Trixie Belle's Potato Skins with Bacon and Cheese

I've always been a fan of the skin of the potato. Usually, if I have a choice in a restaurant, a baked potato will win out over mashed, fried or rice. I always eat the meat of the potato first (with plenty of butter and sour cream) then I get to the good part. The skin. I make sure most of the potato meat is gone, then I butter the skin and sprinkle liberally with salt. I've had wait staff look at me a bit funny when I ask to take home what they think of as garbage, just the hollowed out shell of a baked potato.

Potato skins used to be my appetizer of choice...before I became enamored with buffalo wings. I remember many days spent at TGIF's ordering their special skins. But I've never made them myself at home. How sad is that? So I decided that I needed to give them a try for this months Potato Ho Down.

I kinda winged it with this. I also wasn't trying to make a "gourmet" version of skins, I just wanted a simple and quick recipe. I do know that next time I probably would take out even more of the potato meat, add a bit more cheese and gasp, maybe a bit less of the bacon. I also used the only bacon I had on hand which was some thick slice, honey cured stuff. I think next time I'll use the standard thin slice Oscar Mayer as I think it would work better. I also thought, belatedly, that some pickled jalapenos would have been good with this or maybe some diced jalapenos mixed with the sour cream.

Though potato skins are considered appetizers, Mr. L and I had this for dinner. Tasty little things. The potato skin shown had very little bacon compared to the rest. One of the great things about potato skins is I now have the potato that came out of the skins to cook something new with later!

This is my entry into the December Potato Ho Down which this month is hosted by Where's My Damn Answer. Be sure to check out her blog for the round up.

POTATO SKINS WITH BACON AND CHEESE

4 large russet potatoes
1/2 to 3/4 cup medium cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 to 3/4 cup provolone cheese, grated
1 1/2 cup cooked crumbled bacon
1/2 cup chopped green onions (mostly green part)
1/2 cup sour cream
olive oil
salt
pepper

Bake potatoes according to your favorite recipe. When they are done, remove them from the oven and cool until you can easily handle them. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise. With a spoon, scoop out the insides of the potatoes leaving about a 1/4 of an inch of potato along the boarder (you can leave more or less potato if you like). If your potatoes aren't exactly symmetrical, cut a little slice off the bottom of each half so they will stand up on a baking sheet. Put the skins on a baking sheet and salt and pepper the inside of the skins to taste. Drizzle the inside of the skins with a bit of olive oil. Divide the cheese and bacon evenly among the hollowed out skins. Put baking sheet with skins into a 375 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Once the cheese has melted, remove from oven and top the skins with sour cream and the green onions. Serving size would depend on if you had this as a starter or as a meal.

Note: I used kosher salt and full fat sour cream.

Note: Mr. L baked the potatoes at 350 degrees for an hour. He also rubbed them with some olive oil and salt before baking. I only used a cup of cheese for the recipe and I would probably double the amount next time.

Note: I find a lot of skins served in restaurants these days overcooked. They like the skins to be really crisp. I prefer a not so done potato skin so I took mine out after 8 minutes.

Comments

[noble pig]

Oh yes, love it! I love potato skins too and this would just hit the spot!

[Ann]

Yummy! I have to admit I'm one of those who likes the crispy skin though. I might have to make these for New Year's Eve.

[Mom]

I have never been able to eat potato skins. I have had it when it was very crispy and I did not mind that but I am no big fan. Don't even like it as my bake potato. I just scoop out the potato (with lots of toppings) and that is it.

[peabody]

Mmm, potato skins...with bacon and cheese. The only way to go.

[Jude]

I like how this looks. All of the goodness in potatoes are in the skins, I think.

[Mrs. L]

Noble Pig - They really did hit the spot that night. And they were much better than the ones I've ordered at restaurants lately.

Ann - A perfect New Years Eve snack. Plus, I think it's just not that they are crispy when I order them, it's that they are so dry. Have to figure out how to crisp them without making them cardboardy.

Mom - That's okay, I'll eat all your potato skins!

Peabody - But of course bacon makes everything better.

Jude - More vitamins in the skin? I didn't even think of that...so I can call these healthy LOL.

[Kevin]

Those potato skins look good!

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Mom - That's okay, I'll eat all your potato skins!

[sexual health]

Potato skins used to be my appetizer of choice...before I became enamored with buffalo wings. I remember many days spent at TGIF's ordering their special skins. But I've never made them myself at home.