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.
2. Give them a cold water bath: Once your potatoes are chopped, toss them into a large bowl. Then cover the potatoes completely with cold water and let them soak for at least 30 minutes (or up to overnight). This will help to rinse off the excess starch and help the potatoes crisp up beautifully in the oven.
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.
The olive oil helps the seasonings adhere to the surface of the potato. To save time, restaurants often apply the oil with a spray bottle. Thanks to their naturally high starch content, which creates a plush texture under heat, Russet potatoes make a good fit for baking.
Some say wrapping baked potatoes in aluminum foil helps them cook faster (aluminum conducts heat, then traps it), and it does keep them hot for longer once they come out of the oven, which is why we think restaurants use this method. Wrapping potatoes will also give you a softer, steamed skin, if that's what you like.
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.
Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Baked Potato. Russet potatoes are the classic choice for good reason. Russets are high in starch and low in moisture, which makes them nice and fluffy after baking. Their thick skin crisps up well, too.
Visual signs: The potato skin will start to wrinkle when over cooked. The potato, when wrapped in foil or placed on the bottom of a pan will have a dark brown spot on the bottom, a sure sign of over cooking. Foil traps the moisture in the potato causing the skin to be wet and the inside flavorless or gummy.
Just a quick 15-30 minute soak in water does the trick if you're in a rush, though if you are planning ahead you can let the sliced russets or yes, even sweet potatoes, bathe for hours or even overnight before draining, drying, and frying them up.
Soaking your sliced potatoes in the ice water before roasting them in the oven can draw out extra starch, allowing the spuds to cook up extra crunchy on the outside. As you slice up your potatoes into bite-sized cuts, simply toss each piece into the cold bowl. Then, allow them to rest and chill.
A: You can store peeled potatoes in water in the refrigerator for about 24 hours. Peeled potatoes left out by themselves at room temperature, on a refrigerator shelf or wrapped in foil or plastic wrap will still get dark overnight, so submerge them in a bowl of water, cover and refrigerate.
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