Meat-Filled Potato Boats

This appetizer does take some time to put together, but it’s well worth the effort. It presents beautifully and appeals to all ages.

Directions

Prepare the Filling

1. Mix the chopped meat and onion together. Season according to your preference — add whatever spices you would to your hamburger mixture.

2. Add rinsed bulgur and mix together well. Set aside.

Assemble

1. Scoop out center of potatoes with a melon ball, leaving a shell — not too thin and not too thick. (You can add those potato pieces to your cholent or chicken soup the next day!)

2. Place a nice amount of meat mixture into each potato boat.

3. Pour a little flour in a flat plate and dip each potato bottom in the flour, covering the whole “boat” bottom.

4. Carefully turn over and dip the meat part in the egg (this helps seal it in). Repeat until all potatoes are filled.

5. Heat a little oil in a large frying pan. Quickly fry the potato boats for about a minute on each side. Transfer to a 9- x 13-inch (22- x 33-centimeter) baking pan lined with Gefen Easy Baking Parchment Paper.

6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).

Prepare the Sauce

1. Mix all sauce ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl. Taste it. It should be sweet and pungent. Adjust if necessary, since you want the potatoes well-seasoned.

Bake

1. Pour sauce over potatoes. Cover pan and bake for one hour.

2. Check to see if the potatoes are tender. If not, bake an additional 20 minutes or until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork.

3. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Garnish with chopped chives.

Notes:

You can prepare the boats the night before, without baking, and refrigerate well covered. Before you bake the next day, you might want to add an additional cup of water to the pan, as part of the sauce will be absorbed.