Beyond Butterdome - Twice Baked Potato Pie

Ya'll know I love me the healthy eats, but sometimes, you gotta put some butter in there. And sometimes Some is The Entire Stick.

I've had my share of twice baked 'taters - as a kid, I ate tons of the frozen ones (were they Ore Ida? Don't remember). I've had the casserole once or twice - and thought it so un-textural that it was kinda weird. Like eating sauce with nothing under it. Not in a good way.

So instead of wasting all of those fibrous, tasty, browned skins, I chopped 'em fine, seasoned 'em, and turned them into a crust, sort of. There aren't a lot of things going for 'taters nutritionally, but whatever they have is in them skins, so eating them's a good idea, especially if you're eating a half-stick of butter in addition. And cheese. And cream. Oh boy.

Twice Baked Potato Pie

4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, washed, pricked all over with a fork
1 stick butter 
1 cup sharp cheddar, smoked gouda, whatever cheese you prefer, grated
1 cup sour cream
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup whole milk or cream
Salt and white pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp each dried parsley, chives
Dash onion and garlic powder
Butter, for the casserole 

a 13 x 9 baking pan, or 9 x 9 x 4 deep baking dish

Just looking at that list of ingredients makes me wince, but let's do this.

Preheat the oven to 350f. Depending on the size of your taters, bake for 1:15 - 1:30, until they're soft when poked. Cool 15 minutes.

Slice them in half, and using a spoon, scoop the flesh into a bowl. Add butter, sour cream, cheese, milk, salt and pepper and garlic, and mash well. You want them soft, airy, so don't over mash, and add a little water if you feel they're too thick. Using an electric beater, whip them for a couple minutes to aerate. Fold in your egg and set aside.

Butter your casserole dish.

Mince the potato skins well, and add the dried herbs and onion and garlic powders. Salt them a teeny bit and press them into the bottom of the casserole, making a crust.

Spoon the mashed potato mix over the potato skins, smoothing the top with a spatula. Bake for an hour, or until the middle has puffed and there's brown in spots.

Serve with sauteed Bok Choy or another light side. If you make the 'role ahead, you can slice it into squares and reheat gently for an Hors d'œuvre. Delish.