For me, cooking is cathartic and it’s one of my favorite creative outlets. Spending a few hours in front of the stove or oven is good for my sense of well-being. The result is often something that makes those around me happy too; it’s truly a win-win.
The other positive aspect of being the sole person cooking the meals in my home is that my husband will always volunteer to do the dishes. While I try to clean up as I use various cutting boards, knives and other utensils, he has no problem washing the rest of the plates, bowls, pots and pans. For this (and many other reasons), I am a very lucky lady.
A sink full of dishes, though, eats into our time together after the baby goes to bed — time that’s best spent letting out that audible, end-of-the-day sigh, as one collapses onto a fluffy couch while the Netflix queue loads on the television. Any recipe that can give us more time together is a good one.
These stuffed baked potatoes are an all-in-one meal. Cored first to remove a portion of the centers, the potatoes become the vessel for cooking the other ingredients and at the same time become infused with the salty, smoky flavors. Just as good is the free-time after dinner, thanks to the lack of dirty dishes.
Stuffed Baked Potatoes
Adapted from Jamie Oliver
4 baking potatoes, skin left on
Olive oil
Sea salt or kosher salt
4 slices of bacon
8 fresh sage leaves
4 anchovy fillets in oil, drained
1 clove garlic, peeled and sliced lengthwise
1 teaspoon of freshly grated lemon zest
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Using a paring knife, carefully core centers from potatoes, saving them for another use. Prick potatoes with a fork several times and rub with olive oil and salt. Set potatoes aside. Lay slices of bacon flat and top each with two sage leaves, an anchovy fillet, a sliver of garlic and a sprinkle of lemon zest. Fold in half and twist the stuffing together. Insert into the cored center of a potato (don’t worry if the ends hang out). Bake on a foil lined baking sheet for an hour, turning every so often.
