Serious Potato Skins Recipe (2024)

My friend the former chef taught me to rub the baking potato with a light coating of bacon fat, then salt and pepper it. I use the applewood-smoked variety. So tasty.

These would be great with some roasted broccoli - we can pretend it's healthy by adding a veggie!

I will attempt the vegetarian version: Olive oil instead of bacon fat, and a little sour cream on top of the bubbling cheese. When we were kids, Dad used to fill baked potato skins with butter, roll them up and call them "cigars." A high point of childhood. Those were the days.

From someone: My friend the former chef taught me to rub the baking potato with a light coating of bacon fat, then salt and pepper it.

Sam is a way better cook than me, but: If you already have the oven at 400 for an hour, why would you cover the stovetop with bacon fat? Spread the bacon over a foil-lined baking sheet and put it on a rack below the potatoes. Keep an eye on it, the bacon should be done in 15-20 minutes. The foil allows you to save the bacon fat, too. Plus, you just saved energy.

Suggesting a variation.I take Yukon Gold's and cut them in half. Grease the outside with bacon fat, put them in a 350F countertop convection oven for 30 to 40 minutes depending on the size. Using a melon baller, I scrape out some of the insides, put cheese and bacon in them and cook for 3 more minutes. Then I take a crock of sour cream and dip the potatoes in there as I eat them. Delicious as a snack or dinner and faster than one and a half hours. Could be done in a toaster oven too.

Gruyere cheese and roasted cauliflower w/ prosciutto. Yummy.

Read the source article for atmosphere. Sam Sifton is a great writer.

Don’t let the potatoes sit in their skins after baking. Split them (partially or fully) and let the steam out! Small pricks with forks or a knife won’t do. The captured steam softens the lovely, crisp skins.

Made this tonight and it was terrific! Served with the caramelized onions and added fried eggs. The bacon fat brushed on the insides before broiling makes this special. Be sure to liberally salt and pepper.

Loved these! Just added chopped and pickled pepperoncini for a dose of vinegar and heat.

Hits the spot. Bar food without the bar. Thank you. Scooped-out potato insides might become tomorrow's home fries in the extra bacon fat - just going to leave it there in the pan.

Any suggestions to make this without the bacon fat? I'm cooking with a vegetarian in mind.

I always scrub the potato, prick with a fork all over and spray with cooking spray. Then bake it. It comes out crispy and solves the bacon fat concern.

Just made this substituting russet potatoes with bacon grease rather than olive oil, sprinkling habanero seasoning salt & seasoned pepper before adding cheese, and using 2/3 freshly fried cut bacon pieces and 1/3 store bought jalapeño bacon peices. Amazing! Crispy on the outside and soft/melty on the inside with lots of flavor. Turned the potatoes every 10 minutes to equally distribute the bacon grease coating and cut in halves rather than quarters (used kitchen shears for the crispy skin).

I was never a fan of potato skins. The ones I had experienced were mainly chewy bar food. When my husband requested these, I was skeptical. But … after following this recipe, I am a convert! These are absolutely delicious. My husband added a little salt, but I wouldn’t change a thing. And the drizzle of hot sauce really added to it. Thank you!

Everyone loves these. I bake potatoes ahead and scoop out while still warm. Later in the week, I rub skins with oil and reheat in the oven, bottom rack, for 10-15 min while I cook the bacon. Then top with cheese and finish with the broil.

Using grapefruit spoon makes the scooping fast and easy.

Updated pic is nice, but you might want the food stylist to talk to the recipe developer. Pic shows potato halves - recipe calls for potato quarters. Since many people do look to the pics to see if they're on the right track, it should at least match the recipe instructions.

I used white cheddar. Wouldn’t do that again. Not sure these are worth the effort.

saved up potato skins from baked potatoes (froze them to get enough for 2 people--approximately 3 each)added bacon and cheese and put under broiler. added sour creamwhat's not to like. yummy

I baked these tonight. So delicious! I think that cutting the largish potatoes in half, instead of quarters, would be just fine. I put the scallions and prosciutto on the potatoes, with the cheese on top. (I was out of bacon).

What do you do with the rest of the potato? What if you made potatoes one night and had skins left over? What is best way to preserve for the next day or later?

And I'm wearing my Hold Steady tshirt already!!

Brine those potatoes - prick them with a fork and roll them in some salted water. Check out ATK for all the details

Nice recipe. You can custom size the potato skins...used the air-fryer oven.

Wash & dry your potatoes; prick them all over with a fork or a skewer; place them in a microwave in a kind of star pattern (radiating outwards) and cook on high for 5 minutes; turn them around and cook for another 3 - 5 minutes (depending on how big they are). Take them out and let them cool a bit (Don't cover them and let the skins steam!) then continue on your way; I've just saved you an hour or more. Perfect baked potatoes .. You're welcome :-)

Sam is a way better cook than me, but: If you already have the oven at 400 for an hour, why would you cover the stovetop with bacon fat? Spread the bacon over a foil-lined baking sheet and put it on a rack below the potatoes. Keep an eye on it, the bacon should be done in 15-20 minutes. The foil allows you to save the bacon fat, too. Plus, you just saved energy.

When baking potatoes, if you first put them in the microwave until they're hot (but not cooked), you can reduce the time in the oven by half or more.

Tip: Use a paring knife instead of a spoon. A lot easier to cut out the potato meat then to scoop or scrape. Also you can mash it up and make twice baked skins.