May 15, 2012

Breakfast Potato Boats

Breakfast Potato Boats

The other day I posted a barbeque chicken baked potato recipe and mentioned how much I love using a simple baked potato as the base for a delicious and easy dinner.  Well it turns out that baked potatoes also make for a pretty amazing breakfast that is still easy enough to prepare for yourself on a weekday morning, or elegant enough to serve to guests for brunch!

I first saw the idea for a breakfast potato boat on Inn Cuisine a while ago, but their version calls for hollowing out a potato, filling it with scrambled eggs, cheese, and bacon, and using the scooped-out potato to make hashbrowns on the side.  I thought it was a pretty creative breakfast idea, but that it might be even better to use the scooped out potato as part of the potato filling, mixed in with the eggs and cheese, kind of like a breakfast version of a twice-baked potato.

I couldn't wait to try this out for myself, but leaving out the bacon for a vegetarian version, using less eggs since I was using potatoes in the filling to make up for it, and adding salsa to liven the whole thing up a bit!

Breakfast Potato Boats

These turned out so much better than I'd even hoped!  While the components are simple - fluffy baked potato mixed with scrambled eggs, melted cheese, and some salsa - the taste was amazing and made for a fun twist on breakfast.  The dish also made for a nice presentation, so I think it would be great to make a big batch of these to serve to guests.  As I mentioned at the start of this post though, you can also quickly make them for yourself by baking the potato the night before, then all you have to do in the morning is cook the egg and mix everything together, then give it a quick reheat in the  microwave!

You could also get really creative with these if you want something a bit fancier - try adding in black beans and a spicy cheese for more of a tex-mex flair, add bacon or sausage for a meat version, or add spinach and other veggies for a more nutritious breakfast!

After a successful Mother's Day breakfast of crepes and fruit on Sunday, I'm already thinking ahead to Father's Day and thinking that these might be a nice addition!  That reminds me that I'll have to share some of the amazing food we enjoyed for Mother's Day soon - Hope you all spoiled your moms or were spoiled by your kids!  Did any of you have anything special to eat on Sunday?

Breakfast Potato Boats

Breakfast Stuffed Potato Boats

Inspired by Inn Cuisine

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 large russet potato
2 large eggs
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used cheddar but a Pepper Jack or Mexican blend would be good too)
Salsa
Salt & Pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Scrub potato, then pierce several times with a fork. Rub the skin with olive oil and a bit of salt.  Place directly on the middle rack of the oven, with a pan underneath to catch any drippings.  Bake for 1 to 1-1/2 hours, until cooked through and soft.

Let the potato cool slightly, then cut potato in half lengthwise.  Use a spoon to scoop out the insides of each half, leaving about 1/4” layer of potato on the skin.  Transfer the scooped out potato to a small bowl and mash with a fork.

Scramble eggs in a non-stick skillet until almost done but still slightly wet.  Transfer the eggs to the bowl with the mashed potato. Add cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper, then mix thoroughly. 

Spoon the mixture into the shelled out potato skins.  Heat potatoes in a microwave on high for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until potatoes are hot, cheese is melted, and eggs are completely cooked.  Spoon salsa on top, then serve (with additional salsa on the side, if desired).

*Note: I baked my potato the night before, then kept it in the refrigerator.  In the morning, I reheated it in the microwave then proceeded with the rest of the directions.

7 comments:

  1. Looks amazing! Love anything with potatoes!

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  2. These look great! Love the simple stuffed potato, but hadn't thought of it for breakfast - great idea!
    Sunday was loads of fun. I took my mom out to brunch at THE most fabulous Southwestern restaurant, and we did nothing but gush about how good the food was.

    Can't wait to hear about your mother's day weekend! :)

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  3. I never would have thought of serving potatoes for breakfast, but duh, I have hash browns for breakfast whenever we go out--of course potatoes can be for breakfast! :D What a clever idea!

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  4. Thanks, me too!  I don't think there's a single way of eating potatoes that I don't enjoy :)

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  5. That sounds wonderful!  I didn't attempt to make a reservation at a restaurant because I left it a little too late and figured everything would be too busy, but it would have been nice to have someone else do the cooking so you're left to talk and relax!

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  6. Haha, it's true, I hadn't really thought of it before I saw this recipe either, but it works fabulously!

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  7. What a great ideas Natalie! It combines all of the best of breakfast in one cute little package. Yum! :)

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