Loaded Potato Breakfast Skins (makes two)

 

I am here with another Vegetarian option today, that is suitable for either breakfast or for supper. Its all up to you and depending on your appetite. This  Loaded Breakfast Potato Skins recipe is perfectly sized for one person, but can absolutely be doubled or tripled to feed more or to fulfil those with a heartier appetite than I have!

It is a recipe I adapted from one of the cookbooks in my collection entitled, Smitten Kitchen Everyday by Deb Perelman.  It is becoming one of my favorite books, if only for the simplicity and ease for making the recipes included.  The fact that they are also delicious is a bonus!  If you don't have this book, I cannot recommend it highly enough!

 

 

I did take the liberty of cutting her recipe down to make only one serving, which of course you could double, triple, etc. to feed more.  I found this to be quite a generous serving and most ample for just myself!

I am not a person who, generally speaking, will eat an egg for breakfast. I usually tend to eat them as a main meal.  I am just not that hungry in the  morning,  unless someone else is cooking. In that case count me in! haha!

 

Potato Skins are a favorite thing for a lot of people. They are usually loaded with fat and calories, being deep fried and loaded with tons of unhealthy extras. These are much healthier than the norm!

For one thing they are completely baked, not fried.  They also require only a small amount of cheese and sour cream to make them feel totally indulgent.  That creamy egg yolk really makes up for any lack of fat and indulgence!

You can garnish as you wish, but I chose to sprinkle some chopped spring onions and crumbled crisp bacon on top. Not a lot. One rasher divided between the two. 

These tasted rich and indulgent.  When you serve a salad on the side that makes everything automatically healthy right????

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE LOADED POTATO BREAKFAST SKINS (MAKES TWO)

Simple ordinary ingredients that most of us have to hand most of the time. If you are wanting to feed more people simply double the amount of ingredients for two, triple for three, etc.

• 1 large baking potato
• 2 tsp melted butter
• 2 large free range eggs
• 4 TBS grated strong/sharp cheddar cheese
• fine sea salt or kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper

To serve:

• fresh dairy sour cream
• 1 spring onion, trimmed, washed and thinly sliced
• 1 rasher of streaky bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

 

You want to make sure you use a large baking potato. You can use any potato that is suited to baking.  In  North America this usually means russet potatoes. In the U.K. use any floury potato such as a King Edward or a Maris Piper.

I use only large free range eggs. I buy mine in the organic foods refrigerated section of the grocery store.  This means I do pay more for them than regular eggs, but free-range is something which is really important to me, having worked grading eggs in a factory farm when I was much younger.  (I did not work there for long I can tell you. One day was all it took!)  You buy whatever your conscience and your budget allow for! You will find no judgement here.

Use a nice cheese. I like cheddar. Do I ever miss the beautiful cheeses that were available in the U.K. Yes, I was very spoiled over there! But what do you expect from the country that invented cheddar!

 

HOW TO MAKE LOADED POTATO BREAKFAST SKINS (MAKES TWO)

If you can bake a potato then you can make these simple loaded potato breakfast skins. They are actually pretty healthy and I can promise you delicious!

Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Wash your baking potato really well and dry. Prick all over with a fork.

Bake the potato in the preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes. Remove and cool just until you can comfortably pick it up with a towel.

Slice the baked potato in half lengthwise and scoop out the insides, leaving a 1/4 inch border throughout. (Refrigerate the inside flesh to make something else.)

 

Brush the inside and outside of the potato skins with the melted butter. sprinkle the cut sides with some salt.

Place the empty potato skins on a baking tray cut side down. Return to the oven and bake for five minutes.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle 1 TBS of cheese in the bottom of each shell. Break an egg into each shell on top of the cheese. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over top of each egg.

Return to the oven and bake for a further 10 to 15 minutes. The whites should be set and the yolks still runny. (Check after 10 minutes just to be sure.)

Remove from the oven grind some black pepper over each. Plate up and garnish each potato with a dollop of sour cream, some chopped spring onion and a portion of crumbled bacon. Enjoy hot!

 

This made for a really easy supper option.  I loved the crispiness of the potato skin which perfectly contrasted the silkiness of the egg.

You can use whatever kind of cheese you want in this. I used a mix of orange and white medium cheddar cheeses.  I didn't want anything to take away from the flavor of those beautiful free range eggs.  Altogether this was very enjoyable. I enjoyed with a bit of rocket on the side that I dressed with a mild vinaigrette dressing!

Crisp slices of baguette would also go very nicely for dipping into those creamy egg yolks!  Just saying!

 

Whether you are an eggs for breakfast or an eggs for dinner kind of person, you are sure to also enjoy the following delicious recipes!

ANYTHING HASH AND PERFECTLY POACHED EGGS -  Any thing hash is a great way to make good use of just whatever you have in your refrigerator that needs using up and topping it with a poached egg, turns it into a well balanced meal, containing some carbs, plenty of veg and a protein. 

FRIED EGG TACOS - Crisp corn tortillas topped with a fried egg and all your favorite taco toppings. Anything goes.  Refried beans, Texas Caviar, spring onions, sliced avocado, guacamole, hot sauce, salsa, etc. You pick your favorites and then go with it. Deliciously simple!

Yield: 2 potato halves

Author: Marie Rayner

Loaded Potato Breakfast Skins

Prep time: 1 HourCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 1 H & 15 M

Two lush baked potato skins, loaded and baked with cheese, a large free range egg and garnished with sour cream, bacon and spring onions. What's not to love? Breakfast or dinner? You decide.

Ingredients

• 1 large baking potato
• 2 tsp melted butter
• 2 large free range eggs
• 4 TBS grated strong/sharp cheddar cheese
• fine sea salt or kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper

To serve:

• fresh dairy sour cream
• 1 spring onion, trimmed, washed and thinly sliced
• 1 rasher of streaky bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Wash your baking potato really well and dry. Prick all over with a fork.
2. Bake the potato in the preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes. Remove and cool just until you can comfortably pick it up with a towel.
3. Slice the baked potato in half lengthwise and scoop out the insides, leaving a 1/4 inch border throughout. (Refrigerate the inside flesh to make something else.)
4. Brush the inside and outside of the potato skins with the melted butter. sprinkle the cut sides with some salt.
5. Place the empty potato skins on a baking tray cut side down. Return to the oven and bake for five minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and sprinkle 1 TBS of cheese in the bottom of each shell. Break an egg into each shell on top of the cheese. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over top of each egg.
7. Return to the oven and bake for a further 10 to 15 minutes. The whites should be set and the yolks still runny. (Check after 10 minutes just to be sure.)
8. Remove from the oven grind some black pepper over each. Plate up and garnish each potato with a dollop of sour cream, some chopped spring onion and a portion of crumbled bacon. Enjoy hot!

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