These deliciously crisp Potato Skins put the restaurant version to shame! Perfectly baked and loaded with bacon, cheese, and chives – take a seat people because these babies are coming in hot!
Oh for the days when you could eat potato skins with wild abandon! I could eat an entire plate back in my day and be none the worse! These skins are super easy to make and no you absolutely do not need to own a deep fryer! We’ll get them just right using the perfect amount of heat!
Homemade potato skins are probably my favorite appetizer recipe! They’re super delicious and I think they best part is how greasy they are not! We’re baking them first, then adding our cheesy-bacon goodness, and then broiling them just a smidge for a perfectly crisp, non-greasy potato skin!
Ingredients
- Potatoes – I’m using 8 russet baking potatoes.
- Olive oil – For cooking purposes.
- Salt and pepper – For seasoning and to taste.
- Bacon – We’re going to first cook it and then when it cools, crumble it!
- Cheese – I’m using shredded cheddar cheese but feel free to use your favorite!
- Chives – Freshly chopped, please!
- Parsley – Chopped for garnish.
- Sour cream – Our dip for serving!
How To Make Potato Skins
- Prep potatoes: Scrub the potatoes clean and pierce them a few times with a sharp knife or a fork. Next, rub them with olive oil and place into the oven. Bake at 400 F degrees for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through.
- Prepare bacon: In a skillet cook the bacon over medium heat until both sides are crispy. Once cooked, removed from heat, let cool completely and crumble up with your clean hands.
- Scoop potatoes: when cook time is complete, remove the potatoes from the oven and let them cool until they are cool enough to handle. Then, cut each potato in half and scoop out the insides. Hold onto these insides for another use for later (potatoes freeze really well!) – and leave about 1/4 of an inch of potato on the skin.
- Bake: Increase the oven heat to 450 F degrees, brush the potato skins with olive oil then sprinkle with a bit of salt. Place them skin side up on a baking sheet lined with a wire rack and transfer to the oven. Bake for 10 minutes on one side, then remove the baking sheet from the oven. Next, flip them so they’re skin side down and place them back in the oven and bake for another 10 minutes. Finally, remove the potato skins from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
- Build potato skins: Ensure the potato skins are skin side down on the baking sheet. Next, sprinkle each potato skin with a bit of freshly ground pepper. Then, fill each potato skin with a 2 tablespoons of cheddar cheese, followed with crumbled bacon. Return the potato skins to the oven and broil for about 2 minutes or until the cheese has melted and is bubbly.
- Finish and serve: Remove them from the oven, garnish with chives and serve with sour cream!
Choosing The Right Potato
If you’re looking for your potato skins to be more of an appetizer, look for smaller potatoes – russet potatoes are perfect and they really do make for the perfect crispy skin! However, if you’re looking to make them more filling, use a larger potato and a heavier filling!
What Else Can I Put On My Potato Skins?
Fill the skins with your favorite toppings and bake – it’s as easy as that! Keep it simple or add toppings to make them a little more hearty, it’s completely up to you! Here are some ideas to get you on the right track:
- Ground beef
- Taco seasoning
- Pulled pork
- Jalapenos
- Salsa
- Bell peppers
- Mushrooms
- Tomatoes
- Guacamole
- Black olives
- Cilantro
What To Do With Leftovers?
Store them by tightly wrapping them or sealing in an airtight container. When properly stored they will last in the fridge for 3 – 5 days without any issues!
Make Ahead
Yes they sure can! Bake the potatoes and scoop out the flesh as usual, and then use a baking sheet to freeze them. Once frozen you can toss them into a freezer bag and they’ll last up to 6 months! When you’re ready to load them – there’s not need to defrost, just load up and stick them in the oven!
More Drool Worthy Appetizer Recipes Here:
- Toasted Ravioli
- Hush Puppies
- Cheesy Chicken Fritters
- Crispy Fried Zucchini
- Garlic Butter Shrimp
- Devilled Eggs
- Cheesy Guacamole
- Blue Cheese and Steak Crostini
Craving More? Follow Along:
Potato Skins
Ingredients
- 8 small russet baking potatoes
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon parsley chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 8 strips bacon
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
- 1/4 cup chives chopped
- sour cream for serving
Instructions
- Prep potatoes: Scrub the potatoes clean and pierce them a few times with a sharp knife or a fork. Next, rub them with olive oil and place into the oven. Bake at 400 F degrees for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through.
- Prepare bacon: In a skillet cook the bacon over medium heat until both sides are crispy. Once cooked, removed from heat, let cool completely and crumble up with your clean hands.
- Scoop potatoes: when cook time is complete, remove the potatoes from the oven and let them cool until they are cool enough to handle. Then, cut each potato in half and scoop out the insides. Hold onto these insides for another use for later (potatoes freeze really well!) – and leave about 1/4 of an inch of potato on the skin.
- Bake: Increase the oven heat to 450 F degrees, brush the potato skins with olive oil then sprinkle with a bit of salt. Place them skin side up on a baking sheet lined with a wire rack and transfer to the oven. Bake for 10 minutes on one side, then remove the baking sheet from the oven. Next, flip the potato skins so they're skin side down and place them back in the oven and bake for another 10 minutes. Finally, remove the potato skins from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
- Build potato skins: Ensure the potato skins are skin side down on the baking sheet. Next, sprinkle each potato skin with a bit of freshly ground pepper. Then, fill each potato skin with a 2 tablespoons of cheddar cheese, followed with crumbled bacon. Return the potato skins to the oven and broil for about 2 minutes or until the cheese has melted and is bubbly.
- Finish and serve: Remove the potato skins from the oven, garnish with chives and serve with sour cream!
Tips & Notes:
- Store them by tightly wrapping them or sealing in an airtight container. When properly stored they will last in the fridge for 3 – 5 days without any issues!
- Yes they sure can! Bake the potatoes and scoop out the flesh as usual, and then use a baking sheet to freeze them. Once frozen you can toss them into a freezer bag and they’ll last up to 6 months! When you’re ready to load them – there’s not need to defrost, just load up and stick them in the oven!
Sounds good to me. Thanks A+A+A+
If I was to use the larger baking potato what would be a good use for the meat that was scoped out? Maybe mashed?
Absolutely, making mashed potatoes is probably the best use. Or you could make some potato croquettes. 🙂 https://www.jocooks.com/recipes/potato-croquettes/