I haven’t met many people who don’t like potato skins. I mean bacon + cheese + potato = a winning combination. Plus it’s the trifecta of salty, creamy and crunchy that makes them such an irresistible treat.
Unfortunately, potato skins tend not to be the healthiest of snacks (yea, back to that bacon, cheese and potato combo). So last weekend when I was craving them for the Super Bowl, I said to myself, “Self, why not make a homemade potato skin? You know, a healthier version?”
I happily obliged (yes, to myself) and set out on my mission to deliver a yummy twist on the classic potato appetizer.
Healthier Potato Skin Recipe:
What you’ll need (for 20 potato skins — a combo of bacon skins, bacon and broccoli skins and broccoli-only skins)
- 10 small white potatoes, halved
- Light sour cream
- Part skim or 2% shredded cheddar cheese; approximately 1/2 cup
- 1 small bunch boiled broccoli (chopped small and cooked until soft – approximately 1/3 cup)
- Chopped scallions, about 1/4 cup — for garnish
- 10 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- Salt and pepper
Procedure
- Roast halved potatoes for approximately 30 minutes at 350 degrees (or until inside is soft)
- Once potatoes are cooked, let cool for a bit and then scoop out the insides leaving nearly only the skin (you want the potatoes cool enough that they don’t burn your hands, but if they’re cold, they’re harder to scoop)
- Put insides into a bowl
- Mix about 1/3 cup cheese and a couple scoops of sour cream into the potato filling (if the cheese doesn’t melt, put it in the microwave for a minute)
- Add salt and pepper to taste
- Stuff non-bacon/broccoli only skins (you’ll want to stuff it with the filling and mix in broccoli by hand)
- Add nearly all of the bacon crumbles to the remaining filling (leave a small handful of bacon out to top the skins)
- Stuff each potato with bacon filling mixture (adding broccoli to skins as desired)
- Top each with remaining bacon and cheese
- Bake skins for another 15 minutes on 350 degrees
- Garnish with scallions and additional sour cream for dipping
Oh and in the spirit of the Super Bowl, I also attempted to make my first batch of homemade mini cupcakes. Although the recipe isn’t ready for primetime, they did look awfully cute. (We were clearly routing for the Packers since our beloved Patriots weren’t playing). 
