Baked Potatoes with Italian Pork Sausage and Mushrooms

In my happy new little home, i am lucky enough to be able to walk to my workplace every day. That much is great! What is not so great is the walk home, particularly if i don't have anything exciting planned in my fridge to cook or eat that evening! To get to my house, i have to trudge through the numerous cafes, takeaways and restaurants that line both sides of Glenferrie Road. There's no escaping it! The kebab shops, the Vietnamese, the dumplings, the McDonalds (guilty pleasure), all taunting me with their delicious scents. But the most interesting scent comes from Spud Bar. Every time i walk past and peek in at the slightly hippie looking staff, and the chino'd guys eating in there (gross generalization yes, so sue me) i can smell the scent of baking potatoes and I'm immediately transported to my teens, working in restaurants serving up buckets of baked potatoes and wedges. Its not even a delicious scent to be honest, but it's attached memories to me that i will never forget.

Anyways, here is my rendition of the baked potato.

Ingredients (Serves 2)

• 2 large Idaho potatoes
• 2 Italian pork sausages
• 6 large button mushrooms
• 3 large ripe tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup natural yogurt
• 1 cup shredded tasty cheese
• Salt and pepper

Method

Preheat an oven to 180 degrees.
Wrap the washed potatoes in foil and place in the oven for 1-2 hours.
Test to see if a fork enters the potato easily; if there is much force it needs more cooking
Leave to cool then refrigerate until required (can do this the night before).
Preheat oven to 180 degrees again.
Dice the mushrooms.

Heat a small saucepan over medium heat.
Add the mushrooms to the dry pan and saute until dark and tender (5 minutes or so)
In a small frying pan, add 1 tbsp olive oil and heat over medium heat.
Squeeze the sausage meat from the casing into the pan

Saute until browned, mashing the meat to break it up

Add the mushrooms to the frying pan and cook until the sausage meat is well cooked.

Set aside.
Return the small saucepan to the heat with the remaining oil
Add the onions and saute until lightly browned and soft

Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, until reduced to a sauce.

Season to taste
Cut the potatoes in half and scoop out some of the insides with a soup spoon.

Fill the inside of the potato with the sausage and mushroom mix.

Top the mix with some of the tomato sauce.

Cover with the tasty cheese and transfer to the oven.

Bake until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown.

Enjoy with a dollop of natural yogurt on top.