Crispy cheese and bacon potato skins made extra tasty by brushing them with bacon drippings. And crammed to the max with extra bacon inside the potato skins – not just on top!!
This week has been a landmark in the history of RecipeTin Eats because I shared TWO meat-free-cheese-free recipes in a row. Absolutely unheard of.
So my twisted logic tells me I have calorie credits. So today, I’m sharing something a little indulgent – these crispy potato skins, with double bacon flavour, topped with plenty of cheese.
Here’s a nice close up for you, along with the pudgy little fingers of my Baby Hands. Do I hear you laughing…..???!!! Hey! I blame my MUM for my Baby Hands!!
I make my potato skins a little differently to the usual. The key difference being that I like to brush the potato skins with bacon fat rather than butter. Extra bacon flavour, extra crispy, and no wastage. 🙂
What I do is chop up the bacon into little pieces, then bake them for a bit to cook them and make the fat melt. Then I remove the bacon and place the potato skins upside down on the baking tray then use the fat on the tray to brush the potato skins.
Bake them until the skin is crispy, THEN turn them over, fill them with bacon, cheese then top with bacon, and bake again.
Extra crispy, extra tasty potato skins. You see the beautiful dark golden brown edges on the skins?? You won’t achieve THAT unless you bake them upside down for a spell!
I literally have to wipe my chin every time I look at these photos. I mean, we’re talking about the holy trinity of food (in my books) here. Potato. Bacon. Cheese.
I guarantee if you make these for a gathering, you will be THE most popular person there. – Nagi x
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Cheese and Bacon Potato Skins
Ingredients
- 2 lb / 1 kg (about 8-10) medium potatoes , scrubbed clean (Note 1)
- 10 oz / 300 g streaky fatty bacon , diced (Note 2)
- 1 1/2 cups grated cheese (tasty, cheddar, gruyere, Monterey Jack)
- Salt and pepper
To serve
- Sour cream
- 1 scallion/shallot stem , finely sliced (green party only)
Instructions
Prepare Potato Skins
- Prick each potato 4 times with a fork, then place them on the outer edge of the microwave turntable. Microwave on high for 8 minutes, then turn the potatoes and microwave on high for another 8 minutes.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the potatoes in half. Use a spoon to scoop out the potato, leaving a thin skin about 1/2cm/ 1/6" thick.
Bacon
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
- Spread bacon on a tray and bake for 8 minutes, or until LIGHT golden and the fat has melted.
- Remove bacon onto a paper towel lined plate using a slotting spoon. RESERVE bacon fat on tray.
Crisp Potato Skins
- Place potato skins upside down on the tray. Use a brush to brush the bacon fat on the tray onto the potato skin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the skin is quite crispy.
Fill Potato Skins
- Remove baking tray from the oven and turn the potato skins over.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fill the potato skins with 2/3 of the bacon, then top with cheese.
- Top with remaining bacon.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
To serve
- Serve with sour cream, sprinkled with scallions.
Recipe Notes:
PS This is what I do with the scooped out potato – turn them into mashed potato bites! I just pop them in the oven at the same time as the potatoes. 🙂 So here’s a bonus little recipe for you! These are like little soft potato clouds. Cheesy ones!
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Cheesy Leftover Mashed Potato Bites
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 - 2 cups (packed) mashed potato (scooped out from potato skins)
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp milk
- 1/4 cup plain flour (plus more as required)
- 3/4 cup grated cheese (I used cheddar)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Mash the potato scooped out from the potato skins.
- Add egg, milk, flour, salt and pepper. Mix until just combined. Add cheese and mix.
- Dollop heaped spoonfuls on a parchment paper (baking paper) lined tray (I use oil spray to stop the paper from sliding on the tray).
- Spray (generously!) with oil and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
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Nagi these look absolutely delicious! I would brush everything with bacon fat if I could lol.
ME TOO!! <3
Hey Nagi! I love how you can make simple dishes look so elegant. It’s past 10am and I didn’t have breakfast yet, just looking at your clicks and dreaming 🙂
Thanks Muna, you’re so sweet!!
These look fabulous Nagi. It’s years since I have cooked potato skins I had forgotten till now all about them and how much danger they are to me….I love them
Danger is right. We better not be in a room alone with potato skins….
Well gosh darn it girl, you’ve done it again! They look SO delish and much, much better than a sad little bowl of canned salsa and some chips! 🙂
And GLUTEN FREE too!! 😉
Ohhh Nagisan, your baby hands are adorable!! and the food you create with your hands are magic!! Forget about my new year resolution, I have got a list of food that I need to cook from the Recipe Tin Eats! Thank you for sharing.
Ahhh, my Baby Hands! I curse my mum!
YUMMY!!!
I am happy to see that you included scallion stems in the recipe…
I need to make certain that I get veggies in most every meal this month… ;o)
Ross. You know by now that ALL my recipes have all the essential food groups in them. Don’t you?? 😉
Nagi! You are a temptress, you are Lucifer, you are Lorelei, you are , well you just are. My heavens I was going to start the year eating raw broccoli and carrot sticks and really get wild with the celery sticks and Greek yogurt. No way now. I can’t pass up making the crack bread and potato skins. Shame on you and shame on me for being such a weak Italian. I think I better start really working out in anticipation of all that delicious food. Your photos are fantastic. They could have been really horrible and perhaps then I wouldn’t have started salivating — nice word for drooling. Have a great weekend. hugs!
Ahhh, your messages always cheer me up Marisa! Been a rough day, then I read this and it’s perked me up considerably! 🙂 N x
Hi Nagi! These are the best potato skins I have ever seen! So crispy and bacony (If that isn’t a word, it should be)! Whenever we go out for a drink and a snack I always get potato skins, but they never look this good! Genius!
Your messages always make me giggle! I agree, bacony should be a word. I shall start a petition. 😉 So glad you like the look of these Dorothy! Your approval always validates it for me!!! Have a wonderful weekend – Nagi x
Hi Nagi! These are the best potato skins I have ever seen! So crispy and bacony (If that isn’t a word, it should be)! Whenever we go out for a drink and a snack I always get potato skins, but they never look this good! Genius!
Nagi, I love that you used bacon fat to rub the potato skins with! Genius! Oh my these look good 🙂 🙂
Thanks Jolene! Can never have enough bacon flavour, right? 😉 Plus it makes them even crisper than using just butter!
Oh YUM!!! I can’t wait to make these…. but what do you do with the scooped out potatoes?
Thank you for the awesome recipes!!!
Hi Dawn! Thanks for REMINDING ME!!! I totally forgot to add a little bonus recipe! I made little potato bites that can be baked at the same time as the potato skins! I’ve added the recipe at the bottom of the post. 🙂
Glad to be of help 🙂 Sunday brunch now seems like a perfect excuse to make these – thanks for the bonus recipe xxx
Nagi, you must have read my mind!! I’m making something very similar to this for the weekend because who doesn’t LOVE bacony, cheesy potato skins?? These look bomb 🙂
I think I have to make these AGAIN this weekend!!!! Will CHEERS to you!!
Hi nagi recently signed up and have had the pleasure to try your recipes, as I work as a catering manager in a rugby club the lads have had a few treats and loved the variation ,they can’t wait for the next treat .weather permitting . Looking forword to more recipes . Thank you sue