“Gooses! Geeses!  I want my geese to lay gold eggs for Easter.”  (Who knows where I am going with this one?)

I was scrubbing potatoes today and all of a sudden was possessed by Veruca Salt from the 1971 movie, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

My original plan was just to have baked potatoes with our dinner tonight but then all of a sudden my inner Veruca came out and I was singing and dancing in the kitchen.

“Potatoes.  Potah-toes.

I want a potato crusted in salt with my dinner meal….that’s the deal.

And by the way….

I want bacon.  There is no fakin’

How about prosciutto?  Dance like Menudo?

With sour cream or I may even scream.

Don’t care how, I want it now.

I want some cheese.  Every flavor I please.  Whipped doubled baked to fill up my plate.

Don’t care how, I want it now.

Don’t care how….I WANT IT NOW!”

I kept waiting for the Oompa Loompas to pop out of the cabinets but, alas, that didn’t happen.  (Gotta admit, I was a bit disappointed.)

But any which way, being possessed by Veruca allowed me to come up with one of the most perfect double baked potatoes I’ve ever had.

“Veruca Salt”ed Double Baked Potatoes

Makes 6 halves.

Ingredients

4 Idaho potatoes (you won’t use the skin of one of the spuds)

1 – 2 TBsp olive oil

1 – 2 TBsp coarse sea salt (You will use only a tsp at a time)

2 Tbsp sour cream

1 Tbsp chives (this is a great time to use the dried ones)

3 ounces prosciutto, chopped

¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 Tbsp cream or milk

Directions

Oven 375.

Wash your potatoes and allow to drip dry in a colander.  (I know this step is obvious but the drying part is very important)  This is also a good time to poke some holes in your spuds so they don’t explode in the oven.

Put olive oil in a Ziploc bag.  Put potatoes in bag one at a time to coat with oil and place back in the colander so the excess drips off.

Put 1 tsp of salt in a bowl.  Roll oiled up potato in the salt but don’t coat it completely.  (I ended up rolling mine and then gently wiped some of it off.  You don’t want it caked in salt.)

Place potato on a baking sheet and repeat for all of the spuds.

Bake for 45-60 minutes until potato is completely cooked.

While potatoes are cooking, sauté the prosciutto in about 2 tsp of olive oil until crispy.

In a small bowl, mix sour cream, chives, cream, crispy prosciutto and cheddar.

Ding.  Potatoes are done.  When cool enough to handle, slice lengthwise and scoop out the potato guts into the bowl.  Gently mix.

Place empty skins back on baking sheet and pop under broiler for about 1-2 minutes.  You want the skins to be crispy.  (You won’t use two halves so use your prettiest skins and eat the others while you wait.)

Load six of the halves up with the potato filling.  Bake for another 10 minutes until the top browns.  (If you really want to be zazzy, sprinkle a little extra cheese on top or a little melted butter.)

Enjoy it NOW!

Now, I am not saying that I approve of Veruca Salt’s mentality and sense of entitlement BUT I think every now and then we deserve to indulge.  The only difference is that I do care how….but it is okay to want it now.  : )