Taco Potato Skins with Cilantro Yogurt Dip

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There's an ongoing dispute between me and my husband about whether or not these could be served as a meal. And since he's not here to defend himself, let me take this opportunity to tell you why I'm right. These can absolutely without a doubt be served as a meal for several reasons:

1. Instead of the sprinkle of bacon on traditional potato skins served as appetizers, these contain a decent amount of meat. Which means more protein and fat to keep you full!
2. Protein + carbs + fat. Plus green stuff. Sounds pretty balanced to me.
3. Lots of people go to restaurants and order an appetizer for their meal. At least I used to. It's pretty much the only time you don't have to share the appetizer with the rest of the table. Appetizers as entrees are always a smart idea.

Ok, I'm glad that's finally cleared up!

Lately, I've been needing cilantro for a lot of recipes but every time I go to the store, they don't have any. Seems like a pretty weird thing to sell out of. I needed it again while I was making my Moroccan chicken stuffed sweet potatoes and the only thing I could find was planted, living cilantro. So that's what I bought!

I know I've said this before but I am not good with plants. I've already killed one cilantro plant somehow and the other got infested with spider mites and died. This time was going to be different though! I spent a lot of time reading about how to properly take care of cilantro and tried to do everything right. This recipe was only made a week after the Moroccan chicken and the plant didn't even last that long - I had to go buy more cilantro for this recipe.

Shortly after all the cilantro wilted and fell out of the pot, basil started growing in the same container. That lasted a few days before it realized it was living in the plant house of horrors and bailed on me. Someday, I will grow plants - maybe even herbs! For now, I'm going to start small and focus on learning how to make my grass grow. That definitely takes priority.

This dipping sauce is actually from an older recipe for avocado fries. I'm not sure why I haven't used it on anything else before but it went perfectly on these potato skins. My sister recently used it on some fish tacos which I thought was a great idea. I used a coconut milk yogurt but I've also made it with almond milk yogurt and regular dairy yogurt would be perfectly fine for those that can eat dairy products.

The cheese I used was Daiya brand which I like because it tastes good, actually melts, and most importantly to me, they are very allergen-conscious. Those of you who are paleo may choose to try a different cheese or omit it all together. Once you add the dipping sauce, you won't even miss the cheese anyways.

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Taco Potato Skins with Cilantro Yogurt Dip

• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hour 5 mins
• Total Time: 1 hour 25 mins
• Yield: 5 servings 1x

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Ingredients

• 3 lbs russet potatoes, or sub sweet potatoes
• 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 batch of taco seasoning
• 12 oz plain dairy free yogurt
• 3-4 tablespoon diced jalapenos
• 2 Tbsp cilantro leaves, packed to measure (or about a handful before packing down)
• ½ C regular or dairy free shredded cheddar, optional
• 1 tomato, diced small

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Scrub potatoes and rub with about a tablespoon of the olive oil. Arrange on a baking sheet and bake until soft in the middle, about 30-50 minutes, depending on the size and type of potato you're using. Don't turn the oven off just yet.
3. While the potatoes are baking, brown and crumble the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once the beef is fully cooked, stir in the taco seasoning and set aside.
4. In a food processor, combined the yogurt, jalapenos, and cilantro. Add more or less jalapenos to your spice preference. Alternatively, you can just chop the cilantro and jalapenos very finely and stir it into the yogurt. Refrigerate until serving.
5. Once the potatoes are cooked and cool enough to handle, slice each of them in half lengthwise and scoop out the inside with a spoon. You can scrape out more or less depending on how much potato you prefer in the finished product. Save the inside for another recipe (I froze mine).
6. Brush both sides of each potato skin with more olive oil. Place the skin side down on the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Again, leave the oven on for the next step.
7. Fill each potato skin with meat, then cheese. Return to the oven one more time for another 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Ok, now you can turn the oven off :)
8. Top with diced tomatoes and additional fresh cilantro, if desired. Serve alongside the yogurt dipping sauce.

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