Twice-Baked Potatoes (Speed Nuke Method)

Yes indeed, it is the delectable flavour of Twice Baked Potatoes... but in half the time!  Less than that, actually.  Thanks to the modern technology of microwave ovens, this is a recipe that produces potatoes that honestly taste every bit as good as the 2½ hour conventional oven approach!

In my opinion, the end-result is every bit as moist, creamy, and flavourful in the Microwave oven, and my children love them!  So unless you fear radio-active side-effects, this recipe is a great time-saver when you are scrambling for something to make when 6:00pm rolls around.

Ingredients:

• 4 - 6 large baking potatoes
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese + extra grated cheese!
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 4 strips of crispy bacon, crumbled or sliced (Michael's addition)

Directions:

1. Scrub and prick potatoes with a fork
2. Place on a glass plate or microwave-safe dish
3. Cooke 3 - 4 potatoes at a time on high for 6 - 7 minutes
• Cook until potatoes are tender!
4. Cut cooked potatoes lengthwise.  Let sit five minutes to cool.
• This is to avoid burned fingers in the next step! ;-)
• You still want the potato innards hot enough to melt the butter...
5. Scoop potatoes from shell into a mixing bowl.
6. Mash potatoes and mix with butter, milk, sour cream, shredded cheese, salt, and pepper.
7. Place potato skins on the glass plate or dish.
8. Fill skins with mashed potatoes mixture
9. Add bacon pieces/crumble to the tops of the potatoes
10. Sprinkle with additional shredded cheese
11. Microwave on high 1 - 2 minutes or until cheese is melted
12. Prepare to double the recipe next time when your family asks for more!

Recipe Etymology:  This recipe comes from a cook-book Mom gave Mary last Christmas as a gift for her birthday.  I first tried this last month whilst Mary was face painting, and I needed to make something quick for the family upon arriving home from work.  Entitled the "Quick & Easy Cookbook," it was just what I needed.  It has some great recipes within, including this one!   Yummy-yum yum!

Oh, and here is how they should have looked, were I to have used fuller sized potatoes,  took more time artistically placing the grated cheese, and adding the fancy green onions for a final garnish...

Chicken Enchiladas (Mary)

With Mary's dictation and permission, I'll post her famous recipe...Mom mentions that Mary often makes these for our Park City condo vacation in the summer and we all love it!

Start by cooking 2 cups of diced chicken. To keep it extra moist, Mary suggests steaming it a bit by throwing a bit of water on and the pan with a lid.

Mix 1 cup sour cream and 1 can cream of chicken soup.

While the chicken is cooking, melt 1 T butter in a large pan. Add 1 c. fresh chopped onions and 1 t. chili powder. (You can optionally add a 4 oz. can of green chiles. Mary says she will if she doubles the recipe, but otherwise it's over-powering.) Caramelize the onions in the butter and chili powder mix.

Add the cooked chicken to the onions and throw in about 1/3 to 1/2 of the sour cream/soup mixture. Turn the heat to Low and stir all together until it begins to bubble. Now trace lines on the mixture to divide it into 8ths. (Each eighth will be about 3 spoonfuls)

Spray a casserole dish and spoon a very thin layer of soup/sour cream mixture on the bottom. (This keeps the enchiladas from being hard on the bottom.) Spoon 1/8 of the mixture onto each of 8 flour tortilla shells. Roll up without folding in the ends. Cover all 8 with the remainder of the soup/sour cream mix.

Cover with foil and bake at 375º for 15 minutes.

(Optionally, you can also spread mild red enchilada sauce before the cheese.) Sprinkle 1 c. of grated Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese on top.

Bake uncovered for 5 more minutes.

Enjoy!

Momma Mackay's Cheesy Potatoes

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 pint sour cream (use less if trying to be healthy)
2-3 cups shredded cheese
green onions, sliced finely (optional, for color)
1 bag frozen hashbrowns (shredded or cubed)
Leftover ham, cubed (optional)

Mix it all together in a large bowl and spread into a 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour until it's all bubbly and you can't control your drooling any longer.