Cave & Garden Baked Potatoes

The “cave” is the mushrooms, the “garden” is the red bell pepper, and together they make a baked potato topping that’s more interesting than the usual sour cream and chives. Half a pound of sliced mushrooms and a diced red bell pepper get sauteed with garlic in olive oil until crisp-tender, then simmered briefly with water and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Oil-rubbed russet potatoes bake for a full hour until the skins are crispy and the insides are fluffy. A tablespoon of butter in each split potato adds richness, and the hot mushroom-pepper mixture goes right on top so the juices soak into the fluffy interior.

The lemon juice in the mushroom mixture is a small addition that makes a big difference. It brightens the earthy mushrooms and keeps the whole topping from tasting heavy.

Kitchen Tips

• Rub the potato skins with oil before baking. It crisps the skin and keeps it from drying out during the hour-long bake.
• Pierce the potatoes with a fork a few times before baking. Without venting, trapped steam can cause them to burst in the oven.
• Sauté the mushrooms and pepper while the potatoes bake so everything is hot at the same time.
• Fluff the baked potato with a fork after splitting. Compressed potato doesn’t absorb the topping juices as well.

Variations

• Add a sprinkle of crumbled goat cheese or shredded Parmesan over the hot mushroom topping.
• Toss in a handful of baby spinach with the mushrooms in the last minute for extra greens.
• Use a mix of wild mushrooms (shiitake, oyster, cremini) for a more complex, woodsy flavor.