I am so excited today.

I’m excited because I finally get to share this recipe with you!

I made these little twice baked potatoes on Friday, but this recipe has been long in the making. Let me start from the beginning.

My mom, dad, brother and I have a Christmas morning brunch tradition. It started years ago when we decided to stop exchanging gifts. In a search for a new December 25 tradition, my mom and I decided on a nice brunch.

It works out for everyone. My mom and I get to cook together and my brother gets to sleep in as late as he wants. Christmas brunch is the best tradition.

I can’t remember exactly the first year we did this, but we have had the same menu every year. It doesn’t need to change. It is so perfect. And I think about it all year long. We make stuffed french toast (maybe I’ll share that recipe with you someday too) and rosemary potatoes.

The rosemary potatoes are undoubtedly my favorite part. They have to be one of my favorite things, ever, actually. The thing is, we never make them, except on Christmas morning.

So, a few weeks ago, I asked my mom for the recipe, wanting to share on here, and also wanting to have the potatoes to eat, thinking I couldn’t possibly wait another five months to have them again.

She sent the recipe and I was so excited. And then I made a mistake. I decided that I would try to “lighten” the recipe up a bit. I use the word lighten loosely, because if you know me, you know I don’t like “light” things. If I’m eating something, I want the real, full version. The real version is always so much better. But, I thought, I will try to summer-ize these potatoes. I will take them from winter-time comfort food to something a bit lighter for summer.

Let’s just say: big mistake.

The potatoes were lighter. They were more summery. But they weren’t as memorable. They didn’t leave me feeling like I had just eaten one of the best things in my life. They were sustenance, and we ate them. But they didn’t touch the original. Sometimes butter, cream and cheese are totally worth it.

So, I set the idea aside for a bit. And then, one day, this idea came to me. What if I added the great taste of the original rosemary potatoes into little twice baked potatoes.

And without even trying, I did end up making the recipe lighter. In these twice baked potatoes, there is no butter or cream and there is only a small amount of cheese per potato.

But they seem to posses the same magic as Christmas brunch potatoes. They aren’t trying to be a lighter version of them. They are their own new delicious form of rosemary potato.

And if you ask me, no flavor goes with potatoes quite like rosemary does. And in these, add caramelized shallots and goat cheese and you’re in complete bliss.

Not enough good words could be said about these. Greg said they they are “one of the best things ever” and he could eat them every single day.

If you use small potatoes, they are perfectly pop-able and would make the perfect appetizer. I had some small potatoes and some larger ones, that needed to be eaten with a fork and a knife, and I definitely preferred the smaller.

While most twice baked potatoes are filled with butter and cheese, these use olive oil instead, and a smaller amount of cheese. They are not difficult, but do take some work. Once the potatoes are done baking, you do need to scoop out the insides, but that is the most time consuming part. Once that is done, just mash some ingredients together, fill the potatoes back up and put them in oven to finish baking. The taste of these makes the small amount of work totally worth it.

I will say that these have to be one of my favorite recipes on this blog. I hope that you get to try them and enjoy them as much as I do!

Ingredients
6 – 10 small to medium potatoes (I used red potatoes)
8 small to medium shallots
Olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
2/3 cup goat cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Dried parsley and additional goat cheese for topping, if desired

Preheat oven to 400*. Wash and dry potatoes. Pierce each with a fork and place on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 45 – 80 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes. When done, potatoes should be soft when gently pierced with a fork.

While potatoes are roasting, thinly slice shallots and chop rosemary. In a small saucepan, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for about 10 minutes, until they are soft and slightly browned. Add rosemary and cook an additional 5 minutes. Once done, remove from heat and set aside.

When potatoes are done roasting, let cool for about 5 minutes, if desired. I got to work on them right away because it is best to not let them sit long. Carefully cut each potato in half, and using a small spoon, scoop out the inside bulk of the potato. Add the insides of the potatoes to a bowl. When all potatoes are scooped out, add the goat cheese, shallots, salt and pepper to the bowl with the insides of the potatoes. Using a potato masher or fork, mash the mixture together until no large chunks remain and all ingredients are well combined. Scoop the potato mixture into each scooped-out potato skin, filling each to the top.

Bake in a 400* oven for about 15 minutes, or until heated through and slightly golden brown.

To serve, sprinkle with additional goat cheese and dried parsley, if desired.

Enjoy!