Party-worthy Loaded Potato Skins

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Made with hearty potatoes, crispy bacon, gooey cheese and more, these loaded potato skins are a party in your mouth!

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These Loaded Potato Skins are a perfectly simple and flavorful appetizer to add to any of your festivities. Whether it be a game day event, kid’s birthday party, neighborhood party, or holiday entertaining, these little boats of deliciousness are sure to please the crowd! The melted cheese, juicy bacon, buttery potato, and flavorful onions have made these a fan favorite at my house and I am sure they will do the same for you!

SO, let’s dive right in! In this article I have provided you with an ingredients list, instructions, answers to common questions, and a few pictures taken right before these were devoured! (Let’s just say that they don’t last long!)

Loaded Potato Skins - on a plate by a plant

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Loaded Potato Skins Ingredients

Ok literally my mouth is watering just thinking about these ingredients. But that’s great, because with ingredients like these, you truly can’t go wrong! They are simple, affordable, and oh-so-scrumptious!

  • Potatoes
  • Oil and Butter – Oil is used to help the potatoes cook properly while baking and the butter adds a
  • Seasonings – On their own, potatoes can be quite bland. Salt, garlic powder, and onion powder are used in this recipe to really draw out the flavors of each ingredient.
  • Cheese – Cheese acts as the glue that binds all this deliciousness together. While there are plenty of delicious cheeses you could use, shredded cheddar cheese is the most common!
  • Bacon – Crispy bacon brings a greasy, savory flavor along with a nice crunch that elevates potato skins to a new dimension! Definitely don’t be shy with the bacon!
  • Green Onion – Green onion adds a splash of color and freshness to the potato skins that is light and acidic. Talk about tantalizing!
  • Sour Cream – Take your loaded potato skins to the next level by dunking them sour cream. This will add a creaminess to the skins that is to die for! And if you want your sour cream to have even more flavor, try adding some ranch seasoning mix!
Up Close of Loaded Potato Skins and Sour Cream

Common Questions about Making Loaded Potato Skins

  • Which type of potato is best for loaded potato skins?
    • Russet potatoes are the most popular kind of potato to use for loaded potato skins due to their subtle flavor, texture, and ability to hold together.
  • Can these be made ahead of time?
    • Yes! This recipe can easily be made in advance. Just see below for how to properly store them until you’re ready to serve them.
  • What goes well with loaded potato skins?
    • Loaded potato skins are a popular appetizer that can easily be enjoyed alongside other party foods such as buffalo chicken dip, wings, spinach and artichoke dip, a veggie tray, jalapeno poppers, fruit, chex mix, or brownies.
  • Why are my potato skins not crispy?
    • Too much moisture can lead to potato skins that are flimsy or weak. Avoid this by carefully drying the potatoes before baking, allowing them to cook long enough, and reheating using methods such as air frying or the oven.
  • How can I spice up my loaded potato skins?
    • There are a variety of ways you can add a special flare to your potato skins. Some popular options include adding hot sauce, jalapeno, avocado, multiple kinds of cheese, grilled garlic bits, caramelized onions, warm chili, ranch, and more!
  • What’s the best way to store loaded potato skins?
    • Leftover potato skins are best stored in an airtight container/bag in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 2-3 months. Because cooked potatoes are a high-risk food for bacteria growth, make sure to reheat potato skins to at leas 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 C) before eating. This can be done in a microwave, oven, air fryer, or other heating kitchen appliance.

Baking Instructions

There are really 3 steps to making loaded potato skins.

  1. Prep & Bake Potatoes – When making these potato skins, it’s important to get them cleaned off before baking. Make sure to scrub them with some warm water and soap and then give them a good dry. Next, use your clean hands or a baster to lightly coat each potato with oil and a healthy sprinkling of salt. Once that’s done, pop them in the oven to cook at 375 for about an hour (or until soft). When the potatoes are cooked, remove them from the oven and turn the temperature up to 400 degrees.
  2. Scooping, Filling, and Baking – After removing the potatoes from the oven, give them a few minutes to cool down. When they are cool enough to handle with your hands, cut them in half and remove the middle portion of potato. I recommend leaving about 1/4 inch of potato, but some prefer to take out as much of the potato as possible. Then, add your butter, seasonings, cheese, and bacon, and pop them back into the oven. Allow them to cook until the cheese melts and the edges have browned. Remove from the oven.
  3. Garnish and Serve – After the loaded potato skins are removed from the oven, garnish them with bits of green onion and an optional dollop of sour cream. Serve warm and enjoy!!

Tips for Loaded Potato Skins

  • Thoroughly Clean Potatoes – Unfortunately, potatoes often have very dirty exteriors. If not washed properly, they can have a layer of dirt or grit that is unappealing to eat. In order to avoid this, thoroughly scrub and dry the outside of your potatoes before using.
  • Scoop Potato Skins While Warm – While it may be tempting to just get started shelling the potatoes immediately, this is not a good idea. It’s also not the best idea to wait until they are cold. Simply remove your potatoes from the oven, allow them a few minutes to cool, and then scoop out the contents while they are still warm. This will give you the best results.
  • Be Generous With Toppings – Since the majority of the potato meat is scooped out, you will want to fill each skin with a good amount of cheese, bacon, and any other toppings. This will help them to be more flavorful, filling, and visually appealing.
  • Getting Crispy Skin – If you want really crispy skins, either leave the potatoes in the oven longer or use an airfryer.
Up Close of Loaded Potato Skins and Sour Cream
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Loaded Baked Potato Skins

Made with hearty potatoes, crispy bacon, gooey cheese and more, these loaded potato skins are a party in your mouth!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Potato Skin Assembly + Cook15 minutes
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bacon and cream cheese, banana cream cheesecake, potato skins
Servings: 6 potato skins

Equipment

  • 1 Spoon
  • measuring cups and spoons
  • 1 Baking Sheet

Ingredients

  • 6 medium russet potatoes
  • 1 ½ tbsp oil
  • Salt
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp onion powder
  • ½ cheddar cheese shredded
  • 4 slices bacon crispy baked and chopped
  • 2 green onion sliced
  • sour cream optional

Instructions

  • Scrub the potatoes to remove any dirt and then dry them. Rub the potatoes using your hands with the oil. Sprinkle them with salt liberally. Bake potatoes to 375 degrees for about 1 hour or until they are cooked.
  • Turn the oven to 450 degrees. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise. Carefully, (they will be hot!) scoop out the potatoes leaving about ½ inch around the inside of the skin.
  • Mix the melted butter with garlic powder and onion powder. Brush over the potato shells on both the inside and outside. In a baking sheet, place the potatoes and bake them for 15 to 20 minutes or until they are brown at the edges.
  • Top with shredded cheddar cheese and crispy bacon bits. Put them back in the oven for 5 minutes or until the cheese melted.
  • Garnish with green onions and enjoy alongside a sour cream dip (optional).

And there you have it! Simple and easy loaded potato skins that are perfect for any party. I hope this article helped and let me know which kind of party recipe I should add next!

Other Delicious Party Foods

We all know that a party isn’t a party without good food! Here are some of our other recipes to help you throw events that your friends and family with remember!! 🙂

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Here at Events to Celebrate, my whole goal is to help real people plan for their kids’ birthday parties, life events, and holidays! Life is crazy. I GET IT. You don’t have endless time OR money to spend on parties, but you still want to help your guests have a great time. I’m here to help give you tips, tricks, and ideas for celebrating life on a budget.

As a mom, you want to do it all. You want to make your family happy and create special memories. My brand is all about creating special moments with those you love. The kind of moments that you will look back on years later and wish you could relive! So, if that’s something you’re interested in, stick around! I have an email list you can sign up for, so you don’t miss my future party ideas!

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