Ingredients:
- 4 Idaho/Russet potatoes
- Cooking oil (olive, canola, macadamia, etc.)
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 3/4 cup half and half
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 6 strips bacon, cooked, crumbled
- 1/4 cup scallions, chopped
- 1 cup green peas
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Triple Crème Cheese
- 4 pork chops, cut 1 1/4-inch thick
- Canola oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
For the potatoes: (For a faster recipe, cook the potatoes in the microwave—10 minutes for 2 potatoes, 15 minutes for 4 potatoes—then finish in the oven to crisp the skins.)
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- After cleaning, pierce each potato with a fork several times, and then rub with oil.
- lace on a baking sheet and cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until soft when poked with a knife.
For the filling:
- While potatoes are baking, cook and chop the bacon.
- When the potatoes are done, cut the top 1/3rd off each potato lengthwise, and scoop out the insides, creating a “canoe”—place the insides in a bowl, and be sure to leave roughly a ¼ inch of potato attached to the skins.
- Mix sour cream, half and half, and butter in with the potato insides and mash with a fork or potato masher. Fold in the remaining ingredients (including bacon bits). Then stuff the potato canoes with the filling and return to oven, this time at 350° for 15-20 minutes.
- Top the freshly baked potatoes with long, thick slices of triple crème cheese and allow to melt in the oven for a minute or two.
For the pork chops:
- Heat a large skillet over a medium-high heat and add enough canola oil to coat.
- Season the pork chops on all sides and place in the hot oil for 9-12 minutes per side, until evenly browned and—if you have a meat thermometer, check for an internal temperature of 140°. Remove from pan and allow to rest 10 minutes before serving.
Nutritional Information:
- 4 servings, analysis for baked potato only (1 tbsp oil, 4 oz cheese), does not include salt and pepper to taste
- Calories 690
- Total Fat 39 g
- Saturated Fat 13 g
- Cholesterol 58 mg
- Sodium 377 mg
- Total Carbohydrate 68 g
- Dietary Fiber 11 g
- Sugars 8 g
- Protein 17 g