Taco Twice Baked Potatoes

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I've been on a baked potato kick lately!  One of my favorite ways to make tacos is sans shell -- just throw the taco meat over a baked potato and top with all of the fixins.  This time though, I decided to bake the taco meat right into a twice baked potato.

These dudes are paleo / Whole30, and they can be made a day or two in advance then baked when you need them.  You can even wrap them individually, freeze them, then reheat them one at a time for a quick dinner!

AND -- BONUS!! If you follow my instructions below and use 40oz of ground turkey, you will only use half of the taco meat, so you can freeze THAT for another meal too!

They are a little spicy, so if you want to keep things more on the tame side, leave out the jalapeños and reduce the cayenne pepper!

Served them with tomatoes, good ol' iceberg, chopped onions, homemade ranch dressing, and all of your favorite taco toppings.  They would also be killer with my Avocado Dump Ranch!

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Taco Twice Baked Potatoes

[Whole30 - Paleo - Gluten Free - Grain Free - Dairy Free]

Ingredients:

(Use the below amounts if you plan to freeze half of the taco meat for another time.  Half the below amounts if you want JUST enough to make the 8 potato halves)

4 large russet potatoes

2-4 Tbsp almond milk or coconut milk

1 egg

salt to taste

40oz ground turkey

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped

Taco Seasoning
2 Tbsp Chili powder
4 tsp cumin
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper

Instructions:

Bake the Potatoes:

1. First, bake the potatoes (you can do this step ahead of time).  Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.  After scrubbing and drying the potatoes, pierce about 8 times with a fork, place on a foil lined baking sheet, spray with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt.  Bake for about an hour (flipping half way through), or until potatoes give some when squeezed.
   TIP:  To make this step MUCH faster, just microwave your potatoes!  Microwave on high for 5 minutes, flip over, and microwave for 5 min more or until they are cooked through.

Make the taco meat: (do this while the potatoes bake)

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add a drizzle of olive oil, the onions, jalapeños, and ground turkey.
2. Break up and brown the meat as it cooks.
3. In a separate bowl, combine all taco seasoning spices.
4. When the meat is almost cooked through (very little pink still showing), sprinkle the taco seasoning over the meat and combine well as the meat continues to cook.
5. Cook for 3-5 more minutes, then remove from heat.

Prep the Shells & Mix the Filling:

1. Cut the baked potatoes in half and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh (into a bowl), leaving 1/4 of an inch or so intact with the skin.
2. Now mash the potatoes.  Add a splash of almond milk or coconut milk and a sprinkle of salt to the bowl with the potato flesh.  Beat with a hand mixer (or mash with a hand masher) until they are fairly smooth.  Add the egg and mix until combined.
3. Add half of the taco meat to the bowl along with the mashed potatoes and combine with a spoon.

Fill and Bake:

1. Divide the filling equally between the potato shells, heaping it up until you use up all of the filling.
2. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes.
3. Broil for 3 minutes to brown the tops.

Top 'em and Enjoy!

1. Top with shredded lettuce, chopped onions, sliced tomatoes, homemade ranch, guac, salsa, sour cream, cheese, jalapeños, cilantro, avocado -- whatever taco toppings strike your fancy!

To Freeze:

1. Prepare through the "Fill and Bake" step.
2. Allow potatoes to cool completely, then wrap each one individually in saran wrap.
3. Store in gallon-sized zip top bags or vacuum seal.
4. Freeze.
5. To prepare later -- thaw overnight in refrigerator, then reheat in the oven or microwave.

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