Jalapeno Bacon Stuffed Potatoes

Total Recipe cost: $4.82
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Cost per serving: $0.80
Prep time: 10 min. Cook time: 90 min. Total: 100 min. (mostly passive cooking time)

INGREDIENTS
3 medium to large russet potatoes
1 cup cheddar chees
6 oz. applewood smoked bacon
3 small jalapenos
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup milk
1 Tbsp fresh cracked pepper to taste
salt and pepper


STEP 1: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Wash the potatoes well and prick with a fork (I do this along the line where I will be cutting them in half later so as not to weaken the skin "shell"). Bake the potatoes for approximately 1 hr. You can check them at 45 minutes, they should be slightly soft when squeezed.

STEP 2: While the potatoes are cooking, cut the bacon into "bit" sized pieces and cook in a skillet over medium/high heat until they are crispy. Spoon them out of the grease and drain on folded up paper towels. Set the bacon aside.

STEP 3: Slice the jalapenos down the center and scoop out the spine and seeds. If you like it extra extra hot, leave some seeds in. Chop the remaining jalapeno pieces into small bits and set aside.

STEP 4: When the potatoes are done cooking, remove them from the oven and turn the oven down to 350 degrees. Let them cool for ten minutes or so and carefully slice them in half length wise. Using a sharp spoon, scoop out the flesh of the potatoes into a bowl leaving some still attached to the skin to give it support.

STEP 5: Add the butter, milk, salt and pepper to the scooped out potato flesh and mash it up good until it is light and fluffy. Stir in the bacon pieces, jalapenos and 2/3 cup cheddar cheese.

STEP 5: Refill the potato shells with the mashed mixture. Top each with a little bit more cheddar (about 1/3 cup total). Place the stuffed potatoes on a baking sheet and bake in the oven until the cheese has melted and browned slightly (about 30 minutes).

NOTE: Use as much or as little jalapeno as you like. My three peppers were very small and the mixture was still extremely spicy. Another option would be to use pickled jalapenos which tend to be slightly less spicy (and you may have some left over from your Pork and Pineapple Burritos).

Six ounces of bacon is about half of a regular sized package. You can freeze the unused portion and keep it handy for making more bacon bits or cook off all of it and freeze the unused cooked bacon bits!

If you are going to freeze your potatoes, refrigerate them first and then once they have chilled wrap them tightly in foil or plastic wrap, place them in a zipper freezer bag and date and label them. Frozen potatoes are also great to bring for lunch because they will stay cool (and safe) for hours until you are ready to reheat and eat!