Last week one of my friends posted a picture of a menu listing potato skins, and the 1800 calories that came with them! Her post made me immediately want potato skins myself, but I knew I could beat the 1800 calories from the restaurant! Rather than shell out the potatoes and discard the flesh, I boiled small potatoes, smashed them flat, and then baked them until they were crispy. Then I loaded them up as if they were nachos! They were so yummy, and so much healthier than any you’d find in a restaurant.
Potatoes have gotten a bad rap, but they are actually loaded with potassium, vitamin C and fiber. And, if people are still fussing about your protein, here’s a fun fact—if all of your 2,500 or so calories per day came from just potatoes you would technically have enough grams of protein, though your diet would fall short in other nutrients (2500 calories of russet potatoes yield 68 grams of protein). Did you know that all plants that have any protein at all have all of the essential amino acids too? In other words, they are a complete protein. They may be in a different ratio than the protein in meat, but because our bodies break down the protein anyway it doesn’t even matter (read more about protein here). So, when people ask you about where your protein comes from, just tell them “potatoes!”
Now, enough with the nutrition lesson and on to the recipe! After baking my potatoes I loaded them up with green onions, homemade refried-ish beans (pinto beans, garlic, seasonings), tomatoes, avocados, coconut bacon, and cilantro. You could top yours with whatever you like. I even saved a few extra potatoes and sprinkled them with malt vinegar—delicious! Oh, and a warning—while they are served like nachos, these definitely need to be eaten with a fork!
Baked Potato Nachos
1 pound small potatoes, I used Yukon Gold fingerling potatoes, small red potatoes would also be great
1 T olive oil
salt and pepper
¼ t garlic powder
½ t onion powder
¼ t paprika
Toppings
Tomatoes
Green onions
1-2 c prepared beans
handful of cilantro
a few tablespoons of coconut bacon
Rinse potatoes and put them into a large pot and fill with cold water. Bring to a boil and allow to boil until fork tender (slightly on the soft side, but not too soft!). Drain potatoes and allow to cool for about 5 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Fold a dishtowel in half. Place one potato inside the folded towel and press with your hand to flatten. Transfer potato carefully to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat with all other potatoes. Brush the tops with the olive oil and sprinkle with seasonings.
Place the pan into the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Carefully turn over potatoes and allow to roast for 20 more minutes. Turn the oven to broil and let crisp for about 3 more minutes, watching carefully.
Remove from oven. You can either make one large platter of potatoes or individual plates. Place potatoes on your plate and top with desired toppings. Make a double layer if you’re hungry! Enjoy!
[…] Baked Potato Nachos […]