Description
Picture Brussels sprouts… but Brussels sprouts smothered in buffalo sauce and blue cheese dressing, encased in a crispy crunchy potato skin, and topped with more melted cheese. Ok so maybe don’t picture Brussels sprouts… picture the perfect appetizer!
Ingredients
- FOR THE SKINS:
- 6 whole Small Yukon Gold Potatoes (6 Should Be 1-1 1/2 Pounds Total)
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil (more, If Needed)
- Salt And Pepper, to taste
- FOR THE BUFFALO BRUSSELS:
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- ½ whole Yellow Onion, Diced
- ½ cups Hot Sauce (such As Frank’s Red Hot)
- 3 cups Thinly Sliced Brussels Sprouts (for 3 Cups You’ll Need About 10-12)
- FOR THE LIGHTENED UP BLUE CHEESE DRESSING:
- ½ cups Crumbled Or Chopped Blue Cheese
- 6 ounces, weight Non-Fat Greek Yogurt
- 1 Tablespoon Mayonnaise
- 1 Tablespoon Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice (From About 1/4 Of A Lemon)
- 1 Tablespoon White Vinegar
- 1 dash Each Of Garlic Powder, Onion Powder And Ground Black Pepper
- FOR GARNISH:
- ¾ cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 1 whole Carrot, Very Thinly Sliced (Optional)
- 1 stalk Celery, Very Thinly Sliced (Optional)
Preparation
First, bake the potatoes. Preheat oven to 375 F. Pierce each potato several times with a fork and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. The foil will make clean-up from the next step easier! Bake until the potatoes no longer feel hard when squeezed (with an oven mitt on!). When done, they should give slightly. This took 50-55 minutes for my small potatoes.
If you like, you can bake the potatoes ahead of time and put them in the fridge, whole, before proceeding. I found that they were easier to scoop out this way. However, you will need to bake the skins a little longer once the insides are scooped out to crisp them up.
While the potatoes bake, make the lightened-up blue cheese dressing. In a medium-sized bowl, mash together crumbled blue cheese and Greek yogurt with the back of a fork. (This can also be done in a food processor.) Once no large chunks of blue cheese remain, add remaining dressing ingredients and stir until well combined. Keep covered in the fridge until ready to use.
Remove potatoes from oven. Preheat oven to 450 F.
On a cutting board, cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out the middles (you can save the extra potato for mashed potatoes, etc.), leaving a thin layer of potato on the inside of each skin. Return skins to the lined baking sheet (hollowed out side up), brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake skins at 450 F for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown and crisp (10 minutes if the potatoes were hot when you put them in, more like 15 minutes if they have just come out of the fridge).
While the skins are getting nice and crisp, make the Buffalo Brussels sprouts. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add diced onion and saute until starting to soften, about 2-3 minutes. Add hot sauce and Brussels sprouts and stir to coat. Saute until Brussels sprouts are tender, which happens quickly, about 2-3 more minutes. Remove from heat.
Remove golden potato skins from oven. Spoon several tablespoons of the Brussels sprout mixture into each one and top with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese. Return to oven for 5 more minutes, until cheese is melted.
Finally, remove the pan from the oven. Top each skin with small pieces of carrot and celery. Serve with blue cheese dressing alongside, or go ahead and place a dollop on each skin.
Enjoy!
Dressing adapted from the Skinny Taste.
