Beef and Potato Boats
Meet the Cook: Back when I was teaching elementary school (Im now a busy stay-at-home mom to our two youngsters, 7 and 2), my class would put together a Mothers Day cookbook. Many of the dishes are still my favorites - this one included. -Linda Wheeler, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Meet the Cook: Back when I was teaching elementary school (Im now a busy stay-at-home mom to our two youngsters, 7 and 2), my class would put together a Mothers Day cookbook. Many of the dishes are still my favorites - this one included. -Linda Wheeler, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
- Carbohydrate 68.1343212508676 g
- Cholesterol 139.214140420972 mg
- Fat 47.652644506966 g
- Fiber 8.42212518429756 g
- Protein 36.8534772730483 g
- Saturated Fat 20.2389458604453 g
- Serving Size 1 1 (597g)
- Sodium 1292.23936611831 mg
- Sugar 59.71219606657 g
- Trans Fat 5.28514892137998 g
- Calories 848 calories
Step-by-step
- Wash potato skins and prick with a fork. Bake at 400° for 60-70 minutes or until tender; cool. Cut a thin slice off the top of each potato. Carefully scoop out the pulp, leaving a 1/4-in. shell. In a large bowl, mash the pulp with butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper and milk; set aside.
- In a large saucepan cook the beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Cool 10 minutes. Add bacon, sour cream and remaining salt.
- Spoon into potato shells. Top each with a fourth of the mashed potato mixture; sprinkle with cheese. Place potatoes on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.
Potatoes do the heavy lifting here, acting as both structural vessel and rich starch. Selecting high-starch russets matters immensely. Waxy red or yellow varieties contain too much moisture and collapse under the weight of the filling. Piercing the skin deeply with a fork lets steam escape during the initial 60-to-70-minute bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, preventing explosions. Many cooks ruin stuffed potatoes by scooping them while piping hot. Letting the baked tubers cool completely solidifies the interior starches, making it far easier to carve out a stable quarter-inch shell without tearing the skin. Rushing the meat stage causes another frequent failure. Ground beef must cook fully over medium heat until no pink remains, followed by thorough grease drainage. Excess fat makes the sour cream filling separate into an oily puddle during the final 20-minute reheat. Cooling the meat for 10 minutes before stirring in the dairy prevents the sour cream from curdling. Layering requires precision. Spoon the seasoned meat mixture into the hollowed skins first, pipe or spoon the mashed potato mixture directly on top, and finish with cheddar cheese. Baking until heated through yields a contrasting texture of crisp bacon, savory beef, and fluffy dairy.
