Recently, when that craving arrived, I signed into the app for my local supermarket and ordered the ingredients for delivery. Now, grocery delivery is one of those luxuries that I don’t take for granted. During packed weeks, as this one was, it’s a service that makes baked red potatoes life feel so much simpler.
Once, I ordered a jar of roasted red peppers, but instead was given a jar of unsweetened apple sauce. Another time, I was presented with three scruffy coconuts instead of a 13. Bacon and cheddar and scallions, oh my! And sure enough, when my bag of baked potato ingredients arrived, so did a notable substitution.
Mascarpone is a soft Italian acid-set cream cheese. Its flavor is a cross between butter and Philadelphia cream cheese, but its texture is shockingly light and airy. Having the mascarpone changed my plans a little bit. I shifted from making plain baked potatoes to twice-baked potatoes so that I could use the cheese to its full potential. After lathering the skin of the potatoes in olive oil and flaky sea salt, I baked them at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.
Want more great food writing and recipes? Subscribe to “The Bite,” Salon Food’s newsletter. I scooped the potato mixture back into the potato skins, baking them at 350 degrees again for another 15 minutes. Before serving, I topped the potatoes with more fresh chives. The whipped butteriness of the mascarpone cheese gave the potato filling both flavor and volume, while the cheddar cheese was just decadent. It was kept fresh by the bite of the cooked and fresh chives. You could, of course, add additional ingredients to your mixture.
Some caramelized onions, steamed broccoli florets, cubed ham or crispy bacon would all be delicious. Feel free to mix up the cheese, as well. Place the russet potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle the skin with the olive oil, then sprinkle with salt. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove the potatoes from the oven.
Slice into the skin vertically, as if you’re opening a zipper on the potato’s “jacket. Carefully scoop the interior of the potatoes into a large bowl. Add the mascarpone cheese, and using a whisk or an electric mixer, whip the mixture until smooth and fluffy. Fold in the cheddar cheese and 2 tablespoons of chives. Add salt and pepper to taste. Carefully scoop the potato mixture back into the potato skins. Bake at 350 for an additional 15 minutes.
Garnish with the remaining chives before serving. Salon Food writes about stuff we think you’ll like. Salon has affiliate partnerships, so we may get a share of the revenue from your purchase. Stevens is Salon’s deputy food editor.