My father has told me more than once that he has one big regret about how he raised my siblings and me. If he could do it again, he says he wouldn’t have taught us to love potato skins and the heels of bread loaves, because he ended up fighting us for every last bite. Does he have any other parental regrets? Who knows. I stopped listening and started drooling the moment he said “potato skins.” Sorry, Dad.
Ah, the potato — a perfect tuber. I’m grateful to my dad for guiding me down the delicious potato-skin path. A baked potato with butter, salt and pepper is wonderful, but there are so many more ways to enjoy baked potatoes. Loaded baked potato soup, a family favorite baked potato bar, twice-baked potatoes — all are excellent. Yet for me, the pinnacle of potato preparations is the baked potato skin. Crisp on the outside, fluffy on the inside, seasoned and smothered in cheese, a baked potato skin is what every little spud aspires to be. Is there anything more perfect?
Well, maybe there is.
Every time I see a plate of a dozen tiny potato skins for $6.99 at a restaurant, I want to leap onto the table and shout, “I can make four times that amount with four times the toppings for the same price! Highway robbery!”
I know — we only eat out a couple nights a year. Maybe The Evil Genius would take me out more often if I stopped jumping on tables and haranguing the staff.
These potato skins are wallet-friendly party food. From the same batch of baked potatoes you use for Loaded Baked Potato Soup you can make these outstanding potato skins. Here’s a simple plan:
- Night 1: Bake 12 potatoes along with any potatoes you’ll eat for dinner. Let the extra 12 cool on a rack while you enjoy the dinner potatoes.
- Night 2: Hollow out the 12 cooled potatoes as directed in the recipe below. Use the potato “guts” to make Loaded Baked Potato Soup. Place the shells on a rimmed baking sheet, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to two days. If you need to store them longer, freeze the shells. Once frozen solid, transfer them to a zipper-top bag and keep frozen for up to one month.
- Night 3 (or 4, 5, etc.): Make your baked potato skins and accept the praise and adoration that comes with serving such a delicious, festive finger food.
With the Super Bowl and the Olympics coming up, it’s prime time for finger food. Whether you’re hosting, attending a party, or settling in on the couch, make these potato skins. They’re guaranteed to win friends and influence people — they certainly win and influence me.
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Baked Potato Skins
Ingredients:
- 12 baked potatoes, cooled to room temperature
- 2–3 cups grated cheese (extra-sharp cheddar is my favorite; Monterey Jack, Colby, Pepper Jack or a blend work well)
- 1/2 pound bacon
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- A batch of Creamy Onion Topping (use your favorite recipe)
- Thinly sliced green onions, for garnish
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Cut each baked potato into quarters, keeping the skins as intact as possible. Start by cutting each potato in half, then cut each half into quarters. Aim to cut through the longest angle so the quarters sit stably on the baking sheet.
Use a regular soup spoon to carefully scoop most of the insides out of each potato quarter into a large bowl, leaving a shell about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Some people remove more of the flesh, but I prefer a more substantial shell. Be sure to leave enough shell so it doesn’t go floppy.
Once all the potatoes are hollowed, divide the shells between two rimmed baking sheets. Save the scooped potato for soup, or tightly wrap it and refrigerate for up to three days.
Drizzle the olive oil evenly over the potato shells, using about two tablespoons per baking sheet. Season generously with salt and pepper — potatoes love seasoning.
Place the sheets in the top third of the preheated oven and set a timer for 10 minutes.
While the shells are toasting, prepare the bacon. Slice the bacon into 1/2-inch strips and cook in a large skillet over medium heat until it just begins to crisp. Drain on paper towels, then coarsely chop.
Remove the potato shells from the oven and generously top them with grated cheese — about 1 cup per sheet — then scatter the chopped bacon evenly over both sheets. Finish with the remaining cheese and return the pans to the oven for another 6–8 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted. If you prefer a slightly browned top, allow an extra minute or two until the cheese begins to brown while remaining gooey beneath.
Transfer the finished potato skins to a serving platter. Garnish with sliced green onions and serve with a bowl of Creamy Onion Topping on the side.
These are seriously addictive.
Later this week, in preparation for the Super Bowl and the Olympics, I’ll hold an epic barbecue smackdown: me versus me. Which will win — my Carolina-style barbecue sauce or my smoky tomato-based sauce? Stay tuned.