Mexican Twice-Baked Potatoes

Circle B Kitchen

You will end up with more stuffing than you can fit into the potatoes, but it's super delicious reheated for lunch, or you can top the leftovers with a fried egg or two and some hot sauce for another easy weeknight meal. If you have Mexican crema handy, use that to make the sriracha crema instead of the the milk and sour cream.

Serves 2-3

2 large russet potatoes

1/2 pound ground beef or turkey

1/2 cup sliced black olives (or 1 small 4 oz can)

1/4 of a medium onion, diced small

1 (13.5 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 1/2 tablespoons taco seasoning (here’s my recipe)

1/2 cup sour cream

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups cheddar cheese

Sriracha Crema:

1/3 cup sour cream

1 to 2 tablespoons of sriracha (depending on how spicy you'd like it)

2 tablespoons of milk (or enough to make it thin enough to drizzle)

To serve: salsa, avocado, thinly-sliced scallions, sriracha crema

Heat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Scrub the potatoes clean and prick all over with a fork. Rub them all over with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange the potatoes on the baking sheet and bake for an hour. Allow to cool enough to handle.

While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the filling. Warm a little vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and saute until soft, about 5-10 minutes. Add the ground meat and taco seasoning and cook until it’s thoroughly browned, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the black beans, and cook until warmed through, another couple of minutes. Remove the pan from heat.

When the potatoes are cooked and have cooled just enough to handle, cut them in half and scoop out the insides, creating a hollowed-out shell about 1/4-inch thick. Arrange the shells in rows on the baking sheet.

Combine the potato insides and the sour cream in a large bowl. Mash until the sour cream is fully incorporated and the potatoes are creamy (add more sour cream for a richer filling). Fold in 1 cup of the cheese the sliced olives and the ground meat mixture.

Divide the mashed potato filling evenly between the potato shells (you’ll probably have more than you need). Sprinkle the tops with the remaining cheese.

Return the potatoes to the oven and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the potatoes are warm. Cool briefly, then top with a little salsa, sliced scallions, sliced avocado and a drizzle of the sriracha crema.