Potato Skins (5) Recipe
Stuffed with house blended cheese, bacon, & green onion. Served with sour cream or ranch dressing
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Ingredients
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Potatoes & skins
Cheese filling
Toppings
To serve
Method
Potatoes & skins
Bake potatoes
Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C). Scrub potatoes well and pat dry. Pierce each potato 4–6 times with a fork. Rub skins with 1.5 tbs vegetable oil and sprinkle with 1 tsp kosher salt. Place directly on oven rack or on a baking sheet and bake 45–60 minutes until fork-tender and skins are crisp.
Halve and scoop
Remove potatoes from oven and let cool 10 minutes until cool enough to handle. Cut each potato lengthwise in half. Using a spoon, scoop out most of the flesh leaving about 1/4 inch (6 mm) of potato attached to the skin to create sturdy shells. Reserve the scooped potato for another use or discard.
Crisp shells
Brush the inside and outside of each potato skin with remaining melted butter (from cheese filling step) or 1 tbs vegetable oil and season lightly with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Return skins to baking sheet, skin-side down, and bake 10–12 minutes until edges are crisp. Flip and bake 3–5 minutes more to crisp the inside edges.
Cheese filling
Prepare filling
While potatoes bake the second time, make the cheese filling. In a medium bowl combine 4 oz softened cream cheese, 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar, 1/2 cup shredded monterey jack, 1 tbs melted unsalted butter, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Mix until smooth and homogenous. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Fill skins
Divide the cheese mixture evenly among the 10 potato halves (about 2 halves per potato). Spoon or pipe the filling into each shell, pressing lightly so the filling contacts the skin. Mound a little extra if desired — filling will melt and brown.
Bake to melt
Return filled skins to the oven at 400°F (205°C) for 8–10 minutes until cheese is melted and edges are bubbly and lightly golden. For a browned top, switch oven to broil and broil 1–2 minutes watching closely to avoid burning.
Toppings & serve
Add toppings
Remove potato skins from oven. Immediately sprinkle chopped crisp bacon and sliced green onions evenly over each filled skin. Garnish with chopped chives if using.
Serve
Arrange 5 potato skins (10 halves) on a serving platter. Serve hot with sour cream and/or ranch dressing on the side for dipping. Estimated to serve 2–3 people as an appetizer or 1–2 as a shared snack.