Potato Skins
Baked potato halves hollowed and crisped, then filled with cheese and bacon and baked again. Four servings in 1 hour 5 minutes.
Photograph credit: Potato skins arranged on a plate as an appetizer (image of potato skins on Wikidata… by don_naked · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · this resized copy is shared under the same licence
Making Potato Skins Ahead
Best eaten straight away. Keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days; reheat at 200°C for 10 minutes.
Making Potato Skins
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Heat the oven to 200°C / 390°F (180°C / 355°F fan). Prick the potatoes, rub with the 1 tablespoon of oil and bake directly on the shelf for 1 hour until soft.
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Cool for 10 minutes, halve lengthways and scoop out the flesh, leaving a 5 mm wall. Keep the scooped potato for another use.
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Brush the shells inside and out with the 3 tablespoons of oil, sprinkle with the salt and bake cut side up for 10 minutes.
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Fill with the bacon and cheese and bake for 8 minutes more. Top with the spring onions and serve with the soured cream.
Worth Knowing
- Bake the potatoes unwrapped for crisp skins.
- Leave a thin wall of potato in the shell for body.
- Use the scooped potato in mash or potato cakes.
Why the Method Is What It Is
Bake the potatoes whole for an hour, until the skins are crisp and the insides soft. A shortcut in the microwave gives a soft skin that never crisps.
Once cool enough to handle, cut them in half and scoop out the middle, leaving a 5 mm wall. The scooped potato is not wasted; mash it with butter and use it elsewhere.
Brush the shells, inside and out, with oil and bake them cut side up for 10 minutes. This is what makes them crisp, since the fat fries the flesh left on the skin.
Fill with cheese and cooked bacon, then bake for 8 minutes more until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Serve with soured cream and spring onion. They are eaten with the fingers. The scooped potato can be mashed with butter and milk and served with sausages, so nothing is lost. The skins reheat well in a hot oven, and make good party food that can be assembled earlier in the day.
Good Alongside
Soured cream · Chives · Green salad · Hot sauce
If You're Missing Something
- Out of spring onions? A small regular onion, finely sliced, or a few chives stirred in at the end both cover the job.
Questions About Potato Skins
How long does Potato Skins take to make?
About 1 hour 5 minutes in total — 15 minutes of preparation and 50 minutes of cooking. The recipe serves 4.
What are the key tips for making Potato Skins?
Bake the potatoes unwrapped for crisp skins. Leave a thin wall of potato in the shell for body. Use the scooped potato in mash or potato cakes.
What should I serve with Potato Skins?
Soured cream; Chives; Green salad; Hot sauce.
How should Potato Skins be stored?
Best eaten straight away. Keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days; reheat at 200°C for 10 minutes.
Is Potato Skins suitable for a special diet?
This recipe is gluten-free and no added sugar. Those labels are checked against the ingredient list, so a dish is only marked when nothing in it contradicts the claim.
How many calories are in Potato Skins?
About 598 kcal per serving, with 20 g protein, 53 g carbohydrate and 34 g fat. The figures are calculated from the ingredient list and are an estimate.
Potato Skins Nutrition
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.
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Written and tested by Turab
One person, one kitchen — no test kitchen, no team. How every recipe on this site is checked before it goes up.
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