Recipe: Guacamole-Loaded Potato Skins

Sometimes, we want our dinner to be interesting without all the faff of creating something with Michelin star appeal, especially if that dinner is being served at a barbecue, party or movie marathon. And with all the great weather we've been having (as I'm typing this it's grown cloudy. Mother Nature is SO out to get me!), I have the perfect party snack that will add interest in your event without adding too much to your waistline or taking too much from your bank balance. Sound good? Read on!

Personally, I'm a BIG fan of the baked potato. Crisp, crunchy skin on the outside, and that delightfully fluffy white centre combine to make it the perfect vessel for your choice of filling, be it tuna and mayo, spicy chilli or the traditional baked beans and cheese. But this campfire classic can get a little dull after a while, so let's jazz it up a bit with my Mexican loaded potato skins!

Ingredients

6 medium-sized Rooster/King Edward/Maris Piper potatoes (I used Roosters)
2tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 small onion, peeled
1 fiery red chilli
bacon bits, if desired
1tsp smoked paprika
40g light mature cheddar cheese (or LactoFree if avoiding dairy), coarsely grated
2 ripe avocadoes
1/2 fresh tomato
fresh lime

Method

Start by setting your oven to 200 degrees C/400 degrees F/Gas Mark 6.
Repeatedly stab your potatoes so they're covered in holes, then mix the olive oil and 1tbsp salt together and rub it all over the potatoes. Place them on a baking tray in the middle of the oven and turn every 30-40 minutes for 2 hours.

When they're really crisp on the outside (or just starting to crisp if you're feeling sensitive of tooth), take them out of the oven and cut each potato in half. Scoop out the insides of each and dump in a bowl. Dice 2/3 of the small onion and sweat in a frying pan with 1tsp olive oil (if you're using bacon bits, you can dry-fry the onions alongside the bacon bits and they will provide all the fat you need) until they're soft and transluscent, then add them to the potato fluff. While you're at it, throw in the paprika, the cooked bacon bits, if using, and the cheese. Mix everything together until well combined, and season to taste.

Spoon the fluff back into the potato skins and place back in the oven for 10 minutes.

In the meantime, make the guacamole. De-stone the avocadoes and scoop out the creamy insides into a bowl. Finely mince the remaining 1/3 of the onion and the tomato, and add both to the avocado. Season with roughly 1/2 tsp of salt and the juice from half a lime. By the time you've finished, the potatoes skins should be ready. Yay!!

Take the skins out, top with big spoonfuls of the guacamole and serve immediately on a beautiful platter before you 'accidentally' eat them all, with some fresh veg on the side if you wish.

Enjoy!