I am always looking for do ahead potato dishes for dinner parties. A classic and familiar pairing of chives and Gruyère cheese makes these everyone’s favorite. I use a green scrub pad and an olive oil based bar soap to clean the potatoes because the skin is the best part.
5 medium Idaho Baking Potatoes, scrubbed and rubbed with canola oil
1 cup Half and Half
4 Tbs Unsalted Butter
4 ounces grated Gruyère Cheese
4 Tbs minced fresh Chives
Salt and Pepper to taste
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees
- On a foil lined cookie sheet put the scrubbed and oiled potatoes and pierce them each a few times with a knife
- Bake for about an hour until they are soft
- Let cool enough to handle then cut them length wise and carefully scoop out the flesh being careful not to tear the skin of the potato
- Mash lightly and add the butter in chunks and then the half and half, continue mashing until well combine
- Fold in the chives and Gruyère until well incorporated (I reserve a few chives and a bit of the cheese to sprinkle on top of the potatoes)
- Divide this mixture back into the potato shells
- At this point they can be refrigerated for future baking or bake them on a foil line cookie sheet for about 25 minutes until they are warmed through and a bit golden on top
- If you refrigerate them first they will take about 40 minutes to bake
