Did you know that potatoes are the number one vegetable crop in the United States? Potatoes are often thought of as comfort food, but they are also full of vitamins and nutrients. I'm not going to lie, as soon as you top it with cheese, bacon, and sour cream, you are kind of eliminating some of those benefits, but you are making it delicious and all things in moderation am.i.right?
You can make this recipe vegetarian by omitting the bacon and substituting crispy mushrooms. Heck, that sounds like a good variation in and of itself vegetarian or not!
What Kind of Cheese do I use for Loaded Potato Skins?
This recipe works well with any cheese, but I like using Colby jack and pepper jack for an extra kick.
Did you know that pre-shredded cheese is often floured to keep it from sticking? You're best bet is to grate your own cheese from a block of cheese for the best tasting potato skins around!
What Toppings Can I Put on my Loaded Potato Skins?
The possibilities are endless! You can get creative using the potato skin as the base and try cheddar and jalapeno or garlic and parmesan. Top with broccoli and cheddar or blue cheese and bacon. You could even get creative and add some bacon and mac & cheese. Yum!
What is ParBake?
You'll notice the word parbake in the recipe. It basically just stands for partially baked. You want to cook your potatoes at about 80% of their normal cooking time before taking them out of the oven.
If you want to save some time, you could also cook your potatoes in the microwave or instant pot and cut the cooking time by more than half!
Loaded Potato Skins
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 1 H & 20 MTotal time: 1 H & 35 M
The easiest loaded potato skin recipe you can make! Enjoy this classic that's full of flavor with no complicated ingredients.
Ingredients
For the Potato Base
- 4 small baking potatoes (like russet)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon salt
For the Filling
- 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese
- ½ cup cooked bacon bits, about 4-5 slices
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Green onions or parsley, for garnish
- Sour cream, for garnish
Instructions
- Par-bake the Potatoes
- Preheat your oven to 400F.
- Scrub the potatoes clean and poke them 8-10 times (on all sides) with a fork. Drizzle them with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle them with salt. Place them on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven for 1 hour, or until they're fork-tender.
- Allow the potatoes to cool until you can handle them. Cut them in half and scrape out the inside-- leave a ¼” rim of potato around the outside so it doesn't break.
- Place the potato halves back on the baking sheet and brush on the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the potatoes are crisp.
- Stuff & Serve
- Divide the cheese and bacon evenly between the potatoes. Sprinkle over the garlic powder. If desired, place them under the broiler for 1-2 minutes to melt the cheese and crisp the edges. Garnish with parsley/green onion, and sour cream, if desired. Serve warm.
- Any leftover potatoes can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Created using The Recipes Generator
You are going to love this crowd-pleasing recipe! There are so many variations you can try you'll walk out of the kitchen feeling like a real chef!
You might like these recipes too!:
The best homemade mashed potatoes
Loaded Sweet Potato Bites
