Just a simple recipe today: loaded potato skins with crispy grilled bacon and cheese + butter and a touch of Franks Red Hot sauce. 😛
I haven’t really baked any fancy desserts worth sharing lately. Instead this 3rd lockdown seems to revolve heavily around simple savoury comfort foods. And these are so good, so easy and as a bonus they’re fairly nutritious too (people need to stop being mean to potatoes, they’re the best and packed with nutrients besides all the carbs 😀 😉 ).
Bacon & Cheese Potato Skins
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Author: Kimi
Recipe type: Mains / Appetisers
Cuisine: American
Serves: 16 potato skins
Ingredients
For the potatoes:
- 8 potatoes
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Olive oil
For the spicy butter:
- 3 tsp salted butter (add a pinch of salt if using unsalted)
- Cayenne pepper
- Garlic powder
- Smoked paprika
- Black pepper
- Hot sauce (I used Frank's red hot sauce)
For the filling:
- Extra mature cheddar
- 5 bacon slices (grilled and finely chopped)
To garnish:
- Soured cream (or plain Greek-style yoghurt works too)
- Fresh coriander (or parsley)
- Salsa
- Guacamole
- Spring onions
Notes
BAKING TEMPERATURE: 220C (428F)
COOKING TIME: 50 mins (to bake the potatoes) + 5 mins (under the grill with toppings)
COOKING TIME: 50 mins (to bake the potatoes) + 5 mins (under the grill with toppings)
Directions
BAKE THE POTATOES:
- Pre-heat the oven to 220C (428F).
- Wash your potatoes and place them on a baking tray lined with foil or baking paper.
- Add salt, black pepper and a good drizzle of olive oil and rub it all over the potatoes so they are evenly covered.
- Bake for about 50 minutes (flipping them midway through) or until the skin is wrinkled and the potatoes are soft.
- Set aside and let them cool down.
PREPARE THE FILLINGS:
- GRILL THE BACON: place your slices of bacon on a baking tray lined with foil or baking paper and cook them under the grill until fully cooked and a little crispy. Or you can also pan fry them, of course. Then finely chop them into bits.
- PREPARE THE BUTTER: soften the butter in the microwave and add the seasonings and hot sauce (just a bit of everything / to taste).
- Grate the cheese (as much as you’d like.
PREPARE YOUR LOADED POTATO SKINS:
- Once your baked potatoes have cooled down a bit, cut them in half.
- With a spoon, scoop out some of the potato to make room for the fillings. Note: keep the discarded potato in a bowl for another meal. 🙂
- Spread a bit of spicy butter into each potato skin.
- Add the bacon bits and grated cheese.
- Cook under the grill for another 5 minutes, until the cheese has fully melted.
- Serve with garnish and sauces of your choice. I opted for fresh coriander, soured cream, guacamole and salsa. 😛
Kimi x
