A couple of weeks ago I first tried my hand at stuffed potatoes with the Salmon Florentine-Stuffed Potatoes (recipe found here), and prior to that I had made some spinach and artichoke stuffed zucchini boats (recipe found here). So last weekend I thought, why not do a kind of combo of these ideas, and make some spinach and artichoke-stuffed potatoes?
And here we are! I loved the spinach and artichoke stuffed zucchini boats, but I’m a hardcore potato lover, so I think these may have won me over even more. They’re basically twice baked potatoes (“stuffed potatoes” being simply another way of saying “twice baked potatoes”). I don’t care what they’re called, they’re delicious!
I remember when artichokes were on my “never will I ever” food list for cooking or eating. They say your tastebuds change every 7 years or something like that, and apparently they’re right (whoever “they” are). I’ve noticed this is true for some other foods as well. Not olives, though. Never olives! 😉 To this day, the smell of olives alone can make me feel sick to my stomach, so I’m not seeing that ever changing.
Even with artichokes, I’ve noticed that they have to be hidden within something else, like these potatoes or the zucchini boats, or a dip of some kind, in order for me to accept them. They have a very distinct and strong flavor to them, especially the hearts, so they’re definitely an acquired taste. At any rate, I love how they taste in these potatoes! The artichoke flavor is there, but not overwhelming in any way, and the flavors all work together fabulously.
I hope you all enjoy these and please feel free to comment below with any flavor combinations you think would also be good inside of the potatoes, since I’m definitely feeling the urge to continue experimenting with the whole stuffed potato idea.
Spinach and Artichoke-Stuffed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 large Russet potatoes (unpeeled - should be ~1.5lbs total)
- 1/2 Tbsp. garlic-infused olive oil
- 2 cups baby spinach leaves (lightly packed - should be ~1.5 ounces)
- 2 Tbsp. milk (for those with IBS, use almond milk)
- 2 oz goat cheese (must be the plain chevre kind (the kind in the log), not the super soft kind)
- 3 Tbsp. lactose free plain lowfat yogurt (I use Green Valley Organics brand)
- 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (part-skim variety)
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 3+1/2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese (freshly grated, divided)
- 1/3 cup artichoke hearts (finely chopped) - Use the kind canned in water NOT oil, and wash them before using
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Wash and prick the potatoes several times each with a fork and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until very tender and baked through. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes. (Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees F at this time). While the potatoes cook/sit, complete steps 2 and 3 below.
- Heat the garlic-infused olive oil in a medium-sized sautee pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, reduce heat to medium, add the spinach and sautee until just wilted. Remove from heat.
- Beat the milk with the goat cheese, yogurt, mozzarella cheese, salt, Italian seasoning and 3 Tbsp. of the parmesan cheese in a small mixing bowl and set aside.
- After the potatoes have cooled, cut off the tops of each potato lengthwise and scoop out the pulp with a spoon, leaving ~1/4-1/2 inch thick potato shell. Scoop the pulp out from the potato tops as well and add to the other pulp, then discard the skin from the potato tops.
- Add the potato to the bowl with the cheese mixture and mix until everything is evenly combined. If the mixture seems too dry/thick, you can add a little bit more yogurt and/or milk. Add only a little at a time, mixing after the addition, to avoid adding too much additional liquid. You don't want the mixture to be too dry but also don't want it to be runny.
Note: It's up to you how heartily you want to mix in the potato pulp. If you use an electric mixer, the end result will be a mashed potato-like consistency. If you mix by hand, you may still get some chunks of potato here and there. - Add the wilted spinach mixture and chopped artichoke hearts to the bowl and mix in gently by hand until everything is combined.
- With the potato shells on the baking sheet, scoop the salmon mixture into the shells, dividing evenly and piling the mixture up above the tops of the shells. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 Tbsp. parmesan cheese, then bake in the preheated 425 degree F oven for ~20 minutes or until golden and heated through.
- Serve the potatoes on their own as a main dish or as a side dish, whatever strikes your fancy!
Notes
Note: A Low FODMAP-approved serving size is only 1/2 of a potato, but that is definitely plenty since they are so filling. For a dinner party or even just for presentation on your dinner table, though, you could serve them whole and only cut them when it's time to eat.
*Information above is based on the specific brands/types of ingredients I used. Values vary if using any other brands/types of ingredients.*
*The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.*
