Fluffy New Potatoes

This recipe from The Pioneer Woman almost caused me to burn my house down... sigh. Everything was going so well on Easter- the food was all going as planned, everyone was having a good time, and then one of these buggers fell off the pan and onto the bottom of the oven in a place I couldn't reach. Within 10 minutes this little bugger was shooting flames! The fire alarm went off and I thought "Hmm... I guess nobody will want me to host again!" Sure enough the fire burnt itself out and it wasn't an issue, but yikes.

The potatoes are pretty good. I liked them, didn't LOVE them, but thought they were a pretty good side dish. I would try them again... but I felt they were missing something. Not sure what though. If anyone has any ideas please let me know, I'd love to enhance this recipe further. What I did love about it was that I made them on Tuesday, froze them, and then just threw them in the oven on Easter. Nice and easy!

I doubled this recipe:

9 or 10 medium to large new potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup sour cream
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1½ cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 tablespoon chopped chives
1 garlic clove, pressed
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Rinse and dry the potatoes, then place them on a baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil over the potatoes and massage to coat.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Set aside for 15 minutes.

Place the sour cream, cream cheese, Monterey Jack, chives, garlic, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl.

Cut each potato in half lengthwise.

With a spoon or melon baller, scoop out inside of the potatoes, leaving a very thin rim of potato inside the skin. Add the potato pulp to the mixing bowl with the other ingredients. Using a potato masher or fork, gently mash the ingredients together until fluffy and smooth.

Spoon the mixture back into the potato shells.

If you are making these for later use flash freeze the potatoes (place potatoes in the freezer uncovered for about 20 minutes, then place in large zipper bags). Reheat at 375 until heated through when ready to be used.

If not making them for later use, place in the oven at 375 until heated through.