Healthy Vegan Baked Potato Loaded With Mushrooms And Cheese

Bake the potatoes

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F and line a large baking tray with a parchment paper. Wash the Russet potatoes well and wipe them with a paper towel. Place on a baking tray.
2. Pierce the potatoes with a fork 6-7 times and rub with 1 tablespoon of avocado oil. Place the tray on the middle oven rack and bake for 1 hour or until tender. Remove potatoes from the oven and cool slightly.

Make the mushroom and spinach filling

1. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoon of avocado oil in a medium sauté pan and over medium-high heat. Once the pan gets hot, add sliced mushrooms.
2. Cook mushrooms stirring every few minutes until until all water evaporates and the mushrooms are slightly browned, about 7-10 minutes.
3. Once the mushrooms are nice and brown, add shallot and cook stirring occasionally for 3 more minutes or until it softens.
4. Add chopped spinach and cook until the spinach wilts about 2 minutes.
5. Add cornstarch to a bowl with almond milk and whisk until no lumps remain. Add the mixture to a pan with spinach along with the garlic, salt and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 more minute, add more salt if necessary and remove from the heat.

Stuff the potatoes

1. If the potatoes are still hot, use the oven mitts to hold the potatoes. Using a knife, make slits in the potatoes lengthwise, stopping ½ inch from ends. Gently squeeze ends to loosen flesh. Open each potato slightly.
2. Add 1 tablespoon of vegan butter in each potato and using a fork gently rub it against the potato insides gently fluffing the potato flesh so that the butter was fully incorporated into the potato. Top with a cheese and broil for 2-3 minutes until cheese melts.
3. Top the baked potatoes with the mushrooms and spinach mixture. Sprinkle with some chives and more red pepper flakes if desired and serve!