The Hirshon ‘Great Caesar’s Ghost’ Twice Baked Potatoes

Twice Baked Potato Image Used Under Creative Commons License From tasteofhome.com

My Citizens, the glory that is TFD has oft’ been described as being superhuman, if not near-divine! Far be it from the Monarch of Modesty to disagree with the insights and opinions of His beloved TFD Nation, but a flash of insightful lightning promptly illuminated my consciousness and I was reminded of the old Superman TV show in the 50’s! Perry White (the editor of the Daily Planet) was clueless about Clark Kent’s being Superman and he was merciless in his frequent tirades against him!

White’s catchphrase was “Great Caesar’s Ghost!”, as noted in the video clip below!

So where exactly did this unusual phrase derive from? I’m so glad you asked, Citizen – the Sagacious One shall now expound with eloquence for your education and erudite pleasure!

The phrase alludes to the play ‘The Tragedie of Iulius Cæsar’ by William Shakespeare, in which Roman emperor Julius Caesar’s ghost appears to Brutus after he was murdered by his one-time protegé. It is used as a euphemism in place of ‘good God!’ or similar expressions of that ilk. The phrase was made popular in the 1940s and 1950s by the Superman radio program and comic books and it was watching those re-runs as a child that I was first exposed to it.

So, with all that out of the way, I have now decided to combine my appreciation for this catchphrase with my love for cooking and the following recipe was instantly created fully-formed, as Athena leapt forth from the head of Zeus Himself birthed as an adult Goddess! I have an insatiable appetite for twice-baked potatoes, and I often thought they could not be improved upon – but I was mistaken, as these Caesar-salad flavors take the humble twice-baked taters to truly Olympian heights!

Now, to make the ultimate twice-baked potato goodness, you will need to follow certain steps which are well-outlined on spendwithpennies.com and that I recount here:

While any potato will work, Russet or baking potatoes hold up best in this recipe.
Cold potatoes can get gummy when whipped or mashed, it’s best to use warm potatoes.
If you use a mixer instead of using a potato masher you can get fluffy whipped potatoes. Overmixing will cause your potatoes to become gummy and gloppy.
Line your baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up.
Often sour cream and butter provide just enough moisture, be sure to check your potatoes before adding all of the liquid.
Once your potato skins are stuffed, you potatoes can be frozen or refrigerated.
Freeze individually on a baking sheet and once solid you can store them in a zippered bag. To bake frozen potatoes add an extra 15-20 minutes to the baking time.

Now, to make my transcendent Caesar taters you will, unsurprisingly, need Caesar dressing. By all means use your favorite homemade version, or purchase a pre-made dressing from the supermarket. My personal favorite is Stonewall Kitchen Bacon Caesar Dressing, but Marie’s is an excellent much lower-cost alternative widely available in most supermarkets.

You will also need some Knorr Leek Recipe Mix, which can be purchased here. Once you have all the ingredients at the ready, this recipe can be made quickly and will assuredly find favor at your table! Feel free to serve these next to a home-aged steak, as noted here for a true steakhouse experience! TFD may or may not be a true Superman, but I can assure you of this – TFD Nation are all Supermen and Superwomen to me!

Battle on – the Generalissimo

The Hirshon ‘Great Caesar’s Ghost’ Twice-Baked Potatoes

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Prep Time: 0 hours
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Ingredients

3 baking potatoes, small to medium size
2 tbsp. corn oil
1 garlic clove, raw
1 garlic clove, roasted (or you can just use it raw for a sharper garlic flavor)
¼ cup full fat sour cream, TFD endorses only Daisy brand
¼ cup best-quality Caesar dressing, Stonewall Kitchen Bacon Caesar Dressing is TFD’s choice, but Marie’s is an excellent much lower-cost alternative
1 Tbsp. minced fresh tarragon (Optional but TFD likes it, you could also use fresh basil)
2 Tbsp. finely-minced fresh chives
2 finely-minced anchovy fillets, TFD endorses only Ortiz brand
2 tsp. Knorr brand leek recipe mix
¼ tsp. Microplaned fresh lemon peel
1 tsp. coarsely-ground black pepper, preferably freshly cracked
½ cup + 2 Tbsp. freshly-grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. With fork, pierce potatoes in several places. Place potatoes on oven rack and bake 35 minutes or until fork-tender.
Cut each potato lengthwise in half. With spoon, carefully scoop out potatoes, placing flesh in medium bowl and leaving potato-skin shells intact.
In small saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add raw and roasted garlic and cook 15 seconds.
With a hand mixer, mash potatoes with oil/garlic mixture, and all other ingredients.
Spoon (or pipe for an elegant presentation) the mixture into the 4 reserved potato-skin shells, mounding slightly.
If you like, cover and refrigerate remaining 2 shells for use another day.
Place potatoes in shallow baking pan; sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan.
Return potatoes to oven and bake about 15 minutes or until hot on the inside and golden on top.