Twice Baked Pesto Potatoes

Now that I have figured out exactly where my basil plant wants to live (I can keep it alive) I always have fresh basil.  Another thing I always seem to have on hand is potatoes, why not make Pesto Potatoes!?!  I wasn't sure quite where to begin, so I went to Pinterest.  I found a recipe on Kayotic Kitchen, I changed it up just a bit and ended up with a really GREAT baked potato.

Ingredients:

• 4 (fairly large) Russett Potatoes
• 2 cloves of garlic (minced)
• 1/2 Cup of Heavy Cream
• 1/2 Cup of Vegetable Broth
• Olive Oil
• Sea Salt
• Pepper
• About a handful Fresh Basil (chopped)
• Large Shallot (chopped finely)
• 1/8 Cup of Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese

Serves 4-6 (because they are split in half and you can eat the whole potato skin and all!)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Wash and scrub the skin of the potato good enough that you could eat it.  Poke several holes in them with a fork, brush them with olive oil, and season with sea salt.  Line a baking sheet with aluminium foil, place potatoes on the foil, and bake for about an hour.

Insert a fork into them to check to see if they are done.  If the fork goes in easy, they are done.  Cut the potatoes in half and let them cool a little bit.  Scoop out the insides with a spoon.  Make sure to do it gently and keep the skins intact.  Place the scooped out potato into a large bowl.

Drizzle a small amount of olive oil in a skillet.  Cook the garlic and shallot for about 3 minutes.  Add in the cream and vegetable broth.  Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring throughout.  Add in the basil, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of pepper.  Let the sauce sit for a couple of minutes and it will thicken a bit more.   Pour it in with the potatoes and mix well.  I didn't completely mash the potatoes, but I combined it well (I don't even know if that makes any sense LOL)  Loan the potato mixture back into the skin, top it with a little bit of Parmesan cheese, place back on baking sheet, put it back in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes.

I actually made these a couple of weeks ago and my mouth is watering just writing about them.  OH. SO. GOOD!  I served this with the Loaded Flank Steak (recipe coming soon).

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