Loaded Vegan Baked Potato

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Wash your potatoes, then use a fork to poke holes all over the skin. Spray potatoes with olive oil spray (or use a pastry brush to brush olive oil on the skin). Then, sprinkle with salt.
2. Place potatoes on a baking tray and bake for 1 hour (or until soft), turning the potatoes after 30 minutes. You can test the potatoes to see if they're done by applying pressure to the corners of each potato (protecting your hands with a clean oven mitt or kitchen towel). Remove potatoes from the oven and let them cool until they can be handled (about 15-20 minutes).
3. Slice off the tops of each potato (about 1/4 of the potato). (Don't throw them away! They're a delicious snack.) Use a spoon to scoop out the potato flesh into a small mixing bowl, leaving about a 1/4-inch (6-mm) border in place to hold the skin together. Add your vegan butter and 1/4 cup of vegan sour cream to the potato flesh, and use a large fork or potato masher to mash everything together well. You can keep mashing until everything is completely smooth, or leave some chunks of potato intact, depending on your preference. Then, stir in 3/8 cup (6 tablespoons) of vegan cheddar, 1 tablespoon of chopped sun-dried tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Use a large spoon to fill your potato shells with equal amounts of potato filling.
4. In a small skillet or saute pan, heat 3/4 cup of vegan cheddar over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it melts into a stretchy liquid. Quickly spoon the cheese on top of each potato, then top with the remaining 1 tablespoon of chopped sun-dried tomatoes.
5. Return the potatoes to the oven for another 15 minutes, or until warmed all the way through.
6. Top with a dollop of vegan sour cream and some chopped chives (or green onions), and enjoy!

I found that a blend of Violife and Miyoko's vegan cheddar shreds tasted best in this recipe; however if I were to recommend just one, it would definitely be Miyoko's.

If you're using two types of vegan cheddar, you may find that one melts before the other. Just keep whisking until all the cheese is melted and combined.

I recommend Kite Hill vegan sour cream for its spot-on taste and texture.

Feel free to use any toppings you'd like; see the post above for a list of suggested toppings.

If you like the look of cheddar shreds in your potatoes, you can melt 1/2 cup of cheese, and leave the other 1/4 cup unmelted. Then add the unmelted cheese around the melted cheese before placing the potatoes back in the oven.

Leftovers: Place in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. You may wish to leave the sour cream topping off of any potatoes that you won't eat right away and add it after reheating.

Reheat: Heat on a baking tray at 350°F for 14-17 minutes, until heated all the way through.