I have been on a Mexican kick lately for some reason. About 2 weeks ago, I had this insane craving for burritos that I went to a restaurant by myself. I could have eaten five burritos that night (good for my stomach, not so good for my waistline and thighs). Luckily, my wallet only allowed me to order one.
That only seemed to worsen my craving though. So after a lot of drooling, a lot of waiting and contemplating, I finally gave in and stuffed my face with this amazing Spicy Chicken Tamale Casserole. Love you, Cooking Light!
But some days I crave for fries.
Or crisp potato skins.
Loaded with a lot of goodies (think spicy beef, black beans, sweet corn and tomatoes).
And lots of cheese.
Need I say more?
SOUTHWEST LOADED BAKED POTATO SKINS
recipe adapted from Skinny Taste
6 potatoes, small to medium
Filling:
330 g lean ground beef
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup frozen sweet corn
3/4 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
2 tbsp cilantro, roughly chopped
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cumin
sprinkle of cayenne
salt and pepper to taste
canola oil or olive oil
3/4 cup grated white cheese (Monterey Jack)
chopped cilantro for topping
For the filling:
Mix the chili powder, paprika, cayenne and cumin in a small bowl.
Heat a little bit of oil (about 2 tsp) on a pan over medium heat. Brown the meat in the pan. Drain some of the fat and drippings from the meat in the pan. Add the onions and garlic. Cook until the onions are translucent. Add the tomatoes and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the black beans and corn. Add the spices and chopped cilantro. Gently stir to mix everything together. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5-7 minutes. Set aside.
For the potato skins:
Preheat oven to 200 C. Cover a baking sheet with foil. Lightly brush the foil with oil.
Wash and dry the potatoes. Using a fork, pierce the potato several times. Rub the potatoes with oil. Arrange on a baking sheet and bake for 50 mins. until they are tender and the skins are crisp. Let them cool for a few minutes.
Slice the potatoes lengthwise in half. Scoop out the insides (which is great for making thick and creamy Potato Cheddar Soup). Brush the skins and the insides lightly with oil.
Flip the potatoes so that the skins face upwards. Bake for 10 minutes. Flip the potatoes over and bake for another 5-7 minutes until the edges get crisp with a nice brown color.
Take them out and immediately fill the potato skins with the meat filling. Sprinkle grated cheese on top and put them back in the oven just long enough to melt the cheese.
Sprinkle chopped cilantro on top before serving. Drizzle some ranch dressing if you like.
