Loaded Potato Skins Recipe

If there was a top 10 list for all-time best bar foods, what would be on it? Wings, for sure, also probably nachos, chips and dip, mozzarella sticks, and, for British pub food fans, Scotch eggs. Maybe even pickled eggs, for true dive bar aficionados. No list would be complete, however, without the inclusion of potato skins — fully loaded ones, of course!

As recipe developer Kate Shungu describes this dish, "Potato skins are a crowd pleasing appetizer — everyone goes crazy for them!" And no wonder, since they've got cheese and bacon as well as potato, which is pretty much the holy trinity of bar ingredients, right there. Shungu's version, however, includes what she admits is a "slightly more unusual ingredient for potato skins," that being bell pepper. She says this pepper adds "fresh flavor and a pop of color," although if you prefer your snacks on the spicy side, you may prefer to switch it up for a jalapeño, instead.

The ingredient list for these potato skins is fairly basic. You'll need potatoes, of course — Shungu favors russet ones, saying "they hold up well after being cooked, and the skin is thick enough to hold all of the toppings." You'll also need oil for cooking, bacon, shredded cheese, sour cream, and snipped chives. Oh, and the aforementioned pepper, of course. Shungu does say, though, that "if you want to skip chopping/sautéing the pepper, you can substitute a jar of chopped pimentos." She also says you can change up the cheese if you wish, suggesting Monterey or pepper jack as an alternative.

Before you get started with the prep work, go ahead and set the oven to 400 F. Now, prick the potatoes with a fork in a few places. Once the oven is hot, bake the potatoes for 50 to 60 minutes, or until you can easily stick a fork in them.

As the potatoes cook, you should do two things. First, sauté the peppers in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until soft — about four or five minutes at medium heat should do it. Next, fry the bacon until it is crispy. Let it cool, then crumble it.

Once the potatoes are cooked, take them out of the oven and let them cool down until they can be handled. Cut them in half lengthwise, then scoop out the flesh. Don't scrape right down to the skin, though; leave a layer of about ¼-inch thickness inside. Hang on to the potato flesh, too, since there's no point wasting it. You can always use it to make mashed potatoes or some other potato-based dish.

Brush the potato skins with the remaining oil on both sides, then sprinkle them with salt. Place them skin side up on a baking sheet and cook them for six minutes, then flip them and cook them skin side down for another 6 minutes.

Divvy up the diced peppers and bacon bits and use them to top each potato skin. Sprinkle the skins with the shredded cheese, then put them back in the oven and cook for five more minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Take the skins out of the oven and top them with the sour cream, then sprinkle them with the chopped chives. Serve them right away. As Shungu says," I love serving potato skins while watching football or basketball." As for a beverage pairing, she suggests "cold beer," of course. We hope you love this classic, irresistible recipe!