Chipotle Cheddar Twice Baked Potatoes with Ground Turkey

My return to the Lone Star State has caused a temporary swell of pride for Texas food and flavors. I'm sure it will pass or at least fade soon, but in the meantime here's my Texified take on twice baked potatoes.

Next time I make these I'll hold the actual chipotle and just use the adobo sauce instead for that smokey kick. Turns out my taste buds need to go into basic training to become fully Texan again. As with any twice baked potato recipe, these take time. The saving grace is they make a full meal when paired with a salad. They would also make great appetizers if made with small potatoes.

Giddy Up!

Chipotle Cheddar Twice Baked Potatoes with Turkey
Serves 6.

Ingredients:
3 large potatoes
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 large shallots, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 lb ground turkey
2 tablespoons chipotle adobo sauce plus one chipotle (optional!) minced
1 tablespoon ketchup
1/2 teaspoon coriander
few gratings fresh nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons low fat cottage cheese
2 tablespoons chopped green onion plus extra for garnish
1 1/2 cups reduced fat shredded cheddar for filling, plus another 1/3 cup or so for the tops
2 tablespoons melted butter, for putting over the top before baking

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400.

Rub cleaned potatoes with olive oil. Stab with a fork a couple times each, place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until skin has begun to crinkle and the flesh pierces easily with a fork. Cool 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, saute the shallots in olive oil in a large nonstick skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Once the shallots have softened, add in the minced garlic and cook another minute. Add in the ground turkey, breaking up with a wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper and cook about 10 minutes or until cooked through.

Add in the chipotle (if using), the adobo sauce, ketchup, coriander, nutmeg, salt, white pepper, and paprika. Stir well. Meanwhile, cut the potatoes in half length wise and carefully scoop out the flesh leaving a solid 1/4 inch 'wall' around the edges to keep them from falling apart. Add the flesh to a large bowl and fluff/break apart with a fork. Once nice and fluffed, mix in the sour cream and cottage cheese. Add the turkey mixture and incorporate well being careful not to over mix or the potato will become gummy. Stir in the green onions and cheddar cheese.

Place the potato 'skins' on a large greased cookie sheet and fill with the stuffing. They can hold a lot so don't hold back here and pile them nice and high. Pour the melted butter over the tops then top with more cheddar if desired.

Bake again lowering the heat to 375 for 20 minutes or until the tops just begin to brown. Garnish with green onions.