Twice-Baked Blue Cheese Potatoes - Oregon Coast Views of Sea and Sky for Blue Monday

A very busy day with an early start to the Oregon coast required some advance preparation for dinner. I decided to use the blue cheese in the refrigerator to make double stuffed potatoes to pair with steaks I planned to grill. I chose the less expensive crumbles for this recipe. This recipe is about as healthy as one for double stuffed potatoes can get. Low-fat buttermilk replaces most of the butter and cream found in other recipes.



Potatoes assembled in the morning can be refrigerated or frozen for later use. This recipe can be doubled if desired.



Today our destination is a look-out post on one of the Oregon coast trails. The trail gradually ascends the headlands and as you can see the scenery is stunning.



This tower is a relic from WWII. The structure was used to provide shelter for submarine spotters during the war.



Today the shelter is used by folks who use its unique perch to view magnificent stretches of the Oregon coast line. On a clear day it really does seem you can see forever. If ever you hear folks speak of Oregon blue, this is what they mean. Isn't it gorgeous?

Twice-Baked Blue Cheese Potatoes...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
4 (12-oz. each) baking potatoes
1-1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/4 cup fresh chives, finely chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1-1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degree F. Bake potatoes until tender, about 1 hour. Cool until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Cut each potato in half lengthwise. Scoop pulp into a food mill or ricer and process. Place in a large bowl. Add buttermilk, blue cheese, chives, butter, salt, pepper and bacon; beat with a mixer just until blended. Do not over beat.
2) Spoon an equal portion of mixture into each shell. Arrange on a baking sheet; bake until thoroughly heated through, about 20 minutes. Potatoes can be made and refrigerated 48 hours before serving. An additional 5 minutes should be added to cooking time if potatoes have been chilled. Yield: 8 servings.

Recipe adapted from the CDKitchen.

I'm linking this to Smiling Sally for her Blue Monday event.