Easter Dinner Series: Spring Salad + Twice Baked Potatos

Post by my talented sister Maria, see the rest of her posts here.

Well...it's hard to narrow down which sides to share! Our Easter dinner spread usually includes deviled eggs, rolls, cheeses, dips, etc. There is always a salad dish and potato dish to accompany the meal and these two pair well with the Spice Rubbed Pork Tenderloin.

Spring Salad
A little more fancy than a normal every day sald this recipe includes:

1 Bag of Spinach, rinsed and dried
1 handful of Dried Cranberries (or more to taste)
2-3 Tbs. Toasted Slivered Almonds
1 Orange cut into sections
4 slices Cook Crumbled Bacon
Cheese of Choice (Motzerella, or Crumbled Feta)
Balsamic Vinegarette Dressing

Twice Baked Potatoes
These will be gone in minutes!

4 Large Baking Potatoes
 1/4 to 1/2 cup of Milk (I usually use whole)
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/4 cup of Butter
3 Slices of Bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 Cup of Sharp Cheddar Cheese, plus more for garnish
1 Tbs. Green Onions

Preheat Oven to 375.
Wash Potatoes, puncture each potatoe with fork a few times to release steam.

Bake potatoes at 375 degrees for about 1 hour or when tender when poked through with a fork.  Carefully slice potatoes in half lengthwise and let cool. Turn oven up to 400 degrees.

When cool enough, spoon out center and place in a large bowl. Leave a little potatoe around the rim so that the skins don't sink and fall inwarrd.

Add softened butter, milk, and salt. Beat with electric mixer until whipped and potatoes are creamy and smooth. I love my Kitchen Aid mixure for this! Stir in green onions, cheese, and bacon.  With a large spoon, fill potatoe skins really full.

Place potatoes on a shallow baking tray and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Place in oven and heat for another 15-20 mintues until heated through and cheese has melted.

Stay tuned for Part three of this Easter Dinner Spread - Dessert!

My Food Philosophy: Because the effort to make good food is a gift to those around me, it's happy memories, togetherness, the living part of life.

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