Spiced, Southwest Twice Baked Potatoes drizzled with queso sauce and topped with crispy coconut bacon and fresh pico de gallo.

Truth be told, I made these amazing Southwest Twice Baked Potatoes for Super Bowl Sunday. Of course, now it’s a little late to post it, but is it ever too late to enjoy an awesome appetizer or side? I think not! I know that Cinco de Mayo is still a ways away, but these would be great for a themed party along those lines. There are a couple of components to the recipe, but it all comes together in a tasty way that won’t disappoint.

First, you have your potato. Who doesn’t like potatoes? Baked, scooped, mashed and baked again; then drizzled with a savory queso sauce, topped with crunchy coconut bacon and some fresh pico de gallo. It’s like nachos in a potato, but slightly less crunchy and definitely easier to share. Maybe next time I’ll mash some black beans in with the potato for an extra nacho-y experience. Then, add a squeeze of lime and a few drops of hot sauce for some acidity, at least, that’s how I like it.

Of course, I had my nifty helper, Trevor there for some prep and to take care of the coconut bacon for me. I’m surprised that I was able to top any of the potatoes with it, seeing as how we couldn’t stop snacking on it! I used Fettle Vegan’s recipe as a base and added some smoked paprika, and extra liquid aminos, plus a pinch of cayenne pepper.

So, while I watched Beyonce do her incredible thang on stage for the half-time show, I munch on a couple of these potatoes and felt second-hand exhausted from watching her dance around like crazy for 15 straight minutes. I won’t lie, I was a little excited when that quick Destiny’s Child reunion happened; I loved them when I was younger! Maybe next time I’ll do jumping jacks while watching people dance on my TV, or maybe not. 😉

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Southwest Twice-Baked Potatoes

Yield: 12 potato skins

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 50 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes

Tasty twice baked potatoes with a queso sauce, coconut bacon and fresh pico de gallo!

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Ingredients

For the Potatoes

• 6 Russet potatoes, Oval–shaped ones are better
• 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 C. White onions, Diced
• 2 Tbsp. Cilantro, minced
• 1 tsp. Cumin
• 1 tsp. chili Powder
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. Liquid Aminos

For the Pico De Gallo

• 1 C. Tomato, Diced
• 1/3 C. White onion, Diced
• 1/4 C. Cilantro, Minced
• 1 Tbsp. Fresh lime Juice
• 1 Tbsp. Jalapeño, Minced (Optional)
• Salt and Pepper to taste

For the Cheese Sauce

• 1 C. Non-Dairy Milk
• 1/2 C. Nutritional Yeast
• 1 Tbsp. tomato Paste
• 1/2 Tbsp. Liquid Aminos, or to taste
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. lemon Juice
• 1/2 tsp. onion Powder
• 1/2 tsp. garlic Powder
• Salt if needed

For Coconut Bacon

• I used 1/3 of Fettle Vegan’s Recipe, as stated above

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Wrap each potato in foil and place onto a baking sheet. Once oven is to temperature, bake them for an hour.
2. While the potatoes are baking, heat the olive oil in a small-medium pan on the stove at medium heat. Once hot, saute the onions until clear. Set them aside in a large bowl.
3. For the pico de gallo, stir all of its ingredients together in a small bowl and place in the refrigerator. Prepare Coconut Bacon.
4. Using the same pan as the onions, (trying to be efficient with dishes here, people!) heat the non-dairy milk to a slight simmer, then stir in the remaining ingredients. You may need a whisk to really smooth out the sauce.
5. You could also place all ingredients for the sauce in a blender and then heat it in a pan. Bring it to a simmer and cook for 5-10 minutes depending on how thick or runny you want the sauce. When the sauce is done, take it off of heat and set it aside.
6. After the potatoes are tender but not mushy, let them cool down enough so that you can handle them. Slice them in half, length-wise. Scoop out the insides, leaving a roughly 1/8″ layer inside of the potato skin for rigidity.
7. Place the potato scoops into the large bowl with the onions, add in the cilantro, cumin, chili powder, cayenne, and liquid aminos; mash until well mixed and smooth with little chunks. If you want it smoother, add a tbsp or two of non-dairy milk.
8. Divide the filling amongst the potato skins and place back into the oven for 10-15 minutes. After the second bake, drizzle the potatoes with the queso sauce, top with coconut bacon, and pico de gallo, then serve!

Notes

The coconut bacon will soften on top of the warm potato/queso, so you may want to keep it on the side and top as you eat them for extra crispiness!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 grams
Amount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g

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Make these tasty, hand-held, Southwest Twice Baked Potatoes for your next fiesta!