Jacket Potatoes with Bacon and Mushroom Sauce

Here is another family favorite. It is originally a recipe by Paula Deen on the Food Network, but I have changed the recipe to suit our families tastes. I have listed the ingredients as it appears in the original recipe and put brackets around ingredients I have omitted- or added

Jacket Potatoes with Bacon, Mushrooms and Peppercorn Sauce
Paula Deen Food Network, Serves 4
4 baking potatoes (I buy the huge ones- the size of Texas or at the very least a large Island Nation)
12 oz bacon, cut up into small pieces
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup brandy
(1 Tbsp. green peppercorns, drenched in cold water)-omitted
1 cup cream (I use Heavy Whipping Cream)
Salt and pepper
Butter for topping
(I also use Parmesan cheese for topping, but that is not in the original)

Preheat oven to 400 F Prepare potatoes by washing them, sprinkling them with Kosher salt, and poking with a fork. Bake until soft about 1 hour.

Sauce: Saute bacon, ( I drain off the fat), add mushrooms and cook until golden brown. Pour brandy first into a measuring cup (DO NOT POUR DIRECTLY FROM THE BOTTLE) and then into the pan and carefully ignite with a long match ( WORD TO THE WISE: the flame kicks up pretty high-12 - 18 inches even, so remove it from the cook top and hold away from things like the Microwave, your eye brows, hair... but don't worry it will slowly burn down and go out!) After the alcohol burns off and the flame has died, stir in the peppercorns if desired. Stir in the cream and heat through without boiling it. Salt and pepper to taste .

Cut open the baked potatoes and top each with butter, then cover with sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese.

Enjoy

Pictures of Preparation:


I start by cooking about half the bacon and set those aside after they crisp. Drain off all the fat and then cook the remaining bacon until they start to "sweat".










Add the mushrooms as the second batch of bacon cooks.



Carefully add in the brandy -- remember to pour from a different container and not straight from the bottle. Ignite with a long match and pull away from the stove top to prevent burning your microwave or cabinets. Keep clear of the flame until it dies down. My husband was alarmed when this happened, and was ready to spring into action like the hero that he is! :-) I assured him this was expected! You might be nice enough to tell your family in advance before you have extingishing foam in your dinner! :-)






Add in the cream and heat through over low heat.












Heat through stirring occasionally.









Cut your baked potatoes lengthwise and top with butter.
The potatoes really are the size of Texas as you can see. You really could make smaller potatoes, we just like a good snack later on. But it is a great way to stretch your dollar, one potato could easily serve two!





Serve the sauce over the baked potato.

Enjoy!