Twice Baked Salsa Potatoes with Fajita Veggies

Do you ever go to a restaurant and order the same dish every time?

For better or worse, I’m a person who likes routine. Usually when I find something I like at a restaurant, I stick with it. My husband always ribs me for ordering the same thing time and time again, but it works for me, so why not, right? But there was one Mexican restaurant that we used to go to and both of us would order the same thing every time we went there–Veggie Fajitas. And then we’d both get a side of spicy, cheesy mashed potatoes. Even my husband couldn’t branch out and try something different because the fajitas were just so flippin’ good.

But then! One hot August afternoon, we went to get our usual fajitas-and-potatoes combo and what the server brought out to us shook me to the core. Oh yes, I was shook! Instead of the usual zucchini, onions, mushrooms, and corn, there on our fajita plate was a sad, soggy mix of onions, peas, and carrots. Frozen veggies! Frozen veggies that do not even belong in fajitas! Who puts frozen peas in fajitas? Who?! And even more importantly, why?

As much as I like routine, I’m also pretty resourceful. Since our favorite dish had been reformulated for the worse, I just had to make it at home. And then there were those cheesy potatoes too–those were integral to the whole veggie fajita experience. And thus my Twice Baked Salsa Potatoes with Fajita Veggies was born. You get cheesy potato goodness combined with yummy sauteed fajita veggies. In fact, we love these potatoes so much, we don’t even miss the Veggie Fajitas at that unnamed Mexican restaurant anymore.

Twice Baked Salsa Potatoes with Fajita Veggies

A Mexican twist on twice baked potatoes! Cheesy potatoes are topped with sauteed fajita veggies.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Yield: 4 potato halves

Ingredients

• 2 large Russet potatoes, pierced with fork
• olive oil cooking spray or mister
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 c. salsa
• 1/4 c. reduced fat sour cream
• 1/2 c. Monterrey Jack or Mexican Blend cheese
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tsp. fajita seasoning (I like using this recipe, minus the cornstarch)
• 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 2 extra large button mushrooms or 1 small portabella mushroom, thinly sliced
• 1/2 c. fresh or frozen corn (Trader Joe’s Roasted Corn works great in this!)
• cilantro for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray potatoes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on baking sheet and cook for about 1 hour, or until tender and easily pierced with fork. Cool slightly. Don’t turn off oven!
3. Cut potatoes in half; scoop out insides and transfer them to medium bowl. Mash insides with salsa, sour cream, cheese, salt and pepper (to taste). Put filling back into potato skins and return to oven. Bake for 10 minutes more at 350 degrees.
4. Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until softened, 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in fajita seasoning and cook 30 seconds. Add zucchini and mushrooms and continue to cook, stirring frequently, 3-4 minutes or until softened. Add corn and cook until heated through, about 1 minute.
5. Top each potato with 1/4 of the vegetable mixture and cilantro (if using).

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 half as side, 2 as main dish