Taco Potatoes

Today's post is less of full recipe and more of an adaptable idea. Baked potatoes topped with various meats at Big Daddy's BBQ were one of Ariel's favorite meals in Tulsa, and I can't disagree with the concept. It's a great self-contained meal with endless variations. With how busy things have gotten lately, I'm appreciative of simple but tasty dinners. 

For the meat topping, I went with my own ground beef taco meat recipe from 2016. I can report that it's still good, though I increased the paprika a bit. Other good choices would be my Instant Pot pulled pork or the shredded chicken I use for nachos. All these recipes are linked below. Since the pork and chicken freeze very well, using those would make putting this together a snap if you have them on hand. For the toppings, I used the green parts of a napa cabbage. The basic baked potato is derived from Alton Brown's simple instructions.

Ingredients

• Large russet potatoes
• Vegetable oil
• Butter
• Meat of choice
• Ground beef taco meat
• Pulled pork
• Shredded chicken
• Grated cheese (I used V&V Supremo Chihuahua)
• Toppings of choice
• Chopped lettuce or cabbage
• Guacamole
• Sour cream
• Salsa (I used Trader Joe's Corn & Chile salsa)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (325 with convection). Poke the potatoes several times with a fork. Rub with vegetable oil and cook directly on the grates for 1 hour or until easily pierced with a fork. If making the ground beef, do so while the potatoes cook. 

Open the potatoes into two halves and lightly butter. Top with meat and then cheese. Return the potatoes to the oven for a few minutes, until cheese is melted. Add your choice of toppings and serve.