Baked stuffed potatoes

Name: Baked stuffed potatoes
Ingredients: 1 kg potatoes; 2000 ml water; 300 g ground pork; 150 g brânză de burduf; 3 tablespoons tomato paste; 3 cloves garlic; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

Diverse - Baked stuffed potatoes by Maria D. - Recipia

Baked stuffed potatoes cook evenly when the potatoes are similar in size; they’re filled with grated potato flesh, pork and brânză de burduf, a Romanian cheese. The grated flesh binds the filling, which stays compact beneath the browned top. I choose elongated potatoes, which are easier to scoop out. Prep: 25 minutes. Cook: 45 minutes. Rest: 10 minutes. Total time: 80 minutes. Servings: 2. Approximately 1030 kcal and 50 g of protein per serving.

Ingredients

1 kg potatoes
2000 ml water
300 g ground pork
150 g brânză de burduf
3 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

Preparation

1. Wash the potatoes and put them in a pot with 2000 ml water. Boil for 15 minutes, until a fork goes just into the outside, but the middle is still firm. 2. Drain the potatoes and leave them to cool for 10 minutes. Scoop them out as deeply as you can without piercing the bottom, and set aside the potato flesh. 3. Grate the flesh using the small holes of a grater. Crush the garlic and mix it with the grated flesh, pork, brânză de burduf, tomato paste, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. 4. Fill the potatoes with the mixture and arrange them in a baking dish. Bake at 200°C for 30 minutes, until browned and the filling reaches 71°C in the center.

Notes

Potatoes that are similar in size cook more evenly, and medium to large ones leave room for the filling. Choose firm potatoes with unbroken skins; cracks can widen when you scoop them out. Starchy potatoes are easy to grate, but potatoes with very moist flesh can make the mixture softer. Let them cool thoroughly before scooping them out, since they break more easily while warm. Brânză de burduf is salty, so keep that in mind when measuring the salt. I served them as a side dish with pork goulash. Leftovers keep in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days and should be reheated until hot all the way through. For a change, you can use 150 g well-drained telemea, a Romanian cheese, instead of the brânză de burduf and reduce the salt to 1/2 teaspoon.