Kevin's Mexi-Style Loaded Baked Potato

Born from leftover chicken tortilla soup, this loaded potato takes the soup's insides — chicken thighs, Rotel, corn, black beans — and stuffs them into a butter-mashed baked potato with cheese, cilantro, avocado, and sour cream.

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Ingredients

• •4 russet potatoes
• •4 chicken thighs
• •3 tbsp fajita seasoning, divided
• •1 can (10 oz) Rotel tomatoes, undrained
• •1 cup corn, rinsed and strained
• •1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed
• •½ yellow onion, diced
• •2 cloves garlic
• •1 tsp smoked paprika
• •1 tsp cumin
• •3 tbsp butter, salted, divided
• •2 tbsp avocado oil
• •1 cup thick-cut Mexican cheese (Tillamook preferred)
• •¼ cup fresh cilantro, minced
• •1 avocado, sliced
• •½ cup sour cream (Daisy brand)

Steps

1. Bake the potatoes: Wrap the potatoes and bake at 400°F until fully cooked.
2. Sauté the onion: Dice the onion and sauté in avocado oil until it starts browning.
3. Season & brown the chicken: Season the chicken thighs generously with fajita seasoning on both sides. Brown in a hot pan with avocado oil — only cook it about halfway through at this stage.
4. Add garlic: Add garlic to the onions and let it cook while the chicken browns.
5. Build the filling: Dice up the halfway-cooked chicken and add it (with its juices) to the onions, along with butter, smoked paprika, and cumin. Add the Rotel tomatoes with their juices, plus the rinsed and strained corn and black beans.
6. Simmer: Mix everything together, cover, and turn the heat down until the chicken is fully cooked through.
7. Mince the cilantro: Mince the fresh cilantro while the filling finishes simmering.
8. Prep the potatoes: Open the baked potatoes and mash them down. Add a couple pads of butter and a bit more fajita seasoning over the top.
9. Assemble: Top the potato with cheese, then the chicken filling, then finish with cilantro, avocado, and a dollop of sour cream.
10. Serve: Serve warm.