Baked Potatoes with Cheesy Beer Topping

Okay, what guy can’t bake a potato? Nuking is a no brainer. But potatoes taste a lot better—and I mean a lot!—if you bake them in a hot oven for an hour or so. The cool part of this recipe, though, is the topping. Cheese … beer … Hey! Who needs women when they have cheese and beer! Well, there’s Sam … HARRY

Buy baking potatoes all approximately the same size and shape. Scrub them with a stiff brush, dry them, and rub with olive oil. Cook them in a microwave according to the manufacturer’s instructions, or bake on the rack of a 400-degree F oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until tender when pricked with a fork. Remove to a plate and make a vertical cut in the top center from end to end, half the depth of the potato. Press in the ends to open for topping.

Cheesy-Beer Topping

8 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, grated (2 cups)
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 clove garlic, pressed
2/3 cup beer
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the Cheddar cheese, cream cheese, garlic, beer, and sesame seeds. Cook, stirring frequently, until cheeses are melted. Remove from the heat and add the relish. Store in the refrigerator.
Makes 2 1/2 cups or enough for 6 baked potatoes.