I don’t have any great memories of potato skins, the few times I have had potato skins at a restaurant it has been greasy and made me think so much about the calories in each bite that it never brought me great pleasure in eating and so I would rarely have more than one. I understand that the potato skin was created in the 1970s; why someone would suggest that you scrape the inside of the potato to use for later I am not sure I understand as for me the inside is the best part. When I was growing up I didn’t want to eat the skin of potatoes and I was always told that most of the nutrients were in the skin. Perhaps potato skins were created to get little mouths chomping on the nutritious skins without any moaning.
Potato Skins
Even though I wouldn’t order potato skins as an appetiser to any meal, I do like the concept of potato skins. I think of them as mini jacket potatoes (baked potatoes) that are easy to eat without creating a mess but just as comforting as a big potato that you would sit down to demolish with a knife and fork.
Loaded Potato Skins
From potato skins the term “loaded potato skins” evolved, which seems to mean that you try to pack as many toppings into this little pocket as you can after removing the flesh of the potato of course. Well when I want a potato I want the whole potato, so my potato skins incorporate the inside of the potato in the recipe. I believe they are the true loaded potato skins since instead of the skin being the vehicle for traditional toppings like bacon, cheese and sour cream the skin becomes a nutritious capsule for naughty mash potatoes that are creamy, with jewels of bacon crowned with blue cheese.
Loaded Potato Skins
Begin by washing your potatoes thoroughly, give them a good scrub!
Put potatoes straight in a clean sink and make sure they come out sparkling.
When you have sliced them, oil them up and season with salt. No one wants a bland potato.
I used a greased cupcake pan because I was using the baking tray for the bacon. Use whatever you like to get those babies in the oven.
Once the potatoes are cooked, you can tell if you can stab the flesh with a fork easily, remove them from the oven and begin scooping. I have always wanted to use one of these gadgets, which after writing this post I know is called a melon baller, so I took great irrational pleasure in this step.
Scoop out the inside of the potato
Meanwhile your bacon should be cooking in the oven, NOT on the stove. Baking bacon is better than frying it because it is healthier, cooks more evenly and results in easier clean up.
Bake your bacon
By the time my bacon was finished cooking I had finished creating my hollow capsules.
Empty Potato Skins
Fill up those bad boys!
Potato skins filled with creamy potatoes, bacon and crumbled blue cheese
Don’t be shy, dig in before they are all gone.
Loaded Potato Skins
Live, Love, Eat!
April x
- 4 small potatoes
- 6 slices of bacon
- 1 tablespoon sour cream
- 1/2 tablespoon cream
- 1/2 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 tablespoon butter, melted
- 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
- salt and pepper
- Preheat oven to 400°F
- Slice the potatoes in half, place face down on a greased baking tin and bake for 30 mins sprinkle with salt and olive oil and cool for about 10 minutes.
- Scoop out flesh and put in a bowl, add cream, sour cream, butter, salt and pepper. Mash the potatoes until creamy.
- Brush inside of the potato skins with melted butter, season with salt and pepper and broil for 2 mins to get them crispy.
- Meanwhile cook bacon in the oven for 7 minutes, longer if you are using thick slices of bacon, chop and mix into the mashed potatoes.
- Put the mashed potatoes into the skins, top with cheese and broil in the oven for about 4 minutes until the cheese is bubbling.
- I used Gorgonzola cheese but you can use any type of blue cheese or other type of cheese if you are not a fan of blue cheese.
