Judy Kim

Loaded Potato Skins

By Judy KimPublished: Mar 15, 2019

Loaded potato skins are kind of the perfect party food. They're inexpensive to make, they're full of flavour, and they're topped with ALL our favourite things. (We're talkin' bacon, sour cream, and lots of cheese.) We've got them in our party app rotation, and we think you should too!

So, what exactly qualifies as "loaded"?

Well, in our kitchen at least, if it's topped with cheddar, sour cream, bacon, and spring onions (or chives), it's loaded. Examples include (but are CERTAINLY not limited to): loaded baked potatoes, loaded cauliflower bake, and loaded fried mashed potatoes.

Can I make potato skins in advance?

At least in part, yes! You can boil the potatoes and scoop them out up to 2 days in advance. Then, when you cook your bacon day-of, you can brush the bacon fat all over and crisp the potatoes up in the oven. You can even shred the cheese in advance! Everything else should be left until day-of for optimised freshness.

What do I do with the scooped-out part of the potato?

Well, maybe this is too obvious, but you could make mashed potatoes! If you want to get more creative, you could make these fried mashed potato balls—they also make great party apps!

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Yields:: 6
Prep Time:: 15 mins
Total Time:: 35 mins

Ingredients

4
russet potatoes, scrubbed and dried thoroughly
extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
115 g
bacon, cut into 1/2 cm pieces
100 g
grated cheddar
120 g
sour cream
2
spring onions, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Step 1Preheat oven to 220ºC (200ºC fan). Place potatoes in a dish and prick all over with a fork. Microwave on high for 5 minutes. Transfer potatoes to a rimmed baking tray with parchment paper. Brush potatoes with olive oil and season with salt. Bake until tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Step 2Meanwhile, in a large pan over medium-high heat, cook bacon until crisp. Transfer bacon to a plate and reserve fat.
3. Step 3When potatoes are cool, cut in half lengthwise. Using an ice cream scooper or spoon, remove middle, leaving a half centimetre thick shell. Add skins back to the pan and brush with bacon fat all over top and bottom. Bake until golden and crisp, 4 to 5 minutes per side.
4. Step 4Reduce oven temperature to 190ºC (170ºC fan). Sprinkle cheddar over potatoes and bake until cheese is melty. Top with bacon, a spoonful of sour cream, and spring onions. Serve immediately.