Every now and then an accidental confluence of choices leads to something absolutely wonderful, and this case, absolutely delicious! I love twice baked potatoes although I haven't had them in a while, because it's summer, in Florida, and running the oven makes the house hot, and I really didn't feel like washing, scrubbing, baking, scooping and rebaking. I browsed through Instructables for any related recipes that might catch my eye and found this nice, traditional and beautiful version by Fungus Amungus. It just made me hungrier for a twice baked potato!

But, I wondered: Could a twice microwaved potato provide a similar treat?

The answer is a resoundingly happy, Yes!!

I don't usually care for microwave potatoes because you don't get that nice crisp skin that truly makes a baked potato. But in this case, what I really wanted was the twice baked part - and this method totally did the trick!

Read on to see how you can enjoy the flavor of a twice baked potato in a fraction of the time... about 15 minutes to be exact.

Step 1: Ingredients

You'll need:

A big Idaho potato
butter
mayonnaise
a little half and half or milk
shredded cheese

Salt and pepper

and, optionally, Chipotle mayo, crumbled bacon and any other toppings of your choice

Step 2: Microwave Potato

Wash your potato, pat dry and rub with butter. Pierce with a fork, and then pop in the microwave. You can either select the "potato" option on your microwave if you feel it's accurate, or microwave for 5-7 minutes or until soft.

Step 3: Open Your Potato

It'll be hot, but slice open your potato, squeeze a bit at the ends to help loose the potato, and allow to cool a minute.

Step 4: Scoop Out Potato

Scoop your potato into a separate bowl, scraping as closely to the skin as you can without tearing it.

Step 5: Add Mayonnaise and Seasoning

Add about a tablespoon each of half & half, mayonnaise, and butter, then mash. I added about a teaspoon of Boar's Head Chipotle Mayo and a little salt and pepper, and mashed again.

Step 6: Scoop Potato Back Into Skin

Load 'er back up! Then microwave for another 5 minutes on high.

Step 7: Top With Cheese & Serve!

OMG!! Truly - what a wonderful dish! You can eat it by itself or with some chicken or fish or whatever else you like. The flavor was rich, which a slight kick from the Chipotle mayo and total comfort food!

It would make an easy lunch, too.

Enjoy!