Did They Eat It: Sausage & Egg Baked Potatoes

I'm not sure how to start this Did They Eat It. I'm still in awe over how everything went so terribly wrong...this should have been one of the easiest dinners I've ever made. It's essentially a twice baked potato.

The recipe, from Real Simple, said it would take 10 minutes of prep and 1hr 15 minutes total to be complete. I put the potatoes in at 5:10pm. Apparently these potatoes were filled with titanium. We didn't eat until 7:45pm. By that point we ate both cats and Maddie's arms. The recipe says it should take about 45 minutes to bake the potatoes and it took about 18 hours (1.5 hours) for us. I could have made a turkey dinner with all the trimmings....plus a couple extra for the neighbors.

Oh My God.

I did pick large baking potatoes so maybe it was my fault. Sorry family plus a guest we invited over for dinner. I'm not sure I'm ever going to effortlessly pull off dinner.

Anyway, I doubled the recipe because we invited Logan's coworker/friend for dinner and also because I think this recipe is generally meant as a brunch dish.

Get yourself four potatoes and scrub them. Does anyone else get itchy skin and eyes when they scrub baking potatoes? Every time I start sneezing and my eyes and skin itch. Logan claims this is a fake allergy, but if it was wouldn't I have the same reaction when I tried to do the laundry or clean the bathroom?

,

Poke your potatoes with a fork.

Put them in the oven, my oven mind you has never given me trouble cooking things in a normal amount of time. Apparently these potatoes were filled with gold and needed to get REALLY hot to cook through.

The recipe, as I mentioned, said it would take 45 minutes for these potatoes to cook. This is where the lies begin.

The recipe, aside from lying about how long the potatoes would take to cook, also called for four precooked turkey sausages. Usually my market has at least large turkey sausages. Instead I made do with this.

Then I cooked it up, which wasn't a huge issue since the potatoes had 45 minutes (LIE) to cook.

You also need 4 Tbsp of butter

And a 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese.

If the potatoes ever stop cooking, you'll add the insides of the potatoes to this stuff in the bowl. There it is, waiting....and waiting....

FINALLY! The potatoes are done cooking. By this point two of the five people who were supposed to be eating with us have left without dinner. Grrrrr.

Here are the empty shells of potato, empty because they feel so terrible that Madison doesn't have arms anymore.

Mash up the innards, then mix up the butter and cheese with the potatoes.

Next mix the sausage in with the potatoes

Now stuff the empty, sad, sorrowful shells with the potato mixture.

Use a spoon to make a little well in the potatoes.

Welling up.

Now crack an egg into each little well. Hopefully you made the well deep enough the eggs don't fall out, use your fingers to build up the nest if you need to. (When Max saw the eggs in the potatoes he leaned over and whispered in my ear, "Uhm...I don't think Maddie's going to eat this.)

Put back in the oven to let the eggs set up, about 10-15 minutes. I like my egg yolks pretty hard so I let mine cook for quite a while, but if you like that yolky goodness you should stick closer to 10 minutes.
Here's the final product, complete with overcooked broccoli....grrrrrr.

Did They Eat It?

Logan (and his coworker/friend Adam): "Jesus Hell this is taking too long we gotta go."

[Adding, they came home to eat this. Logan: "I could eat this for 6 months straight." Adam: "I feel similarly."]

Melissa: I think it was good, I was so starving by the time the food hit my plate I inhaled it through my nose and mouth.

Madison: "Fuck this and fuck you." (Ate pasta. Grrrrr)

Max: "This is good but it took a long time. Can you make it faster next time?"

I went up to the bathroom after this debacle was over, looked in the mirror and was coated in potato.

I managed to make the easiest meal ever, the most complicated and messy meal ever. I am amazing.

(I think you should try this recipe for real, just give yourself enough time. I might have started my potatoes in the microwave, maybe I could have poked more holes in them, maybe I should have used the smaller upper oven. I just don't know. But you're smarter at cooking than me, I'm sure of that.)

Comments

[Shannon]

I always think potatoes take eons to cook in the oven. If you make it again, you could go he lazy route and do what I do, cook them in your crock pot! Just wrap each potato in foil and stand them up on end in the crock. Pop on the lid and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Magic, no fuss, baked potatoes that taste like they were roasted in the oven.

[Meg McG]

I know it's too late now, but if you're ever going to cook baked potatoes for dinner you should microwave them for 10 minutes first, then they're cooked through but 15-30 more minutes in a hot oven gets the skin nice and gives the tater a bit of a rest. Oh, and if you toss potatoes with a little oil, salt and pepper before they go in oven they are even better.
I think I'm going to make this for dinner tonight, I have a huge bag of potatoes and no plans for them.

[sandy]

Maddie's "response"... hilarious!

[amyp]

I have given up on trying to fully cook potatoes the old fashioned way and I always pop them in the microwave for a bit first...Remembering that trick is what made me willing to make potatoes for dinner again. I love them but my god do I hate how long they normally take to cook.

[Alice]

I'm with you. Potatoes take too long to cook, and they also make me itch. Fuck potatoes.

I hope Madison's prosthetic arms serve her well in the future.

[Shannon]

Or you could raise the oven temp next time? You didn't mention what temp you cooked the potatoes at. Those potatoes are monsters; just looking at them (without a recipe) I would probably guess an hour at 425 to cook them through....

I have never made twice baked potatoes. It seem like a lot of work--the taking out of the insides only to put them back in later. But the finished result in your photo looks really yummy.

[sue]

Fuck potatoes indeed - never been a fan.
You however, make me laugh.

[Michelle]

Am I the only one who wraps potatoes in foil to bake in the oven? Maybe this makes a difference?

[Angie]

Cook them in the microwave next time, then do the second bake in the oven.

[Jen]

Hilarious post! Micro-bake is the way to go, and I do wrap them in foil in the oven. This looks so yummy, I can't wait to try it.

[shokufeh]

I made a similar meal this week, but with the first round of cooking in the microwave. Still took longer than I expected and had to leave one potato out of the second round of baking because its innards were too hard. But it was tasty, so I'd make it again, on a night when I'm less pressed for time.
I think I'd make a fortune if I could figure out how to genetically modify potatoes to cook faster. Say, by crossing with a banana, so they'd ripen on the counter.

[Ariel]

I always, when baking potatoes, either bake them at 350 for about 2 hours, or at 425 for one. Starting them in the microwave also works. And I can never make twice baked potatoes without wearing it :)

[Candy]

I think the most awesome comment is the first - Shannon changed a recipe that took 2 hours too long and added 6 more hours! Now THAT'S a tip I can use.

Shannon, please don't send me hate mail, I thought it was a great idea, but it just made me laugh.

[Lula]

You make me laugh all the time, Melissa. I, too, loved Maddie's response. My son always says pretty much the same thing at dinner.

[Penny]

Candy - I ALSO was struck by the hilarity of Shannon's idea - turning the "short" recipe into one that requires JUST an additional 6 hours.... But? I am SO going to use my beloved crock pot for baked potatoes! Awesome idea. I never know how long to microwave and sometimes they implode and get wrinkly/overcooked. Betting it WON'T happen with the crock pot. And Madison's response? Priceless.

[bridget]

good try!
maddie is so funny with her response:)

[Ani]

It wasn't you. The oven is probably broken. It seems like it's a few degrees lower.

[Sky]

A regular sized potato will take 45 min to bake, but those large baking potatoes always take an hour to an hour and a half. I stick a metal shish-kebob skewer through my potatoes (length-wise), which makes them cook a bit faster.
This recipe looks yummy. Double baked potatoes are a family staple around here during the holidays--made with butter, cheddar cheese, sour cream, scallions, and BACON! Delish.

[ella]

That looks pretty good!

I bake my potatoes on the grill. I wrap 'em in foil first though. Not sure if that makes a difference and I don't stick 'em with a fork either.

[Maureen]

My mother always put a metal skewer through the potatoes when she baked them - I guess to take the heat inside the potato and cook it from the inside out, too.

[K]

I always find the Real Simple recipes not-so-simple. :) I love love love the magazine, but it's my porn for that simpler, happier minimalist lifestyle that I could never achieve.

[Sarah L]

I always cook mine at 450 for 45 min, doesn't matter what size. when i've cooked at 375 then it takes forever.... looks good tho.

[Julie]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who has trouble with baking potatoes. Sometimes they take forever, one time they exploded in the oven! I am all for nuking for 5-10 min, then finishing them in the oven.

[CanadaSteph]

So THATS what my 3 year old daughter is really saying when she looks at a meal and just shoves her plate away. Fuck this and Fuck you! I love it! You kill me Melissa.

[Annie]

I too would recommend "potato nails". I inherited them from my former MIL. I have no idea where they came from, or if they still sell them, but a short metal skewer does the same thing. I would put one in each end of those monsters. Looks yummy, like a breakfast for dinner meal.

[Jenny]

Good gravy in the morning, yes - it takes me days to bake potatoes. Jesus comes back, sees that dinner isn't ready, and ascends into heaven again - that's how long it takes. If I could buy pre-baked potatoes at the store, I would be all over that.

[Allison]

This is SO me. This is what happens to me every time I attempt to make dinner. Do NOT feel bad. Cooking potatoes sux ass. They DO cook fast in the microwave, but only if you put one puny potato in there. An oven or microwave simply doesn't know what to do with multiple potates, apparently. I Freaking HATE cooking, so thank you for showing me that I am not alone. I once made one of Rachel Ray's "30 minute meals" and it took me over 2 hours. Not kidding. Hang in there and order carry-out next time :-)

[reen]

Hysterical! Your family's responses slayed me. My dinners always take longer than they're supposed to too, I have to allow an hour for a "20 minute" recipe...albeit not due to titanium potatoes but needy, swarming, whining small people interrupting me! Sigh.

[cathy]

did they eat IT always has me howling. This one just might be my favorite yet. awesome.

[Kate]

Oh, how I love these posts!

[Kate]

Oh, how I love these posts!

[Amira @ DefineMature.com]

a) Potatoes are so damn deceiving to cook, especially twice baked.

b) You are not alone; I usually look like I went to war with the kitchen when I make dinner.

If we didn't have to eat, I would drop the apron in a heartbeat.

[windylou]

I always poke LOTS of holes, cover the taters in foil and jack the oven up as high as it will go.

That sounds like a good recipe though, so I may try it out at my house.

[Laura]

I react to potatoes, too. I've been told it's part and parcel with my latex allergy.

Do have problems with kiwi or raw banana, too?

Baking/cooking destroys the proteins which is why you wouldn't react to eating the finished product, but washing/scrubbing will do it.

I am so going to try that crockpot thing. Right up my alley.

[Melissa Summers]

Oh interesting, raw banana does give me itchy ears and I'm really not a big fan of most raw fruit.

I don't have a latex allergy, assuming my bondage gear is latex. Wait, what?

Ha ha ha. Never had a problem condoms though.

Interesting.

On Oct 22, 2009, at 9:03 PM, typepad@sixapart.com wrote:

[Susanlee]

It's totally a food-latex allergy, which is related to, but different than a plasticy latex (like gloves or condoms) allergy. Potatoes, kiwi, tomatoes, avocado, banana, some nuts...all those things can trigger itchiness to varying degrees.

Here's a link: http://allergies.about.com/od/medicationallergies/a/latexfood.htm

[amy]

Madison's comment on the dinner made me laugh out loud.

[Danielle]

Great post! I'll be making these for breakfast in the morning. Nice to see you posting more often again, I can always use a good laugh.

[Pants]

Max and I liked this so much, we made it again the next night.

[Jackie]

Oh my hell. I always bake potatoes at 500 degrees (in the toaster oven) and they still take an hour! I only make them when I know I can stick them in the oven the second I walk in the door.

[Barb]

I'm definitely trying this. I'll start baking the potatoes at 6:00 a.m.

[cee]

Definitely should have wrapped the potatoes in foil.

[Rebecca]

These were delicious! I made them the same night I read your post. My issue was that the damn eggs didn't want to cook. I went way past 15 minutes before the whites finally turned white. Then they were practically hard-boiled, but so what -- this was a really yummy dish. Thanks for sharing!

FWIW, I always cook baked potatoes at 450 degrees for 30-40 minutes, then raise the heat to 500, cut a slit in them, and cook them for 20-30 more. I can't remember where I learned this, but it usually makes for awesome baked potatoes.

Rub them with olive oil ahead of time, too, if you want a nice, crispy skin. Wrapping them in tinfoil makes the skin soft.

[Lisa]

I have the same problem with baking potatoes. I tried to make steak and baked potatoes and the potatoes were pretty much dessert, they took so damn long. I'm going to try the crock pot thing. At least if they don't turn out well, the house will smell like I've cooked dinner.

I completely agree with the Real Simple recipes. They aren't real simple, and they generally aren't very budget conscious, either.

[katrina]

I usually reserve anything 'twice baked' for a weekend when I'm home to do things in stages.Potatoes take forever to bake.
AND, unless you like to play 'hot potato', usually you have to wait a good 10-20 min after they come out of the oven before handling them enough to scoup out the innards.

As a rule of thumb when having people over, anything I CAN do ahead, I DO. Twice baked potatoes? put them in the crock pot in the morning like post 1 said... or bake them while drinking your morning coffee.

Or heck, I've even gone so far to brown some meat while cooking dinner the NIGHT BEFORE to put in the crockpot the next day.

Theres no rule that says you have to do ALL of the dinner work that night.

[charlotte garage doors]

what a lovely dinner you made,
potatoes do really hard to cook
but i bet you made a nice one for dinner!!!

[Lynda]

You inspired me to make these!
http://whirlwindblogger.blogspot.com/2009/10/baked-potato-eggs-travaganza.html

Thank you - great recipe!

[affordable seo services]

this food you made is just nice
but the potatoes are hard to cook.
cant wait to have lie this too

[Brady's Mammy]

I have a co-worker that says she never cooks baked potatoes, she always stops by Wendy's drive-thru and takes them home.

[m.k.]

Do you have an oven thermometer? I bought a cheapie one, discovered the reason why cupcakes I baked at home and cupcakes I baked at my parents turned out so differently - both ovens were, according to the thermometer, running at least 20 degrees off the setting. One oven is old and non-fancy, the other is newish and rather fancy.

[ashleyD]

search for a tater baker on etsy. it will change your life. 10 minutes and you get TWO fully cooked taters! i couldn't live without mine!

[MP]

Since these sounded so delicious, when we were invited to a tailgate brunch just days after reading this, I immediately offered to bring these to the brunch. I took everyone's advice to cook the spuds in the microwave (which I usually do anyway), and they turned out delicious! Everyone enjoyed, and they received rave reviews and lots of "I'm going to make these at Easter since they look like nests" and the like. And what's better, I used the tops for yummy bacon and cheese potato skins a couple of days later with another meal. Score. So thanks - this one was a big hit!

[Rhi]

I want to try this - and I think this is a fun recipe because you really could add so much other stuff to the potato mixture (if you don't have picky eaters). I'm thinking green onions and maybe jack cheese instead of parmesan.

[go to college online]

i love this dish,,,,,
what do you call this one???

[Tricia]

Even though they liked it, I don't think I could try it. Eggs in a potato? I really ought to learn to live a little.

[Chuck]

These look great- I am going to try them tonight but by baking in the microwave to start. I'll let you know what happens...