🍽 CHICKEN & SHRIMP ALFREDO BAKED POTATOES (AKA BIG BACK MOUNTAIN)

Kyna Ricks came into our kitchen for starch on starch on starch, and stayed to tell us about her best friend Kiana. This one's rich, it's a lot, and it's worth every bite.

PREP: 20 min COOK: 45–50 min TOTAL: ~1 hr (longer if you're arguing about skrimps) SERVES: 4–6 DIFFICULTY: Medium (the shananah meter hit a 10 for a reason)

🥄 What You'll Need to Feel Better

  • 4 large russet potatoes

  • ½ lb boneless, skinless chicken breast (grilled or pan-seared, sliced thin)

  • ½ lb shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails off

  • 2 tbsp olive oil, divided

  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 ½ cups heavy cream

  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

  • ¼ tsp smoked paprika, optional, adds warmth and color

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

  • Lemon wedges, for garnish

🔥 How to Cook Your Feelings

  1. Bake the potatoes. Preheat oven to 400°F. Scrub the potatoes clean, pat dry, and prick a few times with a fork. Rub with olive oil and salt, then set directly on the oven rack or a sheet pan. Bake 50 to 60 minutes until tender. This is the easy part. Go sit down.

  2. Sear the chicken. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and sear 4 to 5 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Let it rest, then slice thin. Season it till it feels good in your shananah & your ancestors are happy.

  3. Cook the shrimp. In the same skillet, add the shrimp. Season lightly and cook 1 to 2 minutes per side until pink and opaque. Pull them the second they turn, shrimp don't wait for anybody.

  4. Build the Alfredo. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in the heavy cream, bring it to a gentle simmer, and stir in the Parmesan. Cook 3 to 5 minutes until it coats the back of a spoon. Season with salt, pepper, and the smoked paprika if you're feeling it. Go till it feels right. That's the whole recipe for this part.

  5. Load the potatoes. Slice each potato lengthwise and squeeze the ends to open it up. Fluff the inside with a fork and season lightly. Layer on the sliced chicken and shrimp.

  6. Sauce it. Ladle the warm Alfredo over the top. We don't discriminate, let it run into everything.

  7. Finish and serve. Sprinkle with parsley and squeeze fresh lemon over the top. Serve immediately, while the cheese is still melting and the steam is still rising. That's how you know you did it right.

💡 Feeling Tip:
Check in on the quiet ones. Grief and abuse both hide behind people who seem fine. If someone comes to you, don't try to fix it. Just listen.

For Kiana.