The Perfect Baked Potato Stuffed with Cuban Steak #ImprovCookingChallenge

This month's Improv Cooking Challenge asks us to make a recipe that uses Steak and Potatoes.  I am a definite steak and potato type gal so this was a perfect challenge for me.

The #ImprovCookingChallenge is a monthly blogging event where two ingredients are assigned to a month. Bloggers can make any recipe they like as long as it features the two ingredients. If you are a blogger and would like to join us, please visit our Facebook page.You can also read more about the event on our our home page
If you’d like to see previous creations, check out our Pinterest board.


As many of my loyal readers know, I love participating in different cooking groups/events/challenges each month and Improv is one of my favorites.

This month, I am going to be introducing a new group that I joined called Eat the World.  Why am I talking about Eat the World in an Improv post?  Well, we were assigned to make a dish from Cuba and I decided to make Ropa Vieja, a Cuban steak stew.

The recipe was delicious but it made enough for 4 people and there were only 2 of us having dinner.  That meant we had some leftovers.  Inspiration struck and I remembered that the mandatory ingredients for Improv this month were Steak and Potatoes.

I decided to share a recipe for Perfect Baked Potatoes that you will use from now on every time you bake a potato and stuff that perfectly baked potato with the leftover Cuban Steak.

I am sharing my Ropa Vieja recipe with you in a couple of days.   Saturday to be exact, so keep your eyes open for that because you are definitely going to want to recreate this recipe for yourselves.  It is perfect to add to your meal plan, especially if, like me, you like to include repurposing leftovers into your menu.

You could also take this idea and run with it, maybe sauteeing up some leftover steak with peppers, onions and mushrooms, stuffing your potato and then adding some swiss cheese and placing under the broiler for a few minutes.  Doesn't that sound delicious?

I paired this meal with a bottle of Cote-Rotie from France.  This bottle was provided as a sample for our upcoming French Winophiles L'Amour event that I will be sharing with you on February 17th.

You won't be sorry if you make up this delicious Ropa Vieja just for the purpose of stuffing these potatoes.  It makes a wonderful, hearty dinner that could easily and generously feed a family of four.

Perfect Baked Potatoes

1 Russet Potato per person

olive oil

kosher salt

Scrub each potato.  Dry and prick all over with a fork.  Place about a teaspoon of olive oil in the palm of your hand and rub it all over the potato.  Repeat until all potatoes are oiled.  Sprinkle kosher salt over both sides of the potatoes.  Place the potatoes directly onto the rack of a preheated 350* oven and let bake for a 1-1 1/2 hrs.  You want a skewer to easily insert into the potatoes without rushing the process.  Print Recipe

More Superb Steak and Potato Recipes

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