Cheesy Ranch Stuffed Baked Potatoes

These ranch stuffed baked potatoes are filled with zesty, creamy mashed taters, then baked to perfection. You’ll never settle for boring plain baked potatoes again…

I really love brainstorming and creating meat recipes – after all, once cannot earn the mont iker “hardcore carnivore” without a heavy love of meat proteins. Even after you’ve nailed the perfect steak, or cooked an epic pork chop, you still need to have a pretty great arsenal of side dishes to choose from in order to make it a complete meal.

Steak and baked potato is a pretty classic combination, but I got to thinking -why should we deal with a plain old boring baked potato when you can make it so much more awesome? Why just dump the sour cream on top when you incorporate it into the mashed interior? And why have ranch on the side when you can get that flavor in every single bite?!

And so – the idea for these ranch stuffed potatoes was born. It’s a double texture bonanza – with the firm roasted skin giving way to a creamy mashed interior. And did I mention they are also smothered with cheese? Yeah, that’s where the cheesy part comes in. I like to use Asiago cheese because it’s fantastically melty but has some punchy flavor, but I wouldn’t judge you at all if you decided to throw two, three or even four cheeses into the mix. You could definitely throw some bleu in there for a classic steak pairing.

Here’s how you make these beauties:

Cheesy Ranch Stuffed Baked Potatoes

Ingredients

• 4 large baking potatoes (like Russet)
• 3 tbsp ranch powder
• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 4 tbsp salted butter
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 cup shredded Asiago cheese
• 1 tsp paprika
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400f
2. Scrub and clean potatoes well, pierce with a fork and place on lined baking sheet. Bake in oven until tender, 50-70 minutes. If desired, this step may be completed in the microwave.
3. Once cooled, cut potato in half lengthways, and gently scoop out the flesh into a bowl.
4. Add butter, salt, pepper and sour cream to bowl, and mix well to thoroughly combine and achieve a smooth mashed texture.
5. Add in scallions, ranch powder and 3/4 of the Asiago, stir to combine.
6. Place empty skins back on baking tray, and fill each one with the mash mixture. Top with remaining cheese.
7. Place in 375f oven for 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted and mixture is warmed through, serve immediately.