Shredding Cheese
I always recommend shredding your own cheese from a block for recipes. Pre-shredded cheese is covered in preservatives that help it keep its shape. Freshly grated cheese melts and tastes so much better than the pre-shredded stuff. It is worth the extra time to shred your own for this potato skin recipe. Sometimes when you order potato skins at restaurants it is as if the lovely establishment took the name quite literally. You get all skin without any of that delicious poatoey carby goodness. It’s not my favorite thing. But in this amazing rendition of the perfect appetizer, you get a delicious and tender potato bite with the glorious addition of cheese and bacon. They are mouthwateringly delicious.
Bake the potatoes. Cook them until they are fork tender, about an hour. Scoop out the insides. Cut the potatoes in half and scoop out most of the insides. See my ideas below for how to use the insides of the potatoes. Bake the potato skins. Spray both sides of the potato skins with cooking spray and bake them for another 10 minutes. Add the cheese and bacon. Top them with the cheese and cooked bacon and bake until the cheese is melted. Serve. Serve them warm just as is or top with sour cream and chives as pictured.
Even though we don’t use the insides of the potatoes in this recipe, don’t waste them. They can be used to make mashed potatoes or my Twice Baked Potato Casserole. If you are saving the potatoes to make the next day, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Alternatively, you could cook the bacon whole in an air fryer. After it is cooked, dice it. I love cooking our bacon this way because it is so hands-off and clean up is a breeze!
Reheating Potato Skins
To reheat potato skins that have been baked, put them back in the oven. Bake them directly on the rack of the oven to keep the skin crispy.
Add taco meat and Pico de Gallo, or sloppy joe meat. Use another kind of cheese. Monterrey Jack or Colby Jack would also work well. Add jalapenos. I have a whole recipe for Jalapeno Popper Potato Skins.
The biggest time saver will be baking the potatoes ahead of time and scooping out the insides. They will still result in warm, crispy potato skins that take less time.
Tomato Bisque reheats beautifully. They are a delicious side with Sloppy Joes or with the meat on top! Air Fryer Chicken Tenders are my kids’ favorite lunch and give your oven all of the space for potato skins!
