Thank you God for Fridays. I love them so much. Despite the fact that it’s a workday, the anticipation of the weekend- (especially a three day weekend!!) is the very best! We have a lot to look forward to here in Seattle (Go Hawks!!!) but mostly we are planning to lay low and stay in. That means cozy low maintenance dinners, and after the way I have been gorging lately, I’m trying for healthy too!
I know I have told you all before about how when I try to just serve salad or soup (even if there is meat in it!) that Pete is like “where is the rest of dinner!?” any of you suffer from the same?
Since our family has cut out our normal bread, pasta and refined grains, one of the vegetables that we have fallen in love with all over again is the potato. There are about a million ways to use them and apparently they make Pete and the girls feel like they got a “whole dinner” not just an appetizer!
I have also found that in place of heavy sauces and cheese-laden dishes that there are lots of ways to make the potatoes sing! I favor fresh herbs and spices like those in these Twice Baked Chimichurri Potatoes. Fresh parsley, oregano, garlic star in this gorgeous olive oil based Argentinean inspired sauce that I whip into baked potatoes. They are then baked for a second time, creating a golden top and piping hot INCREDIBLY flavorful fluffy mashed potato filling- delicious! I like to spoon more sauce over the top of the potatoes before I serve them for an extra boost of delicious and some bright beautiful color!
Some other favorite Potato Dishes!
Skillet Baked Potatoes with Chili, Garlic and Rosemary Oil
Smoky Potatoes with Asparagus and Chorizo
Lebanese Spiced French Fries
The Best Greek Chicken and Potatoes
To make these Chimichurri Twice Baked Potatoes, this what you do:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the potatoes in the oven, straight on the rack.
Bake for 30 minutes. Poke a couple holes in the top of the potatoes with a fork and return to the oven for another 15 minutes.
While the potatoes are baking, prepare the chimichurri sauce:
Finely mince the parsley, oregano, green onions and garlic. (If you want to save time, throw it all in a food processor and pulse until finely minced). Add the herbs to a 2 cup bowl. Then add the red pepper flakes, olive oil, vinegar and lemon juice. Season to taste with kosher salt. When the sauce is finished, set it aside.
Slice the top 1/3 of the potato off and let the potato cool until you can handle it comfortably. Scoop the flesh of the potatoes into a medium-mixing bowl.
Add 1 cup of the chimichurri sauce to the potatoes and using a hand mixer, whip the potatoes until creamy and fluffy. Spoon the chimichurri potato mixture back into the potatoes.
Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake them at 400 degrees for another 10 minutes. Serve them hot with an extra spoonful of the remaining chimichurri sauce.
Recipe: Chimichurri Twice Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
- 6 medium russet potatoes, rinsed
- Chimichurri Sauce, Makes 1 1/2 cups
- 1 cup flat leaf parsley
- ¼ cup oregano
- 3 green onions
- 3 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- Kosher salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the potatoes in the oven, straight on the rack.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Poke a couple holes in the top of the potatoes with a fork and return to the oven for another 15 minutes.
- While the potatoes are baking, prepare the chimichurri sauce:
- Finely mince the parsley, oregano, green onions and garlic. (If you want to save time, throw it all in a food processor and pulse until finely minced). Add the herbs to a 2 cup bowl. Then add the red pepper flakes, olive oil, vinegar and lemon juice. Season to taste with kosher salt.
- When the sauce is finished, set it aside.
- Slice the top 1/3 of the potato off and let the potato cool until you can handle it comfortably. Scoop the flesh of the potatoes into a medium-mixing bowl.
- Add 1 cup of the chimichurri sauce to the potatoes and using a hand mixer, whip the potatoes until creamy and fluffy.
- Spoon the chimichurri potato mixture back into the potatoes. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake them at 400 degrees for another 10 minutes. Serve them hot with an extra spoonful of the remaining chimichurri sauce.
Preparation time: 15 minute(s)
Cooking time: 1 hour(s)
Number of servings (yield): 6
I love that chimichurri topping, these potatoes are a must try!
Yummy! On my loooong list to try……Enjoy your weekend! GO HAWKS!!!
Oh you are kidding me. This is brilliant, Heather! Gah.
Fridays and potatoes were made for each other! Love these! And have a happy weekend 🙂
These sounds amazing! I’ve totally gotta try them.
Would it be wrong if I ate spoonfuls of the chimichurri sauce
Oh my goodness I want one!! What a great recipe!
I have never thought to try chimichurri on potatoes, delicious!
Omg this looks so good! I love how filled up it is!!
WOW! One thing I would like to do this year is learn to use more fresh herbs. Here is the perfect start. Thank you!
Wow does this sound great for a meatless dinner night. To also serve a nice light soup along with it. What a novelty to get up from the table feeling overly fully. Coming off of two week with a lot of going out to dinners while traveling I need to get back on the road to being serious about what I am eating to be healthier. A work in motion. Thanks for the great ideas, Mom
Twice baked potatoes are one of those things I wrote off when we stopped eating dairy, but no more!! These look incredible and I am pinning them, then making them, then making them again!!
This looks so awesome!!! Can’t wait to try it.
Saw in Rachel Ray magazine in a potato ad! Reminded me of 2 leftover baked potatoes in frig. Husband, who fondly remembers the twice-baked potatoes of his youth (cheesy, sour cream bomb), liked these even more! The red pepper flakes, vinegar, and lemon juice really bring it alive.
What brand of Olive Oil do you use for this recipe? I have tried two or three different Olive Oils and they taste strong. Also, can you use the same Olive Oil to dip bread?
I am looking forward to your answer. Thank you!
Hi Susan- I use whatever I have on hand and often use Greek Olive oil because my Husband is Greek and he loves it. If you are looking for a less strong flavor, you do not want to use Extra Virgin Olive oIl. Use regular olive oil or light olive oil which has almost no taste.
Yes- I think this would be awesome as something to dip bread in.