Loaded Potato Skins Recipe
Crispy potato skins topped with cheddar cheese, bacon, and green onions, served with sour cream.
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Ingredients
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Potatoes & finishing
Filling & toppings
Method
Bake and prepare potato skins
- 1
Preheat and scrub
Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Scrub the potatoes under running water and dry thoroughly.
- 2
Season and bake potatoes
Rub each potato with 2 tbs olive oil divided among them (about 1/3 tbs each), then sprinkle evenly with kosher salt and black pepper. Place directly on the oven rack or on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 45–60 minutes, until the skins are crisp and a skewer slides into the center easily.
- 3
Cool and halve
Remove potatoes from oven and let cool for 10–15 minutes until manageable. Cut each potato in half lengthwise.
- 4
Scoop flesh
Using a spoon, scoop out the majority of the potato flesh leaving about 1/4 inch (6 mm) of potato attached to the skin to form sturdy shells. Reserve scooped potato for another use (mashed potatoes) or discard.
- 5
- 6
Crisp the skins
Place the potato skins, skin side up, on a baking sheet lined with parchment or foil. Bake at 450°F (230°C) for 8–10 minutes, then flip them skin side down and bake an additional 5–7 minutes, until edges are golden and crisp.
Cook bacon and assemble
- 7
Cook bacon
While potatoes are baking the second time, cook the bacon: place bacon strips in a cold skillet in a single layer and cook over medium heat until crisp, about 8–10 minutes, turning occasionally. Alternatively, bake bacon on a foil-lined sheet at 400°F (200°C) for 15–20 minutes. Transfer cooked bacon to paper towels to drain, then chop into small pieces.
- 8
Fill with cheese and bacon
Remove potato skins from oven. Divide shredded cheddar evenly among the 12 skins (about 2 cups total; ~2 tbsp per skin), sprinkling cheese into each cavity. Top the cheese with the chopped bacon pieces.
- 9
Melt cheese
Return the loaded skins to the oven and bake at 450°F (230°C) for 5–7 minutes, or until cheese is fully melted and bubbly. For extra browning, switch to the broil setting for 1 minute—watch closely to prevent burning.
- 10
Garnish and serve
Remove from oven and sprinkle the sliced green onions over the hot potato skins. Serve immediately with sour cream (about 1 cup total) either dolloped on top of each skin or in a small bowl for dipping.
