Do you want to upgrade from your plain boring baked potato with you steak/ seafood dinner on Valentine’s Day? This will kick your dinner up a notch and impress you special someone with a new and interesting side dish.

By melting the cheese on the potatoes in the oven, there is the melty, gooey cheese on top and some crunchy cheese bits on the baking sheet. It is the best of both worlds in cheese-land.

For toppings, you can make it a traditional baked potato (cheddar, sour cream, chives, parsley, and bacon bits), or amp it up a notch with some special combinations.

You could make this for a special Valentine’s dinner, or just a special weekend meal with the people you love.

Ingredients:

1 lb baby potatoes

1 tbsp salt

6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated

2 tbsp butter

salt and pepper to taste

bake potato topping of choice

Instructions:

Pre-heat oven to 425°F.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil on high heat, add 2 tablespoons salt. Add the potatoes and boil until you can easily pierce the potatoes with a butter knife.

Melt butter in the microwave or in a small pot on the stove.

When the potatoes are cooked, drain and pat dry on a towel. You want to make sure the potatoes are nice and dry so they will brown in the oven. Place on a greased baking sheet.

With a fork, gently press down each potato into a disk. Spoon butter over top each potato and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Place in a low rack in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove, cover with cheese and place in the oven for an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly.

Let cool for a few minutes before serving. Sprinkle freshly chopped parsley and chives on top.

Serve with sour cream, bacon bits, and more butter. Enjoy!

Tip: Turn the leftovers into potatoes and eggs in the morning!

Servings: 4 | Cook Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes