Ratatouille Loaded Baked Potatoes
In this recipe, a hash of cooked, softened vegetables makes a filling, flavorful topping for baked potatoes taken straight out of the oven. Grated cheese on top completes the meal, which is both old-fashioned comfort food and vegetable-packed eating you can feel good about.
Serves 2 to 4
Ingredients
4 potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for pan
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 eggplant, peeled and cubed
1 teaspoon salt, plus more for pan
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 tomato, diced
1 zucchini, diced
2 tablespoons torn fresh basil leaves
Grated Pecorino or Parmesan cheese, for garnish
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Sprinkle a generous handful of sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil on a baking sheet.
3. Set four potatoes on this sheet, pricking them all over with a fork. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until potatoes are fork tender.
4. Meanwhile, in your largest, deepest skillet, warm butter and olive oil over medium heat.
5. Add onion, garlic, eggplant, bell pepper, tomato, zucchini and salt, stirring everything together to combine.
6. Let this mixture simmer while the potatoes are baking, until the vegetables are all softened, withered and cooked through. Stir in basil leaves.
7. Taste and adjust for salt. Remove from heat.
8. To serve, slice open the potatoes and fill the opening with the ratatouille mixture. Top with grated cheese, if desired, as a garnish on top.
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Shanna Mallon is a Nashville writer and photographer who loves real food as much as she loves real talk. She and her husband, Tim, blog at FoodLovesWriting.com, and their book, The Einkorn Cookbook, comes out TODAY, December 1!
