Loaded Baked Potato Skins

Loaded potato skins in white serving dish with condiments.

5 from 1 vote

Loaded Baked Potato Skins

These loaded potato skins are crispy, cheesy, and absolutely irresistible. They’re the kind of appetizer that disappears before you’ve even put the tray down. Comforting, crowd-pleasing, and gloriously old-school in all the right ways. With crispy potato shells, gooey melted cheese, salty bacon, and that cool dollop of sour cream, they hit every single snacky craving. And, yes, they’re just as much fun to make as they are to eat.

Prep Time10

Cook Time1 30

Total Time1 40

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Author: Katie Workman

Ingredients

6 large baking (russet) potatoes (about 3 pounds; scrubbed)
6 slices bacon
¼ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup chopped fresh chives

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Prick each potato with a fork several times (this prevents them from possibly exploding in the oven). Bake the potato directly on the oven rack for about 1 hour, until a small, sharp knife slides into the potatoes easily. Remove the potatoes from the oven and raise the temperature to 425 F (unless you plan to finish the potato skins at another time – then just preheat the oven to 425 F when you are ready to bake the potato skins).
Meanwhile cook the bacon. Line a plate with paper towels. In a skillet over medium heat until crispy, turning as needed, about 5 minutes total. Drain the bacon on the paper towels, and then crumble or chop the bacon when cool.
When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, halve them lengthwise. Scoop out most of the insides, reserving them for another use (see Note), leaving a 1/4-inch layer of potato inside the skin. Brush the insides and the outsides of the skins with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and place them on a rimmed baking sheet, cut sides up. Bake the potato skins for about 20 minutes until crispy. Take the skins from the oven and divide the cheeses and the bacon evenly between the potato skins. Bake for about 5 more minutes until the cheeses have melted.
Serve the potato skins dolloped with sour cream and sprinkled with chives.

Notes

Use the scooped out part of the baked potatoes in another recipe, such as mashed potatoes, shepherd’s pie, cottage pie, colcannon, or mashed potato cakes.

You can also air fry the potatoes and bacon, and also the skins, both unfilled first and then filled!

Nutrition