Bacon-Cheddar Potato Skins
By America's Test KitchenPublished on November 7, 2011
Time
1¼ hours
Yield
Makes 16 potato skins
Ingredients
Before You Begin
The potatoes can be cooked, scooped, and refrigerated in an airtight container for 2 days before proceeding with the recipe. Serve with sour cream and sliced scallions, if you like.
Instructions
- MICROWAVE POTATOES Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 475 degrees. Set rimmed baking sheet inside oven. Prick potatoes all over with fork, place on paper towel, and microwave until tender, 10 to 15 minutes, turning potatoes over after 5 minutes.
- FRY BACON Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Reserve 2 teaspoons bacon fat, then transfer bacon to paper towel-lined plate. Blot bacon with paper towels to remove excess grease.
- CRISP SKINS Quarter potatoes lengthwise, let cool 5 minutes, and then scoop out most of flesh (reserve for another use), leaving ¼-inch layer of potato flesh. Brush exterior of potatoes with reserved bacon fat and season with salt and pepper. Transfer potatoes, skin-side down, to preheated baking sheet and bake until golden brown and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes.
- FILL SKINS Combine cheeses, cornstarch, half of bacon, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in bowl. Remove potato shells from oven and top with cheese mixture. Return to oven and bake until cheese melts, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer skins to paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with remaining bacon. Serve.
Time
1¼ hoursYield
Makes 16 potato skinsIngredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
We chose russet potatoes for our Bacon-Cheddar Potato Skins because of their thick skins. We prepared them with a combination cooking method: started in the microwave, then finished in the oven. Cooked this way, they took a fraction of the time of potatoes cooked straight through in the oven. For extra flavor and crispness, we brushed the skin side of the shells with rendered bacon fat. Cutting the skins in quarters before baking increased the surfaces that touched the hot baking sheet and made for more crispy bits. Taking a cue from our twice-baked potato recipe, we baked the shells before filling them to cook out excess moisture. After the initial baking, we filled the shells, then returned them to the oven to melt the cheese.
Before You Begin
The potatoes can be cooked, scooped, and refrigerated in an airtight container for 2 days before proceeding with the recipe. Serve with sour cream and sliced scallions, if you like.
Instructions
- MICROWAVE POTATOES Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 475 degrees. Set rimmed baking sheet inside oven. Prick potatoes all over with fork, place on paper towel, and microwave until tender, 10 to 15 minutes, turning potatoes over after 5 minutes.
- FRY BACON Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Reserve 2 teaspoons bacon fat, then transfer bacon to paper towel-lined plate. Blot bacon with paper towels to remove excess grease.
- CRISP SKINS Quarter potatoes lengthwise, let cool 5 minutes, and then scoop out most of flesh (reserve for another use), leaving ¼-inch layer of potato flesh. Brush exterior of potatoes with reserved bacon fat and season with salt and pepper. Transfer potatoes, skin-side down, to preheated baking sheet and bake until golden brown and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes.
- FILL SKINS Combine cheeses, cornstarch, half of bacon, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in bowl. Remove potato shells from oven and top with cheese mixture. Return to oven and bake until cheese melts, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer skins to paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with remaining bacon. Serve.
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