Loaded potato skins are the perfect appetizer for any occasion made with crispy, seasoned potatoes covered in melted cheese, bacon bits, sour cream and chives.

Loaded Potato Skins

From the recipe collection of Tara Ippolito

Loaded potato skins truly are the perfect appetizer for any occasion.

I’ve made these for family parties, holidays and so many football Sundays. They are always a huge hit!

We’re huge fans of finger food appetizers at my house. I try to make at least one or two for every party.

My kids especially love them because they can grab one and still go about their business without being stuck hanging out at the grazing table.

These are so simple to put together and absolutely loaded with flavor.

We usually have potatoes, cheese and all of the other ingredients on hand, too. So I can throw these together in a pinch, too, if I need to.

Whenever I serve these for any occasion, they’re one of the first things to go.

As far as crowd pleasing recipes go, this one ranks right at the top of the list.

I hope you give this recipe a try. I’d you do, I know you’ll love them just as much as my family and friends do.

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Loaded Potato Skins Variations

I like this recipe for loaded potato skins made just the way it is, but here are some ways to change it up if you’d like to.

• Potatoes- russet potatoes are the best for this recipe because their skin is a little thicker. Yukon gold will work, too, if you want to use them but I recommend russet.
• Bacon- use premade bacon bits or cook and crumble your own bacon.
• Cheese- use whatever kind of cheese you’d like for this recipe. I prefer cheddar or Monterey Jack but any cheese will work. Just be sure to shred it yourself because it will melt much better that way.

Other Finger Food Appetizers

If you like super easy to make finger food appetizers like this one, here are some others that I know you’ll love, too.

• Bacon Cheddar & Jalapeno Pinwheels
• Fried Honey BBQ Wings
• Loaded Tater Tot Cups
• Bang Bang Chicken Tenders

Loaded Potato Skins Ingredients

• Russet Potatoes, scrubbed clean and dried
• Cheddar Cheese, hand shredded
• Bacon Bits or Cooked and Crunbled Bacon
• Sour Cream
• Chives
• Olive Oil
• Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°.

First, using a fork, pierce the potato about 10 times on all sides and then put them on a parchment paper or foiled lined baking sheet.

Now, place the baking sheet in the oven for one hour. Then, remove the potatoes and let them cool slightly.

Next, cut the potatoes once (lengthwise) then once more. Cutting the potato into four pieces total.

Now, using a spoon, remove most of the potatoes filling leaving only a little bit close to the skin.

Then, brush both sides of the potato pieces with a thin layer of oil and salt them on both sides.

Next, place them back into the oven for about 7-10 minutes or until they begin to visibly crisp/ brown on the edges.

Now, turn the oven off and keep the potatoes on the baking sheet. Sprinkle the inside with pepper and garlic powder.

Now, evenly distribute the shredded cheese onto each of them.

Next, sprinkle on the bacon bits.

Then, place them back into the oven for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. (The oven will be off but warm enough to melt the cheese perfectly.)

Finally, add a small dollop of sour cream to the center of each one and sprinkle the chives on top. Serve warm and enjoy!