Pub-Inspired Shepherds Potato Skins

Sometimes a new recipe can be inspired by the happy occasion of finding something special on a menu  – and then realizing you already have the main ingredients at home!

Yesterday, as I sipped a frosty cold beer at our local Irish pub (Murphy’s), I spied something called Shepherds Potato Skins – which I’d never heard of in my life.  That sounded pretty darn delicious… potato skins filled with shredded simmered beef, corn (or peas) smothered with melted Cheddar cheese. Yummy!!

Hey, I happen to have some ‘shredded simmered beef’ at home… namely, pot roast which had been simmered in a red wine sauce. And I also have potatoes and I can easily pick up some Cheddar cheese.  But let’s go that extra step… let’s dollop on some sour cream and add a bit o’ chopped green onion. Now we’re talking!    ; o )

Get two meals!!     First make ‘Good Old-Fashioned Yankee Pot Roast with Red Wine & Thyme Gravy’ and then use the leftovers for ‘Pub-Inspired Potato Skins’!!

Incidentally, I had already ordered regular potato skins – which were AWESOME – before spying the Shepherds Potato Skins on the menu… so I have no idea what they look like or taste like, but I’ll find out next time I go to Murphy’s.   (Don’t you just LOVE Irish pubs??!!)

++ UPDATE – I returned to Murphy’s Pub and tried their Shepherd’s Potato Skins, which weren’t potato skins at all but slices of fried potato with a bit of a mixture of meat, corn and peas sprinkled with cheese.  I like mine MUCH better!!

INGREDIENTS & METHOD

• 4 large baking potatoes, such as Russet
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 – 2 1/2 cups leftover shredded meat – such as leftover pot roast or pulled pork
•      ++  Could also use leftovers from Sloppy Joes etc. etc. 
• ½ cups frozen peas – cooked
• 1/2 cup frozen corn – cooked –  OR –  drained canned corn 
• 2 tsp. tomato paste      ++ Freeze extras in small portions in a freezer bag
• 1/2  salt
• 1/4 pepper
• 1/8 – 1/4 tsp. paprika
• cooked potato scrapped from potato skins
• ½ cup sour cream     ++ Plus more to dollop on top right before serving. 
• 2 Tbs. SOFTENED butter
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 2 Tbs. chopped green onions – top part only       ++ a.k.a spring onions
•    ++  Plus more to sprinkle on before serving
• 2 cups shredded SHARP American cheese  ++ I recommend shredding it yourself. I recently learned that ‘stuff’ is added to the ‘already shredded cheese’ to prevent it from clumping.  So now I know why the pre-shredded cheese never tastes as good…

• Toppings – sour cream & chopped green onions

METHOD

Oven at 350 F

Scrub potatoes thoroughly under running water & dry.  Place potatoes in a medium bowl. Pour on 2 tsp. olive oil and sprinkle on 1/4 tsp. salt. Toss potatoes with olive oil and salt. Pierce potatoes in several places with a fork – which allows the steam to escape.  Place potatoes on the middle rack of oven.  Bake for an hour – or until a knife goes into potatoes easily.  ++  Place a large piece of foil on the bottom rack to catch any drips from the potatoes.

While waiting for the potatoes to bake, mix together the shredded meat, peas, corn, tomato paste, salt, pepper and paprika. Cover and set aside.

In a small bowl mix ½ cup sour cream, 2 Tbs. SOFTENED butter, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper and 2 Tbs. chopped green onions – top part only.  Cover and set aside.

Once potatoes are cooked, remove from the oven and cut potatoes in half lengthwise.   Scoop out most of the potato, leaving about 1/4’” around the edges of the potato.

++ Leave oven on at 350F !!

Mash the cooked potato you’ve removed from the potato skins with a fork. Add sour cream mixture and blend until well mixed.

Warm up meat and veggies mixture a few minutes in a microwave until heated through. Divide equally among the 8 potato halves.

Divide the potato/sour cream mixture in the same way.  Sprinkle tops with 2 cups shredded cheese.  ++  Don’t worry about being too fancy when you add the potato mixture – it’s sticky!

Bake at 350F – again on the middle rack – f0r 20 – 25 minutes.   ++ They’ll probably be ready in 20 minutes because everything is already hot.  

Dollop on lots of sour cream and sprinkle on some chopped green onion. ++ I suggest enjoying a cold beer in a frosty mug so you can pretend you’re at your favorite pub!!