Air Fryer Stuffed Potato Skins

I recently bought an air fryer from Kohls that was on sale with a 30% coupon.  It was normally $119.99 on sale for $59.99.  After the 30% coupon and free shipping  code, I only paid about $37 with tax.  I had been thinking of getting one for awhile, so at the price it was too good to pass up.  

Today while looking for something to make for dinner, I saw a bag of baking potatoes that we needed to use.  We also had cheese and bacon so I thought why not make some stuffed potato skins. I was a little nervous using the fryer for the first time but once I realized how easy it is, I was hooked.

I started with 6 washed medium potatoes, which would make 12 potato skins.  I baked them in the microwave, but you can bake them any way your prefer. 

I cut them in half lengthwise and scooped out the potato flesh. They were not the prettiest, but since I was not serving it for something special it did not have to look perfect. 

I split the potatoes into two batches. I placed each batch in the fryer for about 3-4 minutes at 390 degrees to crisp the skin just a bit before filling them.  

For the filling I used the scooped out potatoes, 6 pieces of bacon cut into pieces, and a large handful of cheese. I never measure cheese, I just put in what looks good to me. (our family loves cheese)  I also sprinkled on a little bit of salt and pepper.  What is great about a recipe like this is you can customize it and  add whatever ingredients you want it to the filling. 

I cooked the batches of stuffed potatoes for about 5 minutes each. I sprinkled on a little more cheese on top, and then turned the fryer on for one more minute to melt it. 

There was a little bit of filling leftover, it is going to be added to some eggs in the morning.  

There was a bag of BBQ chicken wings in the freezer, which made for an excellent companion to the stuffed potato skins.  This was such and easy and delicious meal to make, that I will definitely be making it again.  

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Potato Party Cups and Pockets

I am very excited to be part of the Ultimate Recipe Challenge for potatoes.  My family loves potatoes.  We don't make them at home very often though, and usually have the kind that come from a drive thru. This recipe was a lot of fun to come up with because I got my kids involved and they had some wonderful ideas.  

It was my daughter's idea to serve the potatoes in a cup, which would make it perfect to serve at a party or get together.  To start the recipe she opened a package refrigerator dough. They had a big and flaky version on sale this week, which had a little more dough than the regular size.  

Instead of rolling to dough into a crescent, she rolled the dough into a ball. 

She pressed each ball into a muffin tin to form a cup.  Following the directions on the tube, she baked the cups for 10-12 minutes at 375 degrees. While she was working on the cups, I was working on the potatoes. 

I had peeled 4-5 medium potatoes and boiled them until tender.  When it was time to blend into mashed potatoes, I added 1/3 brick of cream cheese, and 1-2 cups of steamed broccoli. I really do not know exactly how much I added to the potatoes. I had steamed them in a ba in the microwave and then sight added it to the mix. It really is up to your preference, and you can even leave it out all together if you do not like broccoli. 

When the dough cups came out of the oven they had puffed up a bit, but we were able to push them back down with a spoon.  My daughter wanted to add some extra shredded cheddar cheese to the cups that would be on the bottom of the mashed potato mixture. 

I generously filled each of the cups with the mashed potatoes.  We garnished the tops with some more cheddar cheese and a piece of broccoli.   We had them for dinner that night, and we LOVED them.  The dough cups make them a great side dish for a party or pot luck. They would also make a great side dish for dinner.  

My son had another idea for a potato recipe. He also wanted to use some dough, but instead of forming it into a cup, he wanted me to make a potato filled pocket.  Just like above I separated the dough into sections, and then used the dough to form a rectangle shape.  If I wanted them to be more uniform, I think i would use dough that is not pre-cut into triangles, and cut it into rectangle shapes. 

I added a generous amount of the cream cheese broccoli mashed potatoes to the dough and folded it over.  I probably over stuffed it a bit, because there were a bit difficult to seal. Once folded over, I use a fork to seal the sides.   I then cut a small hole to each pocket and sprinkled with some seasoning.  I used a bit of garlic salt and minced onion to give it some extra flavor.

When I took them out of the oven, they were golden brown  

These pockets were very filling, and the family loved them as well. They would also be great to serve for a large group. You getting the yumminess of mashed potatoes without the mess and silverware. 

If you like these potato recipes, be sure to check out more in Ultimate Potato Challenge by 40+ other bloggers.  

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

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Holidays on a Budget - Easy Twice Baked Potatoes

A few weeks ago I mentioned that I would be sharing posts in my series Celebrating the Holidays on a Budget.  Today I am sharing a recipe that is not only easy to make, but very inexpensive.  You can make it ahead of time for your holiday dinner or get togethers, or just eat it for a family dinner. 

This time  of year is the perfect time to make Easy Twice Baked Potatoes.  Last week Aldi had a 10 lb bag of Russet pototoes for only $1.29.  We will be able to make several meals from that bag which makes me very happy. You should be able to find some great deals on potatoes right now.  

You will need one to two potatoes per person, depending on the size.  

Bake for about an hour at 400 degrees 

Once the potatoes are done, take them out of oven.  I allowed mine to cool for a few minutes before moving on to the next step. They will be very hot to the touch without cooling.  Cut the potatoes in half. To get the potato halves to stand up, cut a small slice from the bottom to make a flat bottom.  Carefully scoop out the potato flesh and place it in a small bowl.  

This next step is the fun part.  Add whatever extras you want in your twice baked potato based on your preferences. I did not measure, I just eyeballed until I felt we had the right amount of ingredients.  I used 2 Tablespoons of Sour Cream, and about 4 thick slices of Velvetta.  You can use any cheese prefer, Velvetta is what I had on hand.  It makes a great grilled cheese, and it is creamy when it melts. You could also add broccoli or even bacon to the filling.  Mix well so the ingredients are distributed throughout the potato. 

Refill the potato skins with the potato mixture.  Place them back in the oven, and bake at 350 degrees for 30 mins more.  

We sprinkled on some bacon bits,  and a little bit of salt. (I did not have a chance to take a picture before the potatoes started disappearing)   They were really good, and were gone very quickly.  My kids loved them, and want me to make the again, and again. 

If you liked the Twice Baked Potato recipe, you might also like these recipes

Another potato recipe my family loves is Easy Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes. We served these at Thanksgiving last year.  Because they are made in the slow cooker they can be out of the way while you prepare the rest of the meal.  

BBQ Sausage and Cheesy Bacon Potatoes made a great winter meal 

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Easy Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes

Are you thinking about your Thanksgiving menu yet? I am starting to, and last night I tried out something new on my family.  Did you know that you can make mashed potatoes in the slower cooker. I had never thought to do it before, it is so easy, and they potatoes tasted great. 

This recipe can be adjusted to the amount of potatoes you need.  We only needed 4-6 servings so the amounts I used in this recipe may need to be increased if you make it for more.   For 4-6 servings, you need about 5 medium potatoes, or 6-7 smaller ones.  I peeled, and cut up 6-7 small potatoes, and placed them in the small cooker.  Instead of cooking them in water,  I added a 14 oz can of chicken broth.  I set the slower cooker to high, and went about my day. 

 About 4 hours later, the potatoes were done. I did not talk a photo of when I mashed the potatoes, but it is easy to visualize.  The potatoes were super soft and tender, and mashed very easily.  I added 2 tablespoons of butter/margerine, a 1/2 to 1 cup of milk, a little bit of garlic and some salt and pepper.   The kids loved them, and ate them all up.  Now that I know I can make them in the slow cooker, we may have mashed potatoes more often.  

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Pinterest Potatoes

Last night I wanted to try  something new with our  potatoes at dinner.

foodgawker.com

Awhile back, I found this picture on Pinterest, and thought it looked so good I wanted to try to make it too. I followed the directions of the Pin.  I was to cut thin slices almost all the way through, drizzle on olive oil and butter, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 40 minutes at 425 degrees. 

The first thing that I found out, is when you are cutting almost all the way through, it is VERY EASY to cut all the way through..  

I think the slices on my potatoes were a bit too tight.  Most of the olive oil and butter ended up on the cookie sheet instead of inside the slices.  

While ours did not turn out that beautiful golden color of the pin, it really didn't matter. They were still very tasty potatoes, that were super easy to make. My entire family enjoyed them, and I have been asked to make them again.  I think the next time though,  I will make sure to pull the slices farther apart so that more butter gets inside the potato.  This pin gets a definite thumbs up.  

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