Tater toppers

This article was originally published in March 2014

For both sweet potatoes and russets, preheat the oven to 375° F. Scrub the potatoes well and rub with your preferred cooking oil. Place on a baking sheet and roast until a knife slides easily through the flesh — 60 to 90 minutes, depending on the size. For the fluffiest interiors, slice through the skin as quickly as you can safely manage, to release the steam. Top with one of our delicious combinations and you’ve got a great evening meal.

 

Toppers

On a russet

  • Sautéed chorizo and mushrooms, with shredded sharp cheddar. Pop under the broiler for sublime gooiness.
  • Ciliegine balls of fresh mozzarella, topped with pesto and roasted red peppers. The cheese melts on contact with the hot potato.
  • Maya Kaimal Tikka Masala sauce with Appel Farms paneer. Simmer the Indian cheese gently in the sauce for a delicious curry.

On a sweet potato

  • Crispy bacon and creamy fromage blanc, drizzled with honey. It’ll be your new favorite way to eat sweet potatoes.
  • Black beans, cotija cheese and Bonache hot sauce. Earthy beans pair perfectly with sweet potatoes and outstanding, locally made hot sauce.

 

What’s in store

You’ll find lots of local products on PCC’s shelves, from classic brands to recent upstarts.

Uli’s Famous Sausage Chorizo

Split the casing on this nicely spiced sausage that’s sold in links and cook into crumbles for the perfect potato topping.

Bonache Hot Sauce

Choose Habanero, Socorro or Hatch from this Ballard-based sauce maker. Each supplies a complex, interesting flavor along with its heat, and the Hatch is really quite mild.

Mt. Townsend Fromage Blanc

For the last word in rich, mild, creamy cheese, try this Washington-made fromage blanc. It’s midway between whole milk yogurt and cream cheese, but less tangy than either.

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