I love to serve a variety of hot appetizers when I’m entertaining, including baked buffalo wings, jalapeno poppers and these loaded potato skins.
Potato Skins Ingredients
For this crispy potato skins recipe you will need potatoes, olive oil, salt and black pepper to season the potatoes. Next up you will want toppings which include shredded cheese, bacon, sour cream and green onions. Put everything together and you’ll have the ultimate appetizer. For more great potato appetizer recipes, take a look at my homemade french fries, Irish nachos, chili cheese fries and carne asada fries!
How Do You Make Potato Skins?
Tips For The Perfect Potato Skins
For an elegant look, use a piping bag or resealable bag with the tip cut off to pipe sour cream on the potato skins. Don’t use pre-shredded cheddar cheese as it is coated in anti caking agents and doesn’t melt well. Make sure to wash your potatoes and scrub any dirt off the outside. If you accidentally remove too much potato while hollowing out the skins, just take some of the removed potato and press it back into place. If you’re looking to make this a healthier recipe you can use center cut bacon or turkey bacon, reduced fat cheese and reduced fat sour cream. No green onions on hand? Feel free to use chives instead.
Flavor Variations
Classic potato skins are delicious baked potatoes in the palm of your hand, but there are other flavors you can incorporate. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet or a sheet pan. Brush the skins with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Bake the potato skins until crispy, then add shredded cheese and bacon on top. The potatoes get one more trip through the oven, then add sour cream and green onions. Serve and enjoy!
Mexican: You can substitute Mexican chorizo sausage instead of bacon and add black beans. You can also cook ground beef with taco seasoning and put that on the potatoes. Chili: You can use a spoonful of chili instead of bacon on the skins. Cheesesteak: You can add diced cooked steak and bell peppers to the skins. For this version, do not add bacon. Veggie: Skip the bacon and add some finely diced chopped veggies such as broccoli, shredded carrots and red bell peppers. Meat Lovers: Add other types of meat to the filling such as cooked crumbled sausage, diced ham, or mini pepperonis. Dips: You can dip the skins in homemade ranch dressing, salsa fresca or blue cheese dressing.
These potatoes are amazing and are so much better than restaurant or frozen versions. They are great for a party or just for an every day snack.
