Picante Baked Potato With Jalapeno & Cheddar

“But Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'””
Matthew 4:4

As vital as it is to nourish ourselves spiritually by reading God’s word, the same principle applies to our physical bodies. We were created in such a way that we have to eat in order to function properly and so I feel like sharing something I enjoy with my family.

Want to try something quick and easy for dinner? I’m not passing myself as a chef because I can tell you, when I first moved to Miami (and thank God He moved us out of there. The humidity was just insufferable), I was far from doing all things domestic but cooking is not rocket science although technically, it necessitates the process of combustion. If you can follow directions meticulously, you can unleash your inner chef.

Being married to un hombre Español definitely demands a lot of flavor in my cooking which is easily achieved by using Sazon Completa. If you have a problem with MSG, this may not be for you. My husband told me he remembers his mother using it in her cooking every time and so we can’t do without this along with Adobo Seasoning which happens to be a staple from my side of the family, along with Soy sauce and Apple Cider vinegar when it comes to flavoring meats.

I did not grab this recipe elsewhere so technically, I can call this my own. If you happen to find a similar one, it’s purely coincidental. For this, you will need:

• 4 Medium sized Russet Potatoes cut in halves
• Badia Complete Seasoning
• 2-3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 1 large Jalapeño pepper cut in small chunks

Cook Time: 60-65 minutes Serving Size: 4 (2 halves per person)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scrub potatoes with brush in running water until clean. Pat dry then cut in halves. Set aside potatoes and cut the Jalapeño. Pour about 2 tablespoons of Olive oil in a small bowl. Dip each potato in oil coating it lightly and massage until coated evenly making sure it’s not drippy. Season with Complete Seasoning on potato skin side and on top sprinkling evenly but not liberally to ensure you don’t put too much or it will become too salty. Arrange seasoned potatoes in foil lined baking sheet. Bake for 55 minutes. Remove from oven and arrange Jalapeño chunks on each potato, then top with shredded cheese. Put back in the oven until cheese is melted about 5 minutes or to your specification.

I try not to cook the Jalapeño peppers for long since I don’t want it to lose its picante factor. For a more spicy kick, leave the middle part of the Jalapeño where the seeds are attached to and clean out the seeds. That happens to be the part where the spiciness comes from. If you have kids, put only the green part on theirs and do not give them the spicy part. My 14 year old loves Jalapeños but the middle part proved to be too spicy even for him! I usually pair this with Adobo Seasoned Chicken Leg quarters. To counteract the spicy sensation in your mouth, end with a small bowl of Cookies & Cream Ice Cream for dessert. And that is dinner.