Twice baked potatoes were a favorite go-to meal during my early teenage vegetarian days. The rest of my family members were omnivores. For the most part my mom would make adjustments to home cooked meals so that I could partake, or I’d just fix something for myself. On those occasions when she was making something unvegetarianizable and I was being too lazy to cook for myself, I’d pick up a twice baked potato from the nearby Shop ‘n Bag. This thing was amazing. It was loaded up with cheddar cheese, sour cream and lots of butter. If I remember correctly, they did print the nutrition information on the package, and the fat content was something completely outrageous, but I seem to have understandably blocked out any exact numbers.

Anyhow, I first got the idea for veganizing the old twice baked potato back around the time I posted this recipe for vegan cheddar dill mashed potatoes. After making the coconut bacon that I posted on earlier this week, I decided it was time to move on that idea.

While these potatoes aren’t exactly something I’d consider light, they are devoid of animal fat and certainly more balanced than those that I used to eat during my teens. I thought black beans would be a nice way to add some texture, along with nutrition in the form of protein and fiber, while the scallions and coconut bacon pack in the flavor. The coconut bacon is key here. Like I said on Monday, the stuff is amazing.

5 from 1 vote Print Vegan Twice Baked Potatoes with Black Beans and Coconut Bacon Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 1 hour 25 minutes Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes Servings 4 Author Alissa Ingredients 2 medium sized baking potatoes

2 tbsp. vegan margarine melted

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1/2 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk of choice

1/2 tsp. salt

generous black pepper to taste

2-3 scallions chopped

1 cup cooked or canned black beans drained

hot sauce to taste optional

1/2 cup coconut bacon Instructions Preheat oven to 425. Scrub potatoes and puncture a few times with a knife. Bake until easily pierced with a knife, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. You want them nice and soft so the insides mash up well. Remove potatoes from oven and cut in half, lengthwise. Scoop insides into a medium bowl. Mash with a potato masher (or use a mixer if you like your taters fluffy). Add margarine, milk, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper and hot sauce if using. Mash until well mixed, then fold in beans and scallions. You can add a little extra milk if it seems necessary to get a nice creamy consistency. Divide potato mixture and spoon back into skins. Return to oven and bake for another twenty minutes, or until tops begin to brown. Remove from oven and top with coconut bacon.

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