Game Day Loaded Potato Skins (Printable version)
Crispy potato skins with melted cheese, bacon, sour cream, and green onions. Easy appetizer for game day or entertaining.
# What you need:
→ Potatoes
01 - 4 large russet potatoes
→ Toppings
02 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
03 - 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
04 - 1/2 cup sour cream
05 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced
06 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
→ Seasonings
07 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
08 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
09 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
10 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
# How To:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Scrub potatoes thoroughly and prick each several times with a fork. Place directly on the oven rack and bake for 40 to 45 minutes until tender.
03 - Remove potatoes from the oven and let cool slightly until safe to handle. Cut each potato in half lengthwise.
04 - Using a spoon, carefully scoop out most of the flesh, leaving about 1/4-inch border to keep skins sturdy. Reserve potato flesh for another use.
05 - Brush both sides of the potato skins with olive oil. Sprinkle insides with garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
06 - Return skins to the baking sheet skin side up and bake for 5 minutes. Flip over and bake an additional 5 minutes until edges are crisp.
07 - Fill each skin with shredded cheddar cheese and crumbled bacon. Return to oven for 5 to 7 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
08 - Remove from oven and let cool for 2 minutes. Top with a dollop of sour cream, sliced green onions, and chives. Serve warm.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- These skins develop this outrageously crispy exterior while staying tender inside that makes you wonder why restaurants never get the texture quite right.
- They have this magical quality where they still taste amazing after cooling a bit, which means you can actually enjoy the game instead of babysitting appetizers.
02 -
- Placing the potatoes directly on the oven rack rather than a baking sheet makes an astonishing difference in skin crispiness, something I discovered after years of making soggy-bottomed skins.
- Letting the skins cool for exactly two minutes before adding the final cold toppings prevents the sour cream from completely melting away while still allowing it to slightly soften into the hot cheese.
03 -
- Save the scooped potato flesh and mix it with butter, sour cream, and chives for an incredible impromptu mashed potato side dish the next day, a happy accident I discovered during a fridge clean-out.
- Shred your own cheese rather than using the pre-shredded kind, as the anti-caking agents in packaged shredded cheese prevent that gloriously gooey melt that makes these irresistible.