Quayle Potatoe

Edible tubers--Americans have had a love affair with these guys for over 200 years beginning with the Irish who brought them to the New World. The average American per capita consumption is 72 pounds of spuds a year! So, it is always of interest to find new ways to prepare them. The Quayle Potatoe is really twice-baked, not half-baked, and although there is some work to them up front, once your guests arrive, just pop them into the oven.

Potatoes and milk provide all the nutrients the human body really needs: vitamin C, carbohydrates, protein, calcium and niacin. The U.S. is the third largest potato-producing nation in the world. Can you guess who is first and second? The United Soviet States and Poland....

The secret to this recipe is using good old Idaho potatoes. They may cost a few cents more, but the quality is really there. For two people, you'll need:

3 ea.               Idaho potatoes
4 strips            bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 ea.               green onion, chopped
2 TB                sour cream
2 TB                grated parmesan cheese
to taste            salt and pepper 
1 TB                butter
dash                paprika

Place the potatoes in the oven and bake until they are tender. Remove from oven and after they have cooled down, cut them in half and scrape them out, leaving about a quarter inch of potato along the skin. Mix the scooped out potato with the rest of the ingredients and spoon this mixture back into only two of the halves. Stack it nice and high, then top with a little butter and paprika and place in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Enjoy with a big t-bone steak.

Some variations would be to add chopped up fresh herbs and/or garlic to the potato mixture. And as always, a creative cook is a good cook.