Spudnik Rendezvous
Baked Potato Halves Stuffed with Savory Ground Beef and Onion, Topped with Fresh Tomato Salsa
1 hour 5 minutes
Serves 4
DinnerMediterraneanGluten-freeDairy-freeNut-freeShellfish-freeSoy-free
Herb's take
This dish rockets baked potatoes into new orbit with a Mediterranean-Mexican fusion: crispy potato boats filled with warmly spiced beef and onions, finished with a punchy tomato salsa. You’ll learn why resting stuffed potatoes is the secret to keeping both filling and spud at peak texture.
Ingredients
Yield
4
Instructions
- 01Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- 02Pierce the russet potatoes several times with a fork, rub with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and place them directly on the oven rack. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until easily pierced with a knife.
- 03While potatoes bake, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up, until browned and cooked through, about 6–8 minutes. Drain off excess fat.
- 04Add the diced onion to the skillet with beef and cook until softened, about 4 minutes.
- 05Stir in the minced garlic, smoked paprika, ground cumin, crushed red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Set mixture aside.
- 06In a bowl, combine the diced tomatoes, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and toss to combine. Let sit for 10 minutes.
- 07When potatoes are done, let cool just enough to handle, then halve them lengthwise. With a spoon, gently scoop out most of the flesh, leaving a sturdy 1/4-inch shell.
- 08Fill each potato half generously with the beef and onion mixture, pressing it in lightly. Return stuffed potatoes to the oven on a baking sheet for 7–8 minutes to reheat and crisp the edges.
- 09Remove the potatoes, let them rest 3 minutes, then top each with a generous spoonful of tomato salsa. Serve immediately.
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