smoked sausage baked potato

How To Make smoked sausage baked potato

• Step 1
  Clean your potatoes with a stiff-bristled brush and cold water. After you've thoroughly cleaned the potatoes, look them over and remove any bruises or mis-colored spots.
• Step 2
  Using a fork, work your way around each potato stabbing deeply into it's flesh. 6-12 stabs should do it depending on the size of the potatoes you are using. This allows steam to escape during the cooking process.
• Step 3
  Dry the potatoes off with a paper towel and preheat the oven to 350°F. Take a small bowl and add just a splash of your chosen oil, and have a container ready for the potatoes once they've been oiled. Then lightly salt and pepper each one and put aside as you wait for the oven to heat up.
• Step 4
  Once the oven has heated, arrange the potatoes directly on the cooking rack and place a baking sheet on the rack underneath them to catch any drippings.
• Step 5
  Cooking time will vary from 1 hour and up depending on the size and quantity of potatoes you cook. The skin should be puffed up, golden-brown and crispy, and the potato should squish easily and be very soft on the inside.
• Step 6
  When the potatoes have about 30-35 minutes of cooking left, heat a medium skillet to medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoon of butter and 1 teaspoon of extra-virgin olive oil and let the butter melt. Add the onions and saute them until they are soft and translucent (about 5-7 minutes). Add the peppers and cook with the onions for about 8 minutes or until peppers are crisp-tender. Add the smoked sausage, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and let cook, stirring occasionally.
• Step 7
  Once the potatoes have been properly cooked, carefully remove from the oven. Keep in mind that potatoes retain heat for quite a while, so use tongs or an insulated cooking mitt to remove the potatoes.
• Step 8
  Cut the potatoes open and fluff with a fork. Add butter, additional salt and pepper (if desired). Top the potatoes with the smoked sausage mixture. Top with Italian cheese, if desired. Place on a microwavable plate and microwave in intervals of 30 seconds until the cheese has melted.
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