TWICE BAKED POTATOES, ITALIAN STYLE OAMC

Twice Baked Potatoes, Italian Style OAMC image

I'm always on the lookout for new ways to twice-bake potatoes...I thought I'd found an 'Italian' twice-baked potato recipe, but it seemed incomplete...As a result I came up with my own take on what an Italian twice baked potato might be like and this recipe is the result...Add a green salad or minestrone soup with a tiramisu for dessert and you'll have one heckuva meal! Please note that you may make this recipe heart healthier by substituting the low fat or low sodium versions of some of the ingredients, with little difference in taste or texture...See the end of the recipe for OAMC instructions...

Provided by CookinwithGas

Categories One Dish Meal

Time 1h55m

Yield 6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 10

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Ingredients

6 large russet potatoes
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon pepper
1 (15 ounce) container part-skim ricotta cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated (Kraft Reduced Fat if available)
1 (26 ounce) can spaghetti sauce (Hunt's Italian Sausage version)
1 (8 ounce) package part-skim mozzarella cheese, finely shredded

Steps:

Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C); scrub the dirt from the potatoes under cool running water.
Place the potatoes directly on the rack in the middle of the preheated oven and bake for 55 minutes.
Remove the potatoes but keep oven turned on; slice 1 inch of the top off of each potato and using a small spoon scoop out pulp into a large bowl, leaving a 1/4 inch thick shell.
Mash the potatoes with the butter, ricotta, parmesan, garlic and pepper; add the green pepper and onion, mixing well.
Spoon into potato shells, place stuffed potatoes on a baking sheet and return to the middle rack in the hot oven.
Bake for 20 minutes; then spoon some spaghetti sauce on top of the potatoes (you decide how much); then sprinkle some of the shredded cheese over the sauce (you decide how much).
Return once more to the oven for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted; Serve immediately.
For OAMC: Prepare potatoes up until you've got them re-stuffed; place on baking sheet and flash-freeze.
Once frozen, double wrap each stuffed potato in plastic wrap, then foil and place into a freezer storage bag until wanted for a meal.
24 hours before you wish to serve them, remove them from the freezer, completely unwrap them, place them on a baking sheet and thaw in your fridge.
Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C); heat on baking sheet in hot oven for 20 minutes; then spoon some spaghetti sauce on top of the potatoes (you decide how much); then sprinkle some of the shredded cheese over the sauce (you decide how much).
Return once more to the oven for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted; Serve immediately.