March 25, 2021
March Madness has commenced. Two rounds in and Michigan is still going strong. Kevin and I have been cheering on our team by enjoying maize and blue layered cookies featuring layers of maize and blue almond cakes adhered together with apricot jam, a treat I started making in anticipation of March Madness. In just a few days, Michigan will be facing yet another team in the Sweet 16. With game day just a few days away, I’ve been remaking two of my favorite game day foods – loaded twice baked potatoes and dragon fruit raspberry white hot chocolate. I first started making these two treats a couple months ago when the temp in Ohio dipped way low. Despite our best efforts to stay warm, the cold winter air just keeps creeping into our home. To help stay warm, I like to bake up tons of goodies in the oven. Twice baked loaded potatoes are just one of many treats I often make during colder days. These stuffed potatoes are super easy to make, packed with flavor, and helps keep me satisfied for most of the day. My current favorite version of loaded baked potatoes feature crispy bacon, gooey cheese, bright green peas, finely chopped fresh parsley and tons of freshly cracked black pepper. The combination of the smokey, salty bacon, melty, creamy cheese, and sweet, bright green peas pairs beautifully with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and black pepper. The potatoes are baked first for just under an hour to help them cook through and soften. Then, they are halved, scooped out leaving the potato skins intact, tossed with the goodies, repacked and re-baked. The second time the potatoes are baked is where the magic happens. The cheese begins to melt together with the rest of the packed ingredients and makes for the most delightful loaded baked potatoes. One half of the loaded baked potatoes is perfect for a snack or a side. Two halves are enough for a light meal. These flavor-packed loaded potatoes are the perfect fuel for game day. It provides the fuel we need to cheer on our team. To balance the savory treats, I also whipped up my fruity spin on hot chocolate – a version featuring pureed dragon fruit and raspberries blended with melted white chocolate, and warmed soy milk. I used white chocolate instead of the usual cocoa/semisweet/dark/milk variety to help enhance the beautiful red hues of the fruits. Pureed dragon fruit and raspberries add not only a fruity touch, but also a beautiful bright pink hue to the hot chocolate. The hot chocolate comes together rather quickly and makes for the perfect slightly sweet, warm, and toasty beverage to help keep us warm throughout the day. I first started making the dragon fruit raspberry white chocolate a couple months ago on a whim. I had some pureed frozen dragon fruit stored in the fridge and some leftover frozen raspberries, and thought why not blend the fruits together into a hot chocolate. The experimental drink turned out so good, I made it a few more times throughout the last few weeks. When I ran out of raspberries, I swapped in strawberries for another delightful spin. Pureed strawberries worked just as well as pureed raspberries. Once the drink passed both Kevin and my taste test, I tested it out on a couple of our friends. Kevin and I brought over the ingredients needed to whip it up during game night at our friends’ home. When the drink also passed their taste test, I was ready to share it. With the cold weather fluctuating week after week in Ohio, I just had to make the warm, toasty drink once more just in time for the madness about to ensue during the NCAA tournament this month. We still have our fingers crossed for Michigan going into the next round.
For the loaded twice baked potatoes:
· 3 medium or 2 large russet potatoes
· 2-3 slices of thick cut bacon, cooked until crispy and crumbled
· 1 ounce Colby-Jack cheese, shredded, divided
· 1 ounce Monterey Jack cheese, shredded, divided
· 2 ounces frozen green peas
· ½ teaspoon kosher salt
· ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
· 6 sprigs fresh parsley, finely chopped, divided
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
2) Wash and dry 3 medium or 2 large potatoes. Use a fork to prick the potatoes a few times. This allows steam to escape the potatoes as they are baking. Place the potatoes on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Once the oven has reached 375°F, transfer the baking sheet to the oven. Bake the potatoes for 45-50 minutes (for medium potatoes) or 55-60 minutes (for large potatoes).
3) When the baking time is up, remove the sheet pan from the oven. Let the potatoes cool for 10-15 minutes. Once the potatoes have had a chance to cool, slice the potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out most of the potatoes leaving a thin layer and the outer skin. Transfer the scooped-out potato halves back onto the parchment-lined baking sheet.
4) In a bowl, mix together the scooped-out potatoes, crumbled crispy bacon, half of the shredded cheeses, frozen green peas, kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and half of the chopped parsley. Scoop the filling into the potato halves. Top the potato halves with the remaining shredded cheese. Transfer the sheet pan with the filled potatoes back into the oven. Bake for another 15-20 minutes. Let the loaded baked potatoes cool for 10-15 minutes before serving. Top with the remaining chopped parsley.
For the dragon fruit raspberry white hot chocolate:
· 2 cups unsweetened soy milk or dairy milk
· ½ cup white chocolate chips
· 3.5 ounces pureed frozen red dragon fruit
· 2 ounces pureed frozen raspberries
· marshmallows for serving
Directions:
1) Heat a pot on medium high heat. Pour in the unsweetened soy milk. Once the milk begins to simmer, turn the heat down to low. Stir in the white chocolate chips. Whisk until the white chocolate chips melt. Add the pureed frozen red dragon fruit and pureed frozen raspberries into the pot. Keep whisking until the pureed fruits are incorporated. Divide the hot chocolate into two mugs and serve while still hot. Top with marshmallows.
Takeaways: Depending on the size of the potatoes, the initial baking time may take longer for the potatoes to cook through. When I used medium potatoes, 45-50 minutes was all it took for the potatoes to cook through. When I used large potatoes, I had to bake the potatoes for close to an hour for the potatoes to cook through. Pretty much any cheese can be added to the baked potatoes. I’ve used cheddar, asiago, and parm in place of Colby-Jack and Monterey Jack blend. The same goes for the meat. I’ve used pepperoni, salami, and ham in place of the bacon. For the fruity hot chocolate, pureed strawberries also work well as a substitute for pureed raspberries. I prefer the sweet fragrance of soy milk in the hot chocolate, but dairy milk also works.