Begin-Agains.

Okay, so I just went outside to take the trash out and out of the corner of my eye, I saw something on my white dress, and yes, my worst nightmare...a huge spider! He was just chilling while I did my "o my gawd get the heck off of me" dance. No biggie. Happy Monday! 

My weekend was just fabulous. Dad did some grilling yesterday and o mah gawd if I didn't have the best pork steak of my life...that is usual for dad's grilling skills though. On our way to dinner Saturday night, my parents and I got to talking about food, in particular, one of our fave restaurants that isn't open anymore...Bennigan's. When I was younger I used to call it "Begin-agains." That is beside the point.

 I could always count on Bennigan's to serve me the best grilled cheese, amazing shamrock cookies (sugar cookies in disguise), sinful Monte Cristo sandwiches (which is basically, a ham and cheese sandwich that has been dipped in french toast batter, grilled, and sprinkled with powdered sugar) and a cake called Death by Chocolate. Seriously, it was like a chocolate ice cream cake with candied nuts, whip cream, chocolate sauce etc...definitely something I would request before death. 

I thought I had named all my faves when my dad mentioned the absolute #1 thing that I forgot...potato skins. Ummmmm...I was seriously baffled as to how I could forget one of my all time fave things. All the thinking about the Death by Chocolate must have taken over my brain. Anyway, because my dad is on this healthy food train...he was all..."Chels, I wonder what sweet potato skins would be like"...to which I replied something of the sort, "Ummmm...yea, I got that covered...that should be pretty bomb-diggity." You know that it is on when I use the word bomb-diggity. 

So, yesterday...sweet potato skins happened. 

Now, somewhere in between all of this sweet potato skinning process, I became pretty delusional, thinking that things couldn't have possibly been going any better (seeing as this was my first time making sweet potato skins and all). 

I'm pretty sure I didn't even have time to wait for them to completely cool before skinning them...

they just looked too darn good!

Then you know that some extra-virgin olive oil was bound to come into play. 

Then, that pig showed up again in my kitchen. 

What a little sneaker.

 I mean, seriously...I thought nothing could top this bacon train...

except for feta cheese

and the non-pictured dollop of Greek yogurt I slathered on top...no time to take pictures when something this good is staring you in the face. 

Sweet potato skins...do it. Go!

Greek-Inspired Sweet Potato Skins (GF):

Ingredients:

3 medium-sized sweet potatoes

1 T. extra-virgin olive oil

sea salt

3 slices of pork bacon, crumbled (don't even think about using that crappy turkey bacon stuff) (I actually microwaved the bacon for three minutes (or until crispy) between two sheets of paper towels placed on a plate). 

1/4 c. low-fat Feta cheese, crumbled (optional but totally recommended)

1/4 c. plain Greek yogurt (I used Chobani)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the sweet potatoes in half, lengthwise. 

2. Place the sweet potatoes cut side up on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until they are slightly tender and can be pierced with a fork (not too tender though because the skin will fall off and you will have a big ole' mess).

3. Let the sweet potatoes cool on the baking sheet.

4. Once they are cool enough to handle, scoop out the sweet potato flesh, leaving just a little bit of the flesh in the skins, enough to cover the skins. (Save that sweet potato flesh for another recipe). 

5. Flip the skins over on the baking sheet so that the skin side is up, brush each with evoo and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.

6. Put the sweet potatoes back in the oven and bake for an extra 5-10 minutes. 

7. Then, flip the sweet potatoes cut side up and brush the insides with evoo. Bake for another 5-10 minutes. 

8. Remove the skins from the oven, sprinkle each skin with a bit of crumbled bacon and feta cheese. Top with a dollop of Greek yogurt. Stuff into mouth! 

Makes 6 sweet potato skins. 

Seriously, these blew my mind!

MANGIA!!!