Cheesy Bacon Potato Skins

As luck would have it, I love these potato skins.  Are they good for you?  No.  Are they addictive?  Yes.  See my luck?  Addictive and fattening.  So much for losing that baby weight!  🙂

This is another game day must!  I’m posting this early Monday morning so you can run out to the store today and have these ready for your Monday Night Football guests.  These potato skins are super easy, but take a little time in the oven.  You basically just need to bake the potatoes, slice them in half, scoop out the flesh, and top the halves with yummy cheese and bacon.  Voila!  A treat you won’t stop eating!

Printable Recipe

Yield: 16 skins

8 small russet potatoes
olive oil
kosher salt
6 slices thick-cut bacon
1 cup shredded cheddar
1 cup sour cream
2 green onions, sliced

Preheat the oven to 400˚F.

Wash and scrub the potatoes, then pat dry with a paper towel.  Rub the skin in olive oil and place on baking sheet.  Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the flesh is tender.

Meanwhile, fry the bacon or cook in the microwave until crispy.  Let set until hardened, then chop into bits.  Set aside.

Once the potatoes are done, let cool slightly enough to handle.  Transfer to a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut each potato in half, lengthwise.  Use a small cookie scoop to scrape out the inner flesh (reserve for another use, if possible) leaving a small margin attached to the skins.  Place the skins back on to the baking sheet.

Brush each side of the skins with olive oil and salt each side liberally.  Turn the skins flesh side down and bake for 7 minutes.  Flip, and bake another 7 minutes.

Remove skins from oven, then top with cheese and bacon.  Return to oven until cheese is fully melted, 1 or 2 minutes.  Serve topped with sour cream and garnished with green onions.

Source: Adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks Cook Book