Tex-Mex Vegan Baked Potato

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F (205°C). Wash your potatoes and then poke holes all over the skins using a fork. Spray them with olive oil spray (or brush them with olive oil), and sprinkle them with salt.
2. Place your potatoes on a large baking tray and bake until soft (about 1 hour), turning the potatoes after 30 minutes. You can check whether the potatoes are ready by pressing on the corners of each potato. Be sure to protect your hands with an oven mitt or other cloth.
3. Set your potatoes aside to cool until they can be handled (about 20 minutes). Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, add chopped tomato, black beans, corn, chopped jalapeño, and cilantro, and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice off the top 1/4 of each potato. Scoop out the potato flesh into a medium mixing bowl, leaving about 1/4" (6 mm) border of flesh attached to the skin. Add 1/4 cup non-dairy sour cream, vegan butter, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to the bowl, and mix well. You can mash the potato into a smooth cream or leave it with some chunks, depending on your preference. Then, add 3/8 cup of vegan shredded cheddar and fold in. Scoop the potato filling back into each shell. Make a shallow well at the top of the filling to hold the black bean and vegetable topping.
5. In a small saute pan over medium heat, add your remaining 3/4 cup vegan cheddar shreds. Stir constantly until they melt into a stretchy liquid. Then, use a spoon to drizzle the cheese on top of each potato.
6. Scoop a couple spoonfuls of black bean and vegetable mix onto the top of each potato, into the wells you formed (you may not need to use all of the black bean mix). Return the potatoes to the baking sheet and place back in the oven to warm for another 15 minutes.
7. Remove your potatoes from the oven and add a dollop of sour cream to the top of each one. Sprinkle with chopped chives, and enjoy!

You don't need to toss the sliced-off potato tops! They're a delicious snack to hold you over while you're preparing the potatoes.

I recommend Kite Hill vegan sour cream for the best texture and flavor.

Violife and Miyoko's vegan cheddars both taste great in this recipe; Violife has a milder taste. I used a 50-50 blend of each brand.

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.

You may not need to use all of the black bean salsa. If you have leftovers, add some lime juice, agave, and hot sauce, and use it as a dip for tortilla chips.

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

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