A classic restaurant appetizer, potato skins are incredibly moreish and tasty. Not only are they easy to make, but they are also a perfect way to use up leftover baked potatoes from a big dinner.
For a quick and energy-efficient way to bake your potatoes, why not try Air Fryer Baked Potatoes rather than traditional oven cooking? To get the most out of your air fryer, you could also try using Air Fryer Turkey Bacon instead of regular bacon.
Potato Skins
Potato skins are one of those things that most people only ever really eat when out at a restaurant as a filling, cheesy appetizer.
They are usually loaded with things like bacon and sour cream to hide the relative blandness of the actual taste of the potato skin.
This recipe will make you never again want to order those greasy potato skins you get at restaurants; properly seasoned, stuffed with fillings, and super creamy, these potato skins will make you want to throw away whatever your main meal is and just eat these.
Do You Have To Use Large Potatoes?
When serving potato skins as part of a meal or as a starter, it is best to use large potatoes. For a start, larger potatoes are easier to work with, making for an easier time in the kitchen. Plus, large potatoes provide the right ratio of crispy potato skin to melted cheesy toppings.
The only downside to using large potatoes is that unless you are willing to make a mess while eating them, they are best enjoyed sitting at a table with a knife and fork. So, if you are planning to serve these delicious potato skins at a party as part of a buffet table, why not instead try using smaller, bite-size potatoes?
The problem with using really small potatoes is that they just don’t have the right ratio of potato insides to the crispy potato skins.
Plus, smaller potatoes tend to be a lot waxier in texture, which can really mess with the final flavor and texture that we’re going for with this recipe.
It’s best to instead stick to using large, floury potatoes like Russet or Yukon Gold.
How To Reheat Leftover Potato Skins
While you will probably really struggle not to eat all of these potatoes at once as soon as you make them, it is surprisingly easy to reheat any potato skins you have left over.
To reheat, just throw them in the oven set to around 400 Fahrenheit for about 10 to 15 minutes or until everything starts turning brown and bubbly again.
If you are worried about anything burning, just put a little tent of aluminum foil over the top to help protect the edges from burning while the inside finishes warming up.
What Other Toppings Could You Use?
Bacon and cheese are classic toppings for potato skins, but this doesn’t mean that you can’t try out other toppings.
Think of this recipe as more of a method for making the perfect potato skins rather than something you must follow to the tee. Try swapping the bacon and cheese for other delicious toppings like…
- Mushrooms
Mushrooms are a common potato skin topping on restaurant menus, offering a vegetarian option to the classic bacon and cheese.
They also have all of that same umami savory flavor and can be a really good replacement for when you want something meat-free.
- Ground Sausage Or Beef
This is definitely going in the other direction when it comes to meatiness, but a little bit of sausage or ground beef can add a huge amount of fatty, salty meatiness that works incredibly well with potatoes.
- Triple Cheese
Love cheese? Why not skip the addition of meat or vegetables and instead use a few different kinds of cheese as the toppings for your potatoes?
Cheddar is always a good base, but you can then add different cheeses to suit your taste. For example, use blue cheese or gruyere for a strong, pungent hit of intense sharpness, or go for something meltier and gooeier for a bit of a milder flavor.
- Caramelized Onions And Blue Cheese
A classic combination for a reason, caramelized onions, and blue cheese make for a delicious addition to potato skins.
They can take a long time to make them yourself; caramelized onions add a huge amount of flavor and can make your potato skins taste as they came from a super fancy restaurant rather than just your kitchen.
Looking for more delicious potato Side Dish recipes? Try these out:
• The Absolute Best Ever Twice Baked Potatoes
Happy Cooking
Love,
Karlynn
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Potato Skins
Ingredients
- 4 large baking potatoes (baked)
- 3 Tablespoons canola oil
- 1 Tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 8 bacon strips (cooked and crumbled)
- 1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 4 green onions (sliced)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 475°. Lightly oil a baking pan and set aside.
- Cut the baked potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out the interior, leaving a 1/4-in. shell. Save the scooped out potato for another recipe, simply place in a sealed bag and freeze for later!
- Place the potato skins on a greased baking sheet.
- Combine the oil with the Parmesan, salt, garlic powder,onion powder, paprika and pepper, then brush over both sides of the potato skins.
- Place the skins on a the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake the skins until crisp, about 7 minutes on each side.
- Divide the bacon and cheddar cheese between the skins.
- Bake until the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes longer.
- Top with sour cream and green onions.
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