If you've been to a steakhouse, you've seen twice baked potatoes ... on the menu, wandering by your table on the server's tray, or on your very own plate. The concept is simple: bake a potato, open it up and fill it with goodies, and bake it again. The result is a melty package of goodness. That's what we're doing this time around -- with a breakfast theme!
Now while these are amazing for breakfast or brunch, they also are a fun breakfast for dinner option and get special-requested by my daughter regularly. Sometimes they have ham in them. Other times it's bacon and still other times we opt for sausage or garden fare. The idea is that they are tweakable and I highly recommend you do just that. Do us a favor and post your ideas for variations below!
If you are not a scrambled egg fan, try cracking a raw egg into each potato and baking it for 10-15 minutes to get the desired consistency for you and yours. I've been known to make several potatoes and pull one out each day and make a single serving too. This is particularly helpful when you have a stretch of chilly weather on hand and hot breakfasts are the order of the day.
Serve these alongside fresh fruit, toast, muffins, and any number of other breakfast favorites. If you pop them back into a slow cooker on the WARM setting, you could even have them on a brunch buffet table. Enjoy!
Twice Baked Breakfast Potatoes
- 4-8 baking potatoes, scrubbed and salted with pickling or popcorn salt
- 2 teaspoons butter
- 1 egg for each potato
- 2 tablespoons diced ham for each potato
- 1-2 teaspoons sliced green onions for each potato
- 2 tablespoons grated cheese for each potato
Place the potatoes plus ¼ cup water into a slow cooker fitted with a lid. Cook on LOW for 4-5 hours or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. This step can be completed up to 2 days in advance - just pop your finished potatoes into a sealed container and into the fridge until ready to use.
When you are ready to finish the dish, preheat the oven to 400° F. Lightly spray a glass baking dish; set aside.
Heat the butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and crack the eggs into the pan. Add the ham and soft scramble the eggs; remove immediately from the heat to avoid over-cooking the eggs.
Using a spoon, remove most of the inside of the baked potatoes; reserve for another use. In the cavity, place the soft-scrambled eggs and ham; arrange the potatoes in the glass baking dish. Sprinkle each potato with sliced green onions and grated cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes or until heated through and the cheese is melted. Serve warm.
- Yields: 4-8 servings
- Preparation Time: About 5 hours (though most of it is unattended slow cooker time)