White Truffle Twice Baked Potatoes

The other day I needed a tasty side dish to serve with some juicy grillled steaks.  I looked around my kitchen and I found a couple baking potatoes.  I decided to make some twice baked potatoes.  To spice it up, I added some white truffle oil to the mix.  I know this is cheating, but I can not afford white truffles.  At around $2000 a pound I don’t think most of us could afford them.  Truffle oil is a great alternative to add that magnificent earthy flavor to dishes.

With the addition of cheddar cheese, this potato is amazing.

White Truffle Twice Baked Potato – (Serves Two)

• 2 large baking potatoes
• 6 strips of bacon
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 sour cream
• 1 tsp truffle oil – This stuff is strong so add sparingly.
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  While the oven is preheating wash your potatoes.  Gently scrub them.  Remember you are leaving the skins on so clean them well.

Next coat the potatoes with olive oil.  Make sure to get all sides.  Then sprinkle all sides of the potatoes with sea or kosher salt.

Next place the potatoes in the pre-heated oven for an hour to an hour and a half.  This will vary depending on the size of the potatoes.  They are done when they are fork tender.  Remove them from the oven and let them cool until they are cool to the touch.

While the potatoes are cooling, slice up the bacon into small strips and cook it in a pan until crispy.  It is not going to be an amazing potato until there are some crispy bacon bits in it.

When the potatoes are cooled, cut the top 3rd of the potato off. This will give you plenty of room to fill with the truffle potato mixture.

Next scoop the insides of the potatoes out to form a potato canoe.  Place the scooped out potato in a large bowl.

Next add the milk, sour cream, truffle oil, salt and pepper to the potato mixture.  Then mash the potato mixture using a potato masher.  Mash until creamy and delicious looking.

A side note on truffle oil.  It can be picked up at any gourmet food store.  It is usually around $10 a bottle.  I picked mine up at TJ Maxx in the home section.  It was $4.95 a bottle.  TJ Maxx has tons of gourmet food items in its home section.  Next time you see one, check it out.

After you have mashed the potatoes, fold in half of the bacon bits.  Then pile the potato mixture into the potato canoes.

Next add the remaining bacon bits on top of the potatoes.

Now top each potato with cheddar cheese.

Place the potatoes back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes.  Cook until the cheese is a nice golden brown.

They are an amazing treat.  The truffle oil adds an amazing earthy flavor to the dish.