Loaded Steakhouse Baked Potatoes

10/7/2018

I'm not sure how or when this happened but I find myself serving side dishes as main dishes now more than ever. Maybe it's because I'm cooking for 2 and I've gotten a little lazy but I've got to say - there's something to this side dish cooking. It's quick and easy and it can be really satisfying.

Macaroni and cheese with a few slices of smoked sausage stirred in, pasta with a spoonful of tuna or a cabbage salad topped with shredded chicken are all good side/main dishes. So the question is, if I add protein to a carbohydrate or a vegetable, does that make it main course worthy?

The recipe for these loaded baked potatoes called for brisket and blue cheese but Ben and are very different, and we like our potatoes different too. I loaded half of the potatoes with shredded smoked chicken and blue cheese (for me) and the other half with brisket and cheddar cheese (for him). You could really top these potatoes with anything that you like. The possibilities are endless.

Loaded Steakhouse Baked Potatoes
4 russet potatoes
1/4 cup milk
2 Tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
1 Tablespoon oil
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 cup beef broth
2 teaspoons sherry
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
10 ounces baby spinach
8 ounces shredded brisket
1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup crispy fried onions

Prick potatoes with a fork. Place on plate and microwave 15 minutes.

Cut potatoes in half. Scoop out pulp leaving a 1/4" border.