Potato Skins
Baked russet potatoes are hallowed out into a boat-like shape, baked until crisp, filled with cheddar cheese, then finished with bacon, green onions and a herbed sour cream. In other words you know they'll be expectedly delicious with ingredients like that!
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 6 medium (7 oz each) russet potatoes (2.5 lbs total)
- 7 slices bacon, chopped (7 oz)
- 1 1/4 cups (5 oz) shredded medium cheddar cheese
- 1 Tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 3 Tbsp minced parsley, plus more for garnish
- 1 garlic clove, minced (1 tsp)
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed 18 by 13-inch baking sheet with aluminum foil. Set an oven safe wire rack over baking sheet.
- Scrub and rinse potatoes to remove dirt and debris. Dry with paper towels.
- Pierce both sides of each potato twice with a fork. Align potatoes on wire rack set on prepared baking sheet.
- Brush both sides of potatoes with 1 Tbsp olive oil.
- Bake in preheated oven until just tender with a little firmness still (not squishy). About 45 - 55 minutes.
- Let potatoes cool about 15 - 20 minutes until you can handle them.
- Meanwhile cook chopped bacon in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain, reserve bacon fat in pan off heat (there should be about 2 Tbsp).
- Move oven rack up one level from center and increase oven to 450 degrees. Scoop flesh from potatoes, while leaving about 1/4 to 1/3-inch rim of potato flesh intact on all sides.
- Return potatoes to oven rack on prepared baking sheet. Brush both sides of potatoes with 1 Tbsp reserved bacon fat and season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Bake upside down 12 minutes. Remove from oven, flip to opposite side (upright), brush with a little more bacon drippings on the top side (about 1/2 Tbsp, rewarm it if needed to melt) and continue to bake potato skins about 8 - 13 minutes longer until browned and fairly crisp.
- Meanwhile stir together sour cream, 3 Tbsp parsley, garlic and season with a little salt and pepper to taste.
- Sprinkle potato skins evenly with cheese (boat shape up) and red pepper flakes if using then bake 4 - 5 minutes longer until cheese is melted and bubbling and skins are crisp.
- Sprinkle potatoes with bacon, green onions, and add a dollop of sour cream mixture to each. Garnish with a little more parsley and red pepper flakes if using. Serve right away.