Twice baked cheesy 'taters

On the way home from the Coles wedding on Saturday, Tim and I were talking about the recent increase in cake activity. He told me that he was happy that I was busy doing something I like doing, that I really enjoy, but that it was putting more pressure on him because he had to help with laundry, dishes, cooking, etc. His biggest gripe (I think) was that he hadn't had a good home cooked meal in a couple weeks because we had to settle for something quick and easy most nights. Hmmm...

We had power problems at church on Sunday (something about a blown fuse and a three-phase something that had 1/3 of the building's power down). We finished Sacrament, but they cancelled the remaining meetings for the rest of the day. No Relief Society, no Primary, nothing. I went home feeling a little bummed because I had really practiced the hymns for RS. Any way, Tim had stayed home instead of going with us because he had worked the night before and was working that evening. We got home and put the kids down for a nap as well, and then I got to work. Most of the laundry was done, the dishes were done, and Audie helped me make bread and rolls for dinner. Our menu consisted of pan-fried chicken, rolls, mixed veggies, and twice baked cheesy 'taters. Audie helped me with those, too.So here's what we did for the 'taters:

First, we scrubbed one 'tater for each person at dinner and baked them in the oven until they were soft all the way through. Then, we cut the tops off of them (save these for later) and scooped out the inside, leaving no more than 1/4" on the skin. We added (for 5 'taters) 1 cup of sour cream, salt and pepper to taste, 1/2 tsp. each garlic and onion powder, and 1 cup of cheddar cheese. We then mashed everything together until it resembled slightly lumpy mashed 'taters. Last, we filled the empty skins and a little more so it mounded over the top with the cheesy innards and sprinkled with oregano, salt, pepper, cheese, and paprika. Then we baked it in the oven at 350 for about 20 minutes or until the cheese on top was melted and slightly browned.

The lids we cut off of the 'taters we spread with butter and seasoned with salt, pepper, paprika, onion and garlic powder, and cheese and baked on the same pan as the 'taters until they were melty and brown as well. Mmmm, tasty!

If you're wondering about the plate... I picked that pattern out at the outlet store when I was very young. 2 or 3 maybe? My parents had been using that set for over 20 years before they decided to get a blank white set from the same company/store. Guess who got the old ones? :-) I still like the flowers and butterflies!