These classic baked potato skins are filled with melted Monterrey and cheddar cheese, crispy bacon crumbles and topped with fresh green scallions. Serve them up with sour cream, salsa, or a drizzle of Sriracha for a great appetizer.
Jump to RecipeWhat’s a Superbowl party without the crispy potato skins appetizer? These are super simple to assemble, and always a crowd favorite. Save time by throwing an extra half dozen baking potatoes in the oven when making dinner the night before and this appetizer will come together in a flash!
The skins, in my opinion, are the best part of the baked potato. I always marvel when people eat the potato out of the center and leave the skins untouched. For me–scoop out the centers, add a little salt, pepper, and butter or sour cream to each of the skins and enjoy! They are delicious, which is why the potato skin has become such a popular appetizer.
Tips for making Potato Skins Appetizer
- Number one is to choose the correct potato. Use medium to large size Russet potatoes that are all a similar size and shape. Russet is the best potato to use as the skins are what we are interested in here. Red potatoes and Yukon gold, while delicious, have thin waxy skins that too delicate for potato skins.
- Prick the potatoes with a fork before baking to prevent a potato explosion in the oven.
- Baking in the oven is really the best. Using a microwave produces more of a steamed potato than a baked one. Although I have been known to speed up the process by precooking the potatoes in the microwave for 2-4 minutes before finishing in an oven.
- Do not be tempted to rub the outside of the potatoes with oil before baking. This prevents the moisture from escaping during baking for the skin to crisp up properly. I do, however, lightly brush the scooped-out potato skins with oil to crisp up before filling.
- Thrifty fuutii tip: Make the potatoes the day before, and fry up the scooped out insides for breakfast hashbrowns!
Check out these other great appetizers:
Crispy Potato Skins with Monterrey, Cheddar and Bacon
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- small frying pan
- cheese grater
Ingredients
- 6 Medium to Large Russet Potatoes
- 6 slices Bacon diced
- 4 oz Shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese (1 cup)
- 4 oz Shredded Cheddar Cheese (1 cup)
- 2 Green Scallions sliced on the bias
- 2-3 tbsp Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F. Wash and scrub the outsides of the potatoes to remove any dirt. Pierce each potato several times with a fork. Bake the potatoes on the middle rack of the oven for about 1 hour or more, depending upon the size of the potato until done. Check for doneness by inserting a small paring knife into the potato. This can be done up to several days ahead of time, and potatoes can be chilled in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Dice the bacon slices, and fry until crisp. Remove the bacon crumbles from the oil and drain on a paper towel.
- Slice each potato in half lengthwise, and scoop out the insides leaving about a quarter inch of flesh on each skin. Arrange the 12 skins inside up on a baking sheet. Brush each inside lightly with olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Turn on broiler to 375F. Place the tray of oiled potato skins on the middle rack under the broiler and broil for 4-6 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Watch carefully to keep from burning. Remove from oven.
- Pile on a mixture of the shredded cheeses in each skin and top with diced bacon, dividing evenly amongst the potatoes. Then place the tray under the broiler again to melt the cheeses.
- Transfer potato skins to a serving tray, and top with sliced scallions. Serve with your choice of sour cream, salsa, or sriracha sauce.
