348/365 flying by the seat of my pants "What's for Dinner" Monday

dinner in a potato

first a disclaimer: as I was flying by the seat of my pants and had no idea what the finished project was going to be the how and the what may not be ideal. I tried really hard Miranda to document what the quantities I used were but this really is a guess as you go type meal.

the ingredients:

small - medium sized chopped yellow fleshed potatoes (approx. 5)* large newly dug white potatoes (5) * small thinly sliced red onion(1)*sliced mushrooms (1 cup)*Kraft 3-Cheese Ranch Dressing (approx 3/4 to 1 cup)* 500 grams chopped (bite size pieces) cooked ham *shredded

medium cheddar cheese (approx. 2 cups)* sliced green onions (5)

how I did it:

in a medium sauce pan, BOIL the yellow fleshed potatoes

meanwhile, COOK the 5 large White Potatoes in the Microwave

while the two sets of potatoes are cooking,

in a medium fry pan, MELT butter,

ADD mushrooms and sliced red onions, saute until brown

in a LARGE BOWL, add cooked yellow fleshed potatoes & all contents from the frying pan (melted butter, onions, mushrooms).

by this time the other potatoes should be cooked. CAREFULLY remove from microwave and slice the top of the potato off (Scott used a clean oven mitt to hold the potato). DIG out as much of the potato as you can without breaking the skin and put in the BOWL with the other cooked potatoes.

PLACE the hollowed out potatoes on a COOKIE SHEET (I used my stoneware bar pan)

AT THIS TIME you should now have:

~5 hollowed out potato skins on a cookie sheet (that you can set aside for now)

~a large bowl with potato flesh & the melted butter-mushroom-onions saute

ADD the 3 cheese ranch dressing to the bowl and mash (I use a handmixer but don't over beat as it will turn gluey (and yes I talk from prior experience!)

ONCE it is mashed, STIR in all but 1/4 cup of the green onions, diced ham and 1 1/2 cup shredded cheese

Using a small spoon, start packing the mash mixture into the potato shells, BE CAREFUL not to split the skin, as you can see in this next picture I heaped the mixture in and then on top of the potato...

BAKE in a 400 degree oven for approx 30 minutes (it will get nice and browned)

REMOVE from oven, top with remaining cheese and green onions.

If you wish, you can serve with sour cream but I am not sure it will need it.

I have reread this twice to make sure it makes sense, but I am on so much cough medicine I am a bit concerned, please contact me if something does not make sense.

This throw together recipe is a "make it again" hit in this house:

Scott: definitely but maybe as a side dish (served with a salad and/or piece of chicken)

Shelby: disagreed that you needed anything else as it had all food groups and was filling but keep in mind this is the girl that will just eat a POT of mashed potatoes if she could.

Matt: liked it, said it was a keeper.

Kaeden: said he wasn't a huge fan, but he ate all of the insides out and just left the shell.