Chili-Cheese Baked Potatoes

‘Tis the season for quick, simple, and thrifty meals. Potatoes are a great (and cheap) canvas on which to get creative with toppings–pesto; roasted garlic; blue cheese; smoked salmon; wasabi; chili. On this night we thought some chili and pepper-jack would be a satisfying combo. If you have a can of chili in the back of your pantry, this recipe is even quicker, but if you want to make your own famous chili, by all means do so! We like to rub our potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with salt before baking. It makes the skin much tastier to eat later on (which you should eat, because it’s a great source of fiber).

Chili-Cheese Baked Potatoes

2 Russet Potatoes, washed and patted dried
Olive Oil
Coarse Salt
1 Can Chili (we used Dennison’s)
1 Heaping handful of grated Pepper-Jack cheese
1 Tomato, diced
3 Green Onions (white and green parts), sliced
Sour Cream (if you have it; we didn’t)

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

• Place the potatoes in a shallow baking dish. Rub them with olive oil, covering every surface. Sprinkle with salt. Poke a few holes in the potatoes with a fork. Bake until done, about 1 hour (test by inserting a fork).

• Meanwhile, heat the chili in a small saucepan over low heat.

• Place each potato on a plate, make a slit on the top and squeeze the sides to open slightly.

• Spoon hot chili onto the potato. Top with grated cheese, followed by the tomato, green onion, and sour cream (if using).

High Hopes 🙂