Stroganese Stuffed Baked Potato
It's totally indulgent, so fun. A very comforting dinner for all.
Serves: 6
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS
6 large potatoes, suitable for baking
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red capsicum, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, finely diced
500g beef mince (increase to 700g if you want more protein in the dish)
salt and pepper
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
500ml beef stock
400g pureed tomatoes or passata
1 cup sour cream, plus extra to serve
6-10 rashers streaky bacon, finely sliced
1/2 cup water
butter, to serve
grated cheese, to serve (I used a combination of mozzarella and cheddar)
chives, to serve
cracked pepper, to serve
chilli flakes, optional
METHOD
Prick the potatoes with a fork and place them straight on the oven rack at 200C fan forced. Cook for about 1 hour 15 minutes, until done. Get these in before you start the stroganese.
Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat and saute the onion until golden.
Add the capsicum and garlic.
Add the beef mince and continue browning the meat until you get some nice crusty bits, then season it well.
Add the oregano, smoked paprika, beef stock, pureed tomatoes and sour cream. Stir and bring to a simmer until well combined, then allow to bubble and reduce to your liking.
While the stroganese is cooking, place the sliced bacon in a frypan with the water and allow to simmer until all the water has reduced and the fat has rendered. Continue cooking until the bacon is crispy and golden, then set aside.
Place a baked potato straight on each plate. Cut a cross section in it and squeeze the potato so it kind of explodes and oozes out of its skin.
Top with butter and grated cheese, a big spoonful of stroganese, a nice dollop of sour cream, the crispy bacon bits, chives and cracked pepper.
Add chilli flakes if you like, and serve with a simple green salad or some steamed broccoli.
HINTS
The potatoes take longer than the stroganese, so get them in the oven first. An hour and a quarter on the rack, no foil, no tray - that's what gives you the dry, crisp skin worth cutting into.
The half cup of water in the bacon pan is the trick. It renders the fat gently before anything fries, so the bacon crisps evenly instead of burning at the edges while the middle is still raw.
Butter and cheese go on before the stroganese. They melt down into the hot squeezed potato and make the foundation for everything that follows.
NUTRITION (per recipe total, serves 6 - guide only):
Energy: approximately 23200kJ (5550 calories)
Protein: 210g
Fat: 356g
Saturated fat: 160g
Carbohydrates: 350g
Sugars: 42g
Fibre: 38g
Sodium: 7400mg
This nutrition information is a guide only and may vary depending on brands, exact quantities, and ingredient substitutions used.