
Lori Stilger says
I liked Shabby Apple! I don’t think they carry things in my supersize, but I have a friend I’d LOVE to give that dress to!!!!!!!!!!! She’d look FAB in it! 😀 Thanks so much for your generosity!!
Tricia says
Thank you for such a great giveaway! I “liked” Shabby Apple on FB.
Adie Andrews says
That is such a delicious give away I’ve always have a problems with left over potatoes and usually after some time I just throw them away but you are giving me the perfect reason to try something new and delicious.
Greets apartments for the Olympics
Jenna says
Those are my kind of twice baked potatoes! Heck yeah. And I know all about ugly food being delicious–Amy’s (from Very Culinary) Cauliflower Cheddar Soup graced my table recently, but all the photographs I took of it look horrible! (of course I have no excuse, since Amy was able to take a beautiful shot of it, hmmmm…)