Aunt Anna Marie's Baked Stuffed Potatoes

I remember the first time I helped my Aunt Anna Marie makes these richly flavorful potatoes when I was a young girl. Aunt Anna Marie was a wonderful cook: you know no recipes just cook by experience and instinct. She was having a large family party with one of my jobs being to make about 100 baked stuffed potatoes.  Oh did I mention that Aunt Anna Marie was an Italian war bride so following  Italian tradition we were cooking in the basement kitchen since the main kitchen is for show. As she busied herself with the more important entrees she would stop by to check on how I was progressing with the potatoes instructing me to add a little of this, a pinch of that.  I loved every minute of cooking with my aunt.
After I started cooking for my family I added Aunt Anna Marie's baked stuffed potatoes to my repertoire making them my own.  I don't remember why but I always make these potatoes for Christmas eve dinner bring back memories of helping my Aunt Anna Marie so many years ago.

Enjoy! 


four large russet potatoes, scrubbed
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 milk
1/4 cup graded Parmesan cheese, plus two tablespoons for sprinkling
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon paprika

Bake potatoes in microwave on high 4 minutes. Turn each potato over. Bake another 4 minutes. Turn all potatoes again. Bake on half power 2 minutes, turn and bake another 2 minutes. Remove from oven.  Cool 2 minutes.  Slice potatoes in half and gently scoop out the potatoes leaving a little potato attached to the skin.  Be careful not to break the skin as the potato skin is the shell.
Place scoped out potato in large mixing bowl. Mash potatoes until broken apart.  Add milk,  mash to combine, then add next three ingredients continuing until potatoes are smooth.  Fill potato skin shell with mashed potatoes. Sprinkle additional Parmesan cheese and paprika.  Bake at 350 F for 20-30 minutes until potatoes are golden on top and cheese is melted.