Tom's Toothsome Twice-Toasted Tuna Taters

Just my version of twice baked potatoes with a little something fishy going on. These are delicious, easy, flexible, and very cheap.

Cost: About $1
Prep time: 5-15 minutes (more if you get fancy)
Cook time: About 90 minutes

Hi, I'm Tom, and I'll be your instructabler. I originally started dabbling in baked potatoes because potatoes are very cheap, and because all you have to do to make one is throw a spud in the oven and come back in an hour. The problem with a plain baked potato though, is that it doesn't feel like a meal by itself, which sort of ruins the advantage it gains from being super easy, since you have to make stuff to compliment it. But with just a few more ingredients and a little extra effort, you can make a whole meal (or two).

Step 1 Ingredients and Such

Preheat your oven to 325 or 350 or thereabouts.

Required:
- One potato (I like the big brown ones because they are cheap and huge, but I've used reds before and they were also delicious)
- Some butter or margarine
- Some frozen peas
- Cheese (I'll be using cheddar, but any kind is good, especially pepper jack)
- One 8oz can of tuna (or more if you really dig your tooter fish)
- Some bowls, a plate, flatware, a can opener, and a glass or metal baking dish

Recommended:
- Some kind of cooking oil
- Salt, pepper, and/or any other spices and seasonings you like
- Milk

Optional:
- Sour Cream (I hate the stuff)
- Other vegetables that you like (I will be using some red bell pepper, but I've used mushrooms, broccoli, spinach, and others in the past with great success)
- Other meats that you like (bacon is the most obvious, but I'm a vegequarian, so I'll leave further invention to the reader)

I won't be giving you exact measurements of anything in this instructable, because I've never used them.

Comments

[gorth]

Do u play Runescape????

[Pinky212]

Did you know that twice baked potatoes can be frozen?  I freeze them after filling, before baking them for the second time.  Then just thaw in the fridge overnight, and pop in the oven after work, or whenever you're going to eat dinner.  They are a bit putsy but if you do a bunch at a time (or even just a couple), they're especially worth the putsiness.  (I'm not sure that "putsiness" is a word, but you get the idea, I'm sure.)

I wrap them in freezer foil.

You can use any leftover meat and veggies in them, keeping the grocery bill down a bit plus having nutrious and easy meals.  Gotta love that!

[Pinky212]

You are an entertaining cook, for sure!  And your tutorials are VERY thorough.  Kudos for that!   I guess, though. that I'm not your type of woman.  I'm creamy but no one has ever accused me of being chunky!  LOL  :-)

[karossii]

To those suggesting microwaving the potato... that works for a 'baked' potato... but the point of this exercise is to have a crispy crunchy and firm skin that you can scoop the innards out of. That cannot be achieved in a microwave!!!

[pindalanderz]

this instructables has an awesome title.

[abnor]

i enjoyed your instrucable very much. i didn't drool but i did laugh. if i was also drooling, then i would be in a mess. i have two questions tho... why not microwave the potato like you did with the peas? and why separate the tuna juices when you're just gonna throw them in anyway?

[greenfoot]

You can cut your baking time down to about 5-8 minutes if you cook the potato in the microwave.

[brennaelise]

Although I just couldn't wait for the potatoes to get soft in the oven to make the twice baked potatoes, this recipe is great and helped me make some pretty tasty mashed potatoes! Thank you kindly! :)

[incorrigible packrat]

mmmmmm tasty sounding recipe, well-done Instructable, medium-rare wit. Gotta say "Kudos all around, son". P.S. I really dig the wallpaper, but two Corona boxes? ugh! Go for Sol or Dos Equis instead, if'n youse got a hankering for Me-hee-can cerveza. Muy bueno.

[nevir]

we just post everything we drink. most of the time we are cheap.

[incorrigible packrat]

Hmmm, Is Corona cheap in your area? Where I live, (Ontario) Corona is at least mid-range in beer price, much more expensive than many superior brews.

[deecee]

I'm drooling. As a thank you, let me give you the answer to your comment in Step 6: "I don't think there's a way to tell when the potato is done from the outside, at least not without more sophisticated equipment than I possess." You need nothing more sophisticated than a fork. Just poke the potato with it. If it goes all the way in easy, the spud is done. If the push requires more muscle for advancement, let it cook longer. Cheers!