Shrimp Twice Baked Potatoes

We went to Costo a couple of weeks ago and picked up a bag of potatoes, a 20 pound bag of potatoes. There are some nights we cook a potato and top it with chili and cheese for dinner. Today I wanted something different and this recipe fit the bill.I found the recipe in The Ultimate Shrimp Book by Bruce Weinstein. It has over 650 shrimp recipes.

I pulled a pound of shrimp out of the freezer and thawed them in a bowl of water while I cooked the potatoes.

Once thawed, peeled and deveined, I sauteed the shrimp with some onion in butter.

After the cooked potatoes had cooled a bit, I sliced off the top and scooped out the insides.

The cleaned potato shells ready to be stuffed.

I mixed up the stuffing in a large bowl.

Ready to be baked.

The finished product. Now before we get to the actual recipe I will admit that I made a few changes. For starters I halved the recipe. However, I used a full pound of shrimp for 2 potatoes instead of only a half-pound. I added a lot more cheese than the recipe called for. I added some minced onions to the shrimp while they were sauteing and,,,,I completely forgot to add the eggs. I also did not beat the mixture until smooth, I like lumps in my baked potatoes. But they were wonderful they way they came out.

Shrimp Twice Baked Potatoes Serves 4 4 large baking potatoes, scrubbed (about 3/4 pound each) 1 pound small shrimp, peeled & deveined (I used large shrimp and chopped them up) 2 tblsp unsalted butter 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley 2 tblsp dill 2 large eggs 1/4 cup milk - do not use 1% or skim 1/2 tsp salt black pepper to taste 1 cup plus 2 tblsp shredded cheddar cheese 1) Preheat oven to 400 2) Bake the potatoes until they feel soft when pierced with a sharp knife or skewer, about 1 hour. 3) Meanwhile, chop the shrimp 4) Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring constantly, until pink, about 2 minutes. Break up any clumps of shrimp with a wooden spoon as you cook them. Remove the skillet from heat and set aside. 5) When the potatoes are done, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool until they are easy to handle. Maintain the oven temperature. 6) Cut the top 1/3 off the potatoes the long way. Using a spoon, scoop the inside of both sections of the potato into a large mixing bowl, leaving a 1/8 inch layer of potato in the shell. Discard the tops. 7) Add the parsley, dill, eggs, milk salt and pepper to the potato insides. Using a hand mixer, beat the mixture until it is smooth. Add the 1 cup of the cheddar cheese and shrimp to the bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until well blended. 8) Fill the hollowed-out potatoes evenly with the filling. Top each with 1/2 tblsp of the remaining cheddar cheese. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, or until they are lightly browned and puffed on top/ Serve immediately.