"Pure Heat" - Baked Potato Bar
Firehawks #1
EXCERPT:
Carly sat by her uncle at dinner.
TJ was holding court at the head of a picnic table, his injured foot propped up on a five-gallon plastic bucket of foam mix that had been dragged over. It was a fine evening, warm but no longer hot. Twenty or so people ranged around the scattering of tables. The blue sky and dry air said that the arrows on the roadside fire-danger-level signs weren’t going to be moved down from red anytime soon.
Betsy had served up her famous baked potato bar, being loud and flirty the whole time, a skill Carly had never acquired. She shouldn’t have tromped on the new guy so hard. After all, he rappelled down to save her uncle, not reluctantly but rather demanding to be lowered immediately. That he kept looking at her as if she were a pinup girl had ticked her off, though. That and her nerves over TJ.
The potato bar selections included so many awesome toppings that it always took a while to dig down to the potato itself. Carly had gone light tonight with roasted cauliflower and a pesto salmon sauce to die for, so rich and aromatic she hadn’t been able to pass it up. Still, she’d had trouble getting it to settle in her stomach. She’d brought TJ his favorite shredded steak and a fried-egg topper rather than what he should be eating. But he’d earned it tonight. Earned it for scaring her half to death.
NOTE: This is one of our go-to dinners. It can be simple on a zero-energy evening or a lush and fun banquet as a surprise dinner solution for guests.
Ingredients
· 1 baked potato per person
Toppings
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Basic (or whatever is in the fridge) · Butter, salt, pepper · Cheddar cheese, shredded · 1/4 c. Peas, frozen or fresh · Broccoli florets, steamed · Bacon, crumbled · Sour cream · Chili · Pesto |
Next Level · Mushrooms, sautéed · Cherry tomatoes, halved (or even roasted) · Cheese: gouda, feta, Swiss (mozzarella is a bit too gooey) · Avocado, sliced · Chives or scallions · Parsley
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Getting Fancy · Roasted veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant cubes) · Bell peppers, sautéed · Black beans · Smoked salmon · Shallot or red onion, minced · Hamburger or turkey, sautéed · Jalapeños, diced or pickled slices · Pulled Pork |
Getting Strange · Caviar · Sauerkraut or Kimchi · Red onion, caramelized · Cilantro · Guacamole · Chorizo sausage · Several sauces and bowl of add-ons: cheesy, BBQ, Korean |
The Instructions
1. Bake the potatoes.
2. Make favorite toppings. From the basic—butter, salt, pepper, and cheese—to the limits of your imagination. For parties, you can set out bowls of toppings and let folks build their own.
3. Devour.
4. Yep, really that simple.
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Sausage, avocado, cheese, and tomato topping. |
There’s a potato under there somewhere but, oh, those toppings were good. |
