Steakhouse Twice Baked Potatoes

Recently, I took a cooking class with The Chopping Block in Chicago, IL featuring a classic steak dinner with all the trimmings as well as great advice on grilling meats!

What's great about these courses is that no matter where you are at with your cooking skills, there is always something new to learn--a tip, better technique, or mastering proper form!! 

Best of all, these recipes are meant to be simple to encourage more home cooked meals all while maintaining incredible flavors--and, you realize just how good can be without the restaurant bill and tip!

I added these Twice-Baked beauties to the Spicy Grilled Chicken Thighs and Back-up Summer Salad for a great night with friends on the patio! You can, too!

Steakhouse Twice-Baked Potatoes

Equipment:

Baking sheet 
Parchment paper

Mixing bowl

Functioning Oven

Ingredients:

2 Russet Baking Potatoes

Grapeseed or Olive oil

Salt & Pepper

3 strips bacon, cooked & chopped

1/2 cup Gruyere or Sharp cheddar cheese, grated

2-3 scallions, chopped

1/3 cup 2% milk

1/3 cup Sour cream
2 Tbls butter

Instructions:

1. Wash your hands and the potatoes.
2. Preheat the oven to 375F degrees.
3. Bake the potatoes after rubbing with olive oil and sprinkling with salt & pepper on parchment lined baking sheet x 40 minutes.

4. Allow the potatoes to cool before cutting in half and scooping the flesh into a bowl.

5. Mash the potato filling with butter, sour cream and milk, and season with salt and pepper.

6. Add the bacon, cheddar, and scallions. Stir well.

7. Season the potato halves with salt and pepper.
8. Add the potato filling to each potato half and sprinkle with a little extra cheddar cheese.

9. Bake the potatoes on the baking sheet until golden brown and bubbly x 10 minutes.

Great addition to Spiced Up Turkey Burgers, Bandilicious Chicken, or Souvlaki Summer Chicken Skewers, or try the Dragon Bites!

Grilling Incredible Corn

Corn has got to be one of my all-time favorite vegetables of summer. There is just nothing, and I mean NOTHING, like eating fresh summer corn grilled to perfection with a dose of salt, pepper, and butter. 

If you are on campus this summer, doing a work-study program, living alone and trying to save money, hit up the local farmers market for fresh, seasonal produce and support those tilling the fields all year! Not only that, notice the difference of just-picked fruit and veggies as well as the difference on your college budget! Nevermind the taste!

Don't settle for canned corn unless it is winter. Please! 

Three things on today's blog needed for tomorrow's post (which by the way is an awesome recipe that Jon has been asking for since I started the blog):

1. How To Choose Fresh Corn

• Find fat husks of corn
• Husks should be green, not brown and dry.
• Weight should be dense and heavy 
• Peel back the top of the husk to reveal plump, about-to burst, shiny, golden kernels
• That's it. 

2. How To Grill Fresh Corn

Get your grill--charcoal or gas--ready and fired up. 
Goal: 400 degrees if you have a gas-grill.

Peel back the outer husk carefully, but do not pull it off.

Identify the silk tuft and remove from corn. 

Brush off any loose silk strands as these will easily set fire.

Carefully, pull back the outer husk over the corn cob

Trim any dry, brown or dark green tips of the husk since these will set fire as well.
When ready to grill, spray the corn in their husks with water

Single layer your corn husks onto the grill, turning every 8 minutes until kernels are browned and deep golden yellow.

Once done, allow to cool x 5 minutes before removing husks. 

3. Trimming The Corn For Use

• Hold the corn vertically in the middle of a plate.
• Use a sharp knife to cut from top to bottom of the cob.
• Fresh kernels will fall and collect to sides.
• Plan to have about 2 cups for tomorrow's recipes, approx 4 cobs needed.