05/21/2007

Recipe of the Week

Twice-Baked Potatoes

Pam Purvis of Traverse City sent in today's recipe.

"The original recipe for these potatoes came from my brother-in-law's father,” she writes. "He was a cook on the freighters.

"I have been making this recipe now for about 25 years.”

Pam said she normally makes a few extra because they are so good reheated in the microwave.

"They are a little time-consuming, but I like to make them for special occasions like Easter or for summer cookouts.”

Twice-Baked Potatoes

• 10-12 large baking potatoes, scrubbed and prepared for baking
• 1 24-oz. container French onion chip dip
• 3-4 green onions, thinly sliced
• Milk
• 8 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Pierce potatoes numerous times with a fork. Bake at 350° for 11/2 hours or until done. Remove from oven and allow to cool enough so you can handle them.

Slice across the top of the potato lengthwise and gently take a spoon and scoop out potato, being careful not to go through the skins. Leave a small amount of potato attached to the shell to make it sturdy.

After all of the potatoes have been scooped out, place potato in a large mixing bowl. With an electric mixer, start beating potatoes and add chip dip, green onions and 3/4 or so of the package of cheese. Add enough milk if needed to make mixture smooth and creamy. Start spooning potato mixture back into shells and place in a large baking pan. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350° for 30 to 45 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted and golden brown.

Note: Pam has also added crumbled bacon, chopped olives and the like; she has also substituted ranch dressing for chip dip.

"Basically, you can stir in whatever you might enjoy.”

Enjoy cooking? How would you like a new apron? We'll send a Record-Eagle "We've got you covered” apron to readers whose recipes are printed here as a Recipe of the Week. If you have a recipe that friends and relatives rave over and ask for, please send it, along with your name, mailing address, phone number and some details on you, where you got the recipe and the reactions it gets to: Recipe of the Week, Record-Eagle, P.O. Box 632, Traverse City, MI 49685; fax (231) 946-8632; e-mail kgibbons@record-eagle.com. Please make sure recipes include information on the number of servings they make, along with specific sizes on cans and jars of ingredients.