Loaded Baked Potato Slab Pie Food

LOADED BAKED POTATO

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F. Pierce each potato with a paring knife and roast in the oven until tender, about 1 hour, depending on the size of your potatoes.
• Meanwhile, dice up the bacon. Heat a saute pan over medium heat and cook the bacon until crispy, about 7 minutes. Drain the bacon fat and reserve.
• Return the saute pan to the heat and add the reserved bacon fat. Cook the broccoli and red pepper for 2 minutes. Add the water and allow to cook until water has evaporated. Remove from heat.
• When potatoes are done cooking, remove and allow to cool until you can handle them. Cut them in half and with a spoon, scoop out the insides, leaving about 1/4 inch border on the skins.
• Place the scooped-out potato in a bowl and mix with half the bacon, broccoli, red pepper, sour cream, salt, pepper, and half the Cheddar. Divide this filling back among the potato skins.
• Return the stuffed potatoes to the 400-degree oven and bake until heated through, or until an instant-read thermometer reads 165 degrees, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove and top with remaining bacon, Cheddar, and green onions.

LOADED BAKED POTATO SLAB PIE

Steps:

• For the crust: Pulse the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor to combine. Add 1/3 of the cubed butter, and pulse until combined. Add the remaining butter, and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the vinegar, then gradually add 1/4 cup ice water, pulsing until evenly combined. Squeeze the dough between your fingers; if it doesn't hold its shape, add 1 to 2 tablespoons more water. Turn the dough out onto a flour-dusted surface, and press into a ball. Break off 1/3 of the dough and form into a ball; form the remaining piece into a second ball. Wrap both in plastic and flatten into 1-inch-thick squares. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.
• For the filling: Meanwhile, peel the potatoes, and slice 1/4 inch thick on a mandoline or with a sharp knife. Cook the bacon in a medium pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes; remove with a slotted spoon, and let drain on a paper towel. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat. Cook the onions in the pot, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom, until softened and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the flour; when it coats the onions, gradually whisk in the half-and-half. Add the potatoes and salt, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring, until the mixture has thickened and the potatoes are softened just enough to pierce with a fork but offer some resistance, about 10 minutes. (They will continue to cook in the oven.) Remove the pot from the heat, and stir in the sour cream. Season with 1 teaspoon more salt and several grinds of pepper. Set aside to cool while you prepare the crust.
• Position an oven rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 425 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
• To assemble: Lightly dust a work surface with flour. Roll the larger piece of dough into a 12-inch square about 1/8 inch thick. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking dish, pressing it into the corners as necessary. (Leave any overhang for pressing together with the top crust later.) Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the dough. Top with the potato mixture, and shake the pan to distribute evenly. Sprinkle the crispy bacon on top.
• Roll the remaining dough to 1/8 inch thick, and place it on top of the pie. Press it together with the overhanging bottom crust with your fingers to seal the edges, and trim to 1 inch around the dish. Roll the dough under, and press it into the top of the dish; crimp the edges with your fingers, or press with a fork. Cut slits into the top of the dough to allow steam to escape.
• Bake the pie on a rimmed baking sheet on the center rack for 30 minutes, then rotate the pie to allow even browning. Continue to bake until the dough is nicely browned, especially on the bottom and sides, and the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, 30 to 40 minutes more. Let cool for 25 minutes before cutting.

LOADED BAKED POTATO TOTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large mixing bowl, add the hash browns, eggs, flour, green onions, steak seasoning salt and some salt and pepper and mix. Scoop 1/4 cup of the hash-brown mixture into your hand and form it into a disk. Press some broccoli, a few pieces of bacon and some Cheddar into the center of the disk and form into a cylinder. Place the stuffed potato tots on to a baking sheet lined with parchment and brush with melted butter.
• Bake until the potato tots are golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes, flipping halfway through.
• Loosen the sour cream slightly with a tablespoon of water and squirt or drizzle over the tots. Garnish the tots with the chives. Serve hot, with the sour cream on the side.

FRITO PIE LOADED BAKED POTATO

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F. Rub the skins of the potatoes with about 2 tablespoons of oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake until tender, about 1 hour. Remove the baked potatoes from the oven and let rest until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. While the potatoes are baking, place a heavy-bottom pot over medium-high heat with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Reserve a few tablespoons of chopped onion to garnish the finished potatoes and add the remaining to the pot along with the garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the ground beef and chili powder to the pot and continue cooking until the meat is browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, kidney beans, Worcestershire and 1 cup of water to the pot and bring the liquids up to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low, season with salt and pepper, and simmer the chili until thickened, about 15 minutes. Reserve warm.
• When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, carefully scoop the flesh out into a large mixing bowl, taking care to keep the skins whole and intact. Ladle about 2 cups of the prepared chili into the bowl with the potatoes and mash them to combine. Scoop the loaded filling back into the potato skins. Garnish the potatoes with the cheese, chips and reserved onions. Serve warm.