One of my favorite dinner memories as a kid was coming to the table and seeing my mother’s version of this delicious recipe. It’s one step beyond the plain old “baked potatoes with a pat of butter on the side” that we would typically eat and it was exciting to have a new twist on a dinner time staple!
I decided to give my recipe an even bigger nutritional boost by tossing in some broccoli florets (which my family loves), but feel free to substitute broccoli with peas, greens or any other veggie your little one digs. You can even defrost something you have in the freezer if you don’t feel like cutting up fresh.
With just a little more effort, you can turn you dinner from “mmm…potatoes” to “MMMMMM!!!….twice baked potatoes!”

Twice Baked Potatoes (Makes 4 Big Kid Servings)

2 Baked Potatoes
2 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Sour Cream
1/2 Tsp Salt
2 Tbsp Milk
1/2 Cup Broccoli, cooked and chopped
1/4 Cup Cheddar Cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake potatoes for 1 hour.
2. Remove potatoes from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
3. Cut in half and scoop out potato flesh, leaving the skin intact.
4. Mash the potato flesh with the butter, sour cream, salt and milk. Fold in the broccoli and cheddar cheese.
5. Refill the potato skins with the mixture.
6. Place potatoes on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
7. Serve.

OK, seriously, who doesn’t like a potato chip? Left to my own devices I could devour an entire bagful in one sitting. However, your average store-bought bag of chips is laden with saturated fat and calories that I don’t want or need, and while I don’t want to deprive Kenya of the great treat of chips, I certainly want to keep him away from bad fats and mega-doses of sodium. Sure, most chip makers offer “healthy” versions, but they’re still not great for you and why spend the extra money when you can make even better ones on your own for a huge fraction of the price?
I’ve been making these “potato chips” for me and my husband for years and now Kenya gets to be part of the fun. You can make them with almost any kind of potato (the sweet potato version is AMAZING and loaded with vitamins and minerals). They only take minutes to prepare and are a fantastic snack for kids’ lunch boxes too.

“Potato Chips” (Makes 2-3 Cups of Chips)

2 Potatoes, unpeeled (sweet and/or Idaho/Russet Potatoes)
1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
Sea or Kosher Salt to taste
Vegetable Oil Spray

1. Slice the potato into “chips” using a knife or a mandolin, about 1/8 inch thick.
2. Combine the potatoes, oil and salt in a bowl or resealable bag and coat the potato chips.
3. Spray 2 cookie sheets with a thin coating of vegetable spray and make one layer of potato chips on the cookie sheet.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until chips start to turn golden. Turn the chips to the other side and continue to cook 15 more minutes (some of the chips may turn golden before others, so make sure to keep an eye on them and remove them when their crisp).
5. Cool and serve.