Low FODMAP Twice Baked Potatoes

Makes 1 full potato serving or two half-servings.

Baked potatoes are among the easiest foods to prepare. Elevating them to a delicious meal or side dish is nearly as easy. Twice baked potatoes are essentially regular potatoes with the cooked flesh scooped out, turned into mashed potatoes and eventually returned to the potato skin to be baked a second time. You can flavor the mashed potatoes however you like. In this case I’ve chosen the classic combo of cheese, scallions and garlic. In this case I’ve used a blend of cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses for a good melt with a lot of flavor.

Don’t wrap the potatoes in foil. Place the lightly oiled ‘taters directly on the oven rack during the first bake. This will give the skin an excellent crispy texture. To make half-portions, cut the potatoes into halves instead of slicing off the top and serve the halves individually. When preparing several potatoes at once, combine all the scooped potato flesh from all the potatoes and make the mash all at once to save time.

Ingredients

• 1 russet potato
• 1 tbsp lactose free milk
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1/2 tsp garlic-infused olive oil plus more for coating potatoes
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp shredded cheese blend plus more for serving
• 1 scallion, sliced (green parts only)
• 2 strips bacon, fried and crumbled (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Scrub, rinse and dry potato. Pierce the skin several times with a fork. Lightly coat potato with 1/8 tsp garlic oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Place directly on oven rack and bake for an hour.
2. Carefully remove potato from oven with tongs. When it has cooled slightly, slice a hole in the top big enough to easily remove the flesh. Without damaging the skin, scoop out potato flesh and place in a bowl. Add milk, butter, garlic oil, a pinch of salt, a few cracks of pepper, shredded cheese and half of the scallions. Mash with a fork or potato ricer until even.
3. Place the empty potato skin on a baking sheet. Return the mashed potato mixture to the potato skin using a spoon. Leave a slight indentation for the cheese to sit in. Top with cheddar cheese. Bake 10-15 minutes until heated through and cheese melts. Top with remaining scallions and bacon. Serve immediately.