Blue Cheese and Bacon Baked Potato Fans
By America's Test KitchenPublished on July 1, 2013
Time
1¾ hours
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Bread Crumb Topping
1 slice hearty white sandwich bread, torn into pieces4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted⅓ cup crumbled blue cheese ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 teaspoon paprika ½ teaspoon garlic powder Salt and pepperPotato Fans
4 russet potatoes, scrubbed2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Salt and pepper 4 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and then crumbledBefore You Begin
To ensure that the potatoes fans out evenly, look for uniformly shaped potatoes.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Pulse bread in food processor until coarsely ground. Bake bread crumbs on rimmed baking sheet until dry, about 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then combine crumbs, butter, cheeses, paprika, garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in large bowl. (Bread crumb topping can be refrigerated in zipper-lock bag for 2 days.)
- Heat oven to 450 degrees. Following photos 1 to 3 at left, cut 1/4 inch from bottom and ends of potatoes, then slice potatoes crosswise at 1/4-inch intervals, leaving 1/4 inch of potato intact. Gently rinse potatoes under running water, let drain, and transfer, sliced-side down, to plate. Microwave until slightly soft to the touch, 6 to 12 minutes, flipping potatoes halfway through cooking.
- Arrange potatoes, sliced-side up, on foil-lined baking sheet. Brush potatoes all over with oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake until skin is crisp and potatoes are beginning to brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove potatoes from oven and heat broiler.
- Carefully top potatoes with stuffing mixture, pressing gently to adhere. Broil until bread crumbs are deep golden brown, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle crumbled bacon over the potatoes just prior to serving.
for the bread crumb topping
for the potato fans
Time
1¾ hoursYield
Serves 4Ingredients
Bread Crumb Topping
Potato Fans
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Bread Crumb Topping
Potato Fans
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Bread Crumb Topping
Potato Fans
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
This stunning potato dish delivers a fluffy interior, a crisp exterior, and a cheesy bread crumb topping—if you can get the potatoes cooked right. For our Blue Cheese and Bacon Baked Potato Fans recipe, we found that using the right kind of potato is key. The russet, or Idaho, potato was the best choice because of its starchy flesh and fluffy texture. Taking the time to rinse the potatoes of surface starch after they are sliced prevented them from sticking together, while trimming off the end of each potato gave the remaining slices room to fan out. To prevent overcooking our spuds in the punishing oven heat, we precooked them in the microwave before baking. A topping of fresh bread crumbs, melted butter, two kinds of cheese, garlic powder, and paprika is the crowning touch on our Blue Cheese and Bacon Baked Potato Fans. We broiled the potatoes to make the topping extra-crunchy.
Before You Begin
To ensure that the potatoes fans out evenly, look for uniformly shaped potatoes.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Pulse bread in food processor until coarsely ground. Bake bread crumbs on rimmed baking sheet until dry, about 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then combine crumbs, butter, cheeses, paprika, garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in large bowl. (Bread crumb topping can be refrigerated in zipper-lock bag for 2 days.)
- Heat oven to 450 degrees. Following photos 1 to 3 at left, cut 1/4 inch from bottom and ends of potatoes, then slice potatoes crosswise at 1/4-inch intervals, leaving 1/4 inch of potato intact. Gently rinse potatoes under running water, let drain, and transfer, sliced-side down, to plate. Microwave until slightly soft to the touch, 6 to 12 minutes, flipping potatoes halfway through cooking.
- Arrange potatoes, sliced-side up, on foil-lined baking sheet. Brush potatoes all over with oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake until skin is crisp and potatoes are beginning to brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove potatoes from oven and heat broiler.
- Carefully top potatoes with stuffing mixture, pressing gently to adhere. Broil until bread crumbs are deep golden brown, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle crumbled bacon over the potatoes just prior to serving.
for the bread crumb topping
for the potato fans
Gift This Recipe
Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.
Appears In
Key Equipment
Keep Exploring
0 Comments