Shrimp Stuffed Baked Potatoes

Turn an ordinary baked potato into a flavor-packed, creamy, loaded baked potato filled with tasty shrimp! Easy make ahead meal!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, cajun, southern

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1 15

Total Time 1 25

Servings

Calories 508kcal

Preheat oven to 425F. Scrub potatoes and dry thoroughly. Poke several holes in the potatoes with a fork. Place them on a large metal baking sheet and bake for 45-60 minutes or until a fork can easily be pierced into them. (Obviously, the larger the potato, the longer it will take to get tender). Remove potatoes from oven and let cool while you prepare the shrimp.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shrimp, onion, and garlic and simmer until the shrimp are no longer pink, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside.
Slice the potatoes in half lengthwise, scoop out the center leaving a "shell" to fill (leave about ¼ inch of flesh inside the potato). Place the scooped out potato flesh into a large bowl. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, half and half, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. With an electric mixer, whip the potato mixture until smooth.
Stir in the cheese and all of the shrimp mixture from the skillet, scraping the skillet with a spatula or spoon to get all the butter and bits and pieces into the potatoes. Taste test and add more salt if desired.
Place the potato shells on a baking sheet. Evenly distribute the potato-shrimp mixture into the potato shells. Sprinkle tops with paprika.
Return to the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Garnish with sliced green onions.
One serving is 2 stuffed potato halves. Or you can serve 1 stuffed potato half with a side salad and buttered roll.

The potato-shrimp mixture should be thick, like mashed potatoes, so be sure you use 2-½ pounds of potatoes.

For leftovers - wrap each potato half in plastic wrap or put in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Substitutions

You can use sour cream instead of the half and half for a more "loaded" baked potato flavor.