Chili Bean Stuffed Potatoes

Have you ever had one of those days where time just gets away from you?  I had a day like that on Sunday.  I was so busy visiting with friends that I didn’t even notice that the day was slipping past me, hurrying on its way toward evening.  Suddenly it was dinner time and I had nothing prepared, or even planned.  Take out was not in the budget so I had to think of something.

I cooked three russet potatoes in the microwave and then set them aside until they were cool enough to handle.  While they were cooling, I looked for something to stuff them with.  I found an onion, a can of Heinz chili style baked beans, and some shredded mozzarella and edam cheese left over from pizza night.

When the potatoes had cooled enough for me to work with them, I cut them in half and scooped out most of the flesh, leaving a thick-ish layer around the edges so the skins would hold their shapes. 

I chopped and sautéed the onion until it was slightly caramelized.  Then I mashed the scooped out potato with a fork and added the onion to it.  I spooned in most of the beans and some of the cheese and mixed it all together.  The mixture seemed a bit dry so I added some of the liquid from the bean can to bind it together.

I spooned the potato/bean mixture back into the hollowed out potatoes, put them on a baking sheet and topped them with more cheese.

I baked the potatoes at 350ºF for 30 minutes and served them as soon as they came out of the oven. 

They were tasty and really filling.  My husband liked them enough to have the reheated leftover potato for breakfast the next morning.