TWICE BAKED CAJUN SHRIMP STUFFED POTATOES

INGREDIENTS:

— 1lb (ca. 454 g) shrimp, peeled, deveined and cut in half

— 4 large russet potatoes

— olive oil

— 1/2 cup butter, unsalted

— 1/2 cup chopped onions

— 2 cloves garlic, minced

— 1/2 cup chopped celery

— 5 green onions, divided, more for garnish if desired

— 2 tsp Cajun seasoning (like Tony Chachere), more to taste

— dash of hot sauce, more to taste

— salt and pepper

— 1 cup grated cheddar cheese, plus more for garnish if desired

— 1 cup sour cream

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350F.

Wash and dry the potatoes and prick with a fork several times to allow steam to escape while cooking. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake until tender, about 1 hour.

While the potatoes are cooking, cook the shrimp mixture. Melt butter over medium heat in a skillet. Add in onions, celery, and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add in half of the green onions, Cajun seasoning, hot sauce and stir to combine. Then add in chopped shrimp and cook until opaque. Set aside.

Once the potatoes are done, let them cool enough to handle. Slice off the top 1/3 of each potato and gently scoop the flesh and place into a bowl, leaving about a 1/4” border of potato still attached to the skin. Scoop out the flesh from the potato tops and add to the bowl; discard the skin from the tops.

Mash the scooped out potatoes with 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, the remaining green onions (reserve a little for garnish if you like), and sour cream. You could stop here, but I like to use a hand mixer for just a minute to get the potatoes extraly smooth and delicious.

Gently fold in the cheese, then the shrimp mixture. Taste, and adjust salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning as needed. Pile the shrimp mixture as high as you can back into the potato shells, being careful not to break them. Sprinkle with any remaining cheese. Place the potatoes back in the oven on a baking sheet and bake until heated through, about 20-25 minutes. Garnish with green onions.

Thanks heaps for reading, and don’t forget to share this recipe with family and friends.