Prep Time: 2½ Hours
Yields: 12 Servings

Comment:
Most often, stuffed potatoes mean sour cream, butter, cheese and chives with possibly a spoon of bacon. Here in Cajun and Creole country, everything from the sea, land and in between can be found in this dish.

Ingredients:
6 large Idaho potatoes
½ pound ground beef
¾ cup fully cooked bacon, chopped
½ pound (71–90 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined
vegetable oil for coating
½ cup minced onions
¼ cup minced celery
¼ cup minced red bell pepper
¼ cup minced yellow bell pepper
¼ cup minced garlic
¼ cup thinly sliced green onions
10 tbsps butter
2 cups sour cream
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
¼ cup chopped parsley
salt and black pepper to taste
granulated garlic to taste
1 cup grated Cheddar cheese for garnish
paprika for garnish

Method:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and set aside. Wash and dry potatoes. Using a fork, prick potatoes on all sides. Coat each potato with vegetable oil and place on prepared baking sheet. Place in oven and bake approximately 1–1½ hours. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. In a large skillet, sauté ground beef 5–10 minutes or until browned. Drain beef and reserve 1 tablespoon of oil. In the same skillet, add bacon, onions, celery, bell peppers, minced garlic and green onions then sauté 2–3 minutes or until vegetables are wilted. Add shrimp then cook 2–3 minutes or until shrimp are pink and curled. Remove from heat and set aside. Slice each potato in half lengthwise and gently scoop meat out of potato, careful not to tear shell. Reserve all shells. In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer or spoon, combine potato meat, butter, sour cream and parsley. Season to taste using salt, pepper and granulated garlic. Fold in ground beef and shrimp mixture and shredded cheese. Gently stuff mixture back into potato shells, careful not to tear shell. Pile mixture high on top of potato shells then garnish with grated Cheddar cheese and paprika. Place in oven and bake 20–30 minutes or until warmed through and golden brown.