Hot potatoes with crispy skin meet cold, tangy dip: the shelf's french onion dip becomes tonight's main sauce, dressed up with fresh herbs and a steak knife to eat from. Comfort and speed in one pan.

Serves 2. 30 minutes, 10 at the stove.

About 410 calories a serving, 6 g protein, 42 g carbohydrate, 25 g fat. From USDA figures for 71% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Halve 2 large russet potatoes lengthwise and scoop out most of the inside, leaving a thin shell; brush both sides with 2 tablespoons oil, then sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place skin-side down in a hot skillet over medium-high heat and cook until the skins are deep golden and crisp, 12 to 15 minutes; turn and cook 2 to 3 minutes more until the flesh is tender.15 min
2. While potatoes cook, mince 1 clove garlic and stir it into the french onion dip container along with 2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped fine; let sit at room temperature.
3. Transfer potatoes to plates, top with the dip, scatter more chives over the top, and serve with a spoon.

Note Swap the dip for plain sour cream mixed with a packet of dry onion soup mix. Leftovers keep two days, cold; reheat potatoes at 350 degrees F [175 degrees C]. Serve with a green salad or pickled vegetables on the side to cut the richness.