Stuffed potatoes

I have made these stuffed potatoes a few times when I had round potatoes and leftover meat in the fridge. I love that I can also use mushrooms and carrots in the filling, and in the end, they are hearty enough for a full meal. The recipe isn't complicated, but it does require a bit of patience when preparing and scooping out the potatoes. It's worth it if you want a different stuffed potato option compared to the usual cheese-filled ones.

Quick Info

Total time: about 1 hour and 30 minutes
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time (including baking): 1 hour
Servings: 5 (2 potatoes per serving)
Difficulty: medium
Recipe type: main course

Ingredients

10 round potatoes (preferably medium-sized, so they can be easily stuffed)
100 g mushrooms
200 g meat (pork, chicken, or beef, whatever you have on hand)
1 carrot
1 onion
1 bell pepper (or capia pepper if you can't find bell pepper)
fresh parsley
grated cheese for topping (to taste)
salt and pepper
oil for greasing the tray and sautéing
3-4 tablespoons tomato sauce
2-3 tablespoons water (for the sauce)

Instructions

1. Wash the potatoes with their skins on and boil them in salted water. They should boil whole, but be careful not to let them get too soft, so you can scoop them out without breaking.

2. Meanwhile, chop the onion and bell pepper. Sauté them in a bit of oil until they soften.

3. Peel and chop the carrot into suitable pieces. Boil it together with the meat and mushrooms (you can leave the mushrooms whole or cut them larger, as they will be mashed at the end). Cook until everything is well done.

4. Once the meat, carrot, and mushrooms are cooked, remove them from the water and combine them with the sautéed onion and bell pepper. Mash everything with a fork or a blender until you have a mixture that is not too fine – it's okay to leave some small chunks.

5. Add salt, pepper, and chopped parsley to the filling mixture to taste. Mix well.

6. Remove the boiled potatoes and let them cool slightly. Peel them, cut them in half lengthwise, and scoop them out with a teaspoon to make room for the filling. Be careful not to break them.

7. Grease a tray with a bit of oil. Place the scooped potato halves in the tray.

8. Fill each potato half with the prepared mixture, pressing gently to pack in as much filling as possible.

9. Mix the tomato sauce with 2-3 tablespoons of water. Pour the sauce over the stuffed potatoes, making sure it covers all of them.

10. Place the tray in the oven at 180°C for 30 minutes.

11. Five minutes before taking the potatoes out of the oven, grate cheese on top of each half and leave them to gratin for a few more minutes until the cheese melts and forms a slight crust.

Why I make this recipe often

I love it because I can use leftover meat or vegetables and create a hearty main dish. The filling can be easily adjusted based on what you have on hand. It's also suitable for when you have guests since you can prepare everything in advance and pop it in the oven when needed.

Tips and Variations

Tips

Do not boil the potatoes too much so they don't crumble when scooping.
Don't throw away the scooped-out flesh; you can add it to the filling or save it for something else.
If the filling seems too dry, you can add a bit of the broth from boiling the carrot and meat.

Substitutions

You can change the meat according to your preference – chicken, pork, or beef, any will work just fine.
The bell pepper can be replaced with a sweet pepper or capia.
If you don't want meat, you can use just mushrooms and vegetables.

Variations

Add garlic to the filling for an extra flavor boost.
You can add the potato flesh directly into the mixture if you want a creamier filling.
The cheese on top can be replaced with hard cheese if you don't have any grated cheese on hand.

Serving Ideas

Stuffed potatoes pair well with a simple seasonal salad or pickles.
You can serve them with sour cream on top if you prefer.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I use other types of potatoes?
Yes, but round potatoes of suitable size are easier to stuff and don’t break easily.

2. Can it be made without meat?
You can skip the meat and use more mushrooms or other vegetables. The filling will still turn out great.

3. What type of cheese is suitable?
Any type of cheese that melts well will work. You can also use aged cheese if you want a stronger flavor.

4. Can it be prepared in advance and stored in the fridge?
Yes, you can prepare the potatoes and filling a day in advance. Keep them in the fridge, then bake them when you need to.

5. Can I freeze the stuffed potatoes?
I do not recommend freezing as the texture of the potato changes after thawing, and they won't taste as good.

Nutritional Values

Approximately, one serving (2 stuffed potatoes with meat, vegetables, and cheese) contains about 350-400 kcal. Protein ranges from 15-18 g, fat from 8-10 g (including the cheese on top), and carbohydrates mainly come from the potatoes (about 55 g per serving). These are estimates; values may vary depending on the type of meat used and how much cheese you add at the end.

Storage and Reheating

Stuffed potatoes can be stored in the fridge, covered, for 1-2 days. You can reheat them in the oven or microwave. I do not recommend keeping them longer – boiled potatoes become mealy over time. Cold potatoes lose their good texture, so it’s better to serve them warm.

I washed the potatoes and put them to boil with the skin on. I chopped the onion and the bell pepper and sautéed them. I boiled the carrot, mushrooms, and meat. Once they were cooked, I mixed them with the onion and bell pepper and mashed them. I added parsley, salt, and pepper to taste. I peeled the potatoes, cut them in half, and scooped them out. I arranged the potatoes in a pre-greased baking dish and filled them with the mixture above. I made a sauce from 3-4 tablespoons of tomato sauce and 2-3 tablespoons of water and poured it over the potatoes. I put them in the oven for 30 minutes. Five minutes before taking them out, I grated some cheese and placed it on top. I didn't manage to take a picture of all the potatoes, only these 3 pieces are left. Enjoy your meal!

 Ingredients: 10 beautiful round potatoes, 100 g mushrooms, 200 g meat (pork, chicken, beef) of your choice, 1 carrot, 1 onion, 1 bell pepper, parsley, cheese, salt, pepper, oil, 3-4 tablespoons of tomato sauce

 Tags:  stuffed potatoes