Jalapeño Popper Twice Baked Potatoes
Twice baked potatoes with the savory & spicy "Jalapeno Popper" flavor profile in every bite. The secret to getting the jalapeno flavor evenly spread out? Blistering the jalapeno first.
Ingredients
- 4 Russet Potatoes
- Olive Oil
- Salt
- 2 Jalapeños
- 1/2 Pkg of Bacon
- 3/4 c Cheddar Cheese shredded
- 2 oz Cream Cheese cubed
- 1/2 c Half & Half or Whole Milk
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- Black Pepper to taste
- Sour Cream optional for serving
- Sliced Green Onions optional for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Wash potatoes & prick all over with a fork. Rub olive oil & generously salt all over. Place on baking sheet & bake for 45 minutes, until a fork easily slides through to the center.
- While the potatoes bake, pan fry the bacon. Lay to cool & drain on paper towel. Once cool enough to handle, roughly chop & set aside.
- In the same pan as the bacon, blister the jalapenos (whole) until they have softened, turning them to evenly cook all sides. (Black spots are okay.) Remove from heat & lay on a paper towel. Once the peppers are cool enough to handle, cut the stems off. Deseed & dice the peppers; set aside.
- When potatoes are fork-tender & cool enough to handle, carefully cut each potato in half lengthwise. Tip: I use the edge of my rimmed baking sheet as a guide for my knife to sit on.
- Scoop most of the flesh out of the potato halves, leaving a small "boat" behind. Add the scooped out potato to a medium bowl with the cream & salt. Mix them together & mash the big chunks down to a smooth consistency.
- Add the cheddar cheese. cream cheese, jalapenos, & bacon to the bowl with the potatoes. Season with garlic powder & mix until well combined. Taste & adjust seasonings if needed.
- Using a spoon, fill the potato halves evenly with the mixture. Mound as high as needed; use the spoon to compress it down. Season with black pepper.
- Return to oven & bake another 10 minutes.
- Enjoy!