Potato Skins (shortcut no-waste method!)

At a glance

What stands out: Love loaded potato skins but hate scraping out the hot insides of the potatoes? This shortcut method for straightforward potato skins is a standby way to make loaded potato skins. Serve them as an appetizer, side, or meal.

How long it takes: about a half hour
Equipment you’ll need: baking pan
Servings: makes 12 to 16

These potato skins remind us of loaded baked potatoes. Have you ever gone to a baked potato fundraiser or church supper? We used to have “Spud Night” at our church. Everyone was given a hot baked potato to load up with fillings: chili, ham, velvety cheese sauce, broccoli, peppers, onions, pretty much whatever you could think of.

(Straightforward) Potato Skins Recipe

Addictively rich! Crispy potato slices with melted cheddar cheese oozing over the sides are loaded with a dab of sour cream, a sprinkling of crisp smoky bacon, and fresh green onions. You’re just going to love these!

An easier option. This recipe for loaded potato skins is straightforward (you won’t have to dig hot potato out of the skins) and there’s no waste. You can make these loaded potato skins in about half an hour, start to finish!

Lots of serving options. While we usually think of potato skins as an appetizer, they could easily be a great dinner, lunch, or served as a side. They’d go well with baked maple salmon, Parmesan baked cod, or breaded pork chops. Pair them with a bowl of Instant Pot tomato soup or vegetable soup.

Mandy Said:

“These are a game changer!!! We love potato skins but they are such a hassle. This is genius! We’ve made “potato skins” based on this recipe for a couple years now!”

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What goes in

• Sliced Potatoes: Russets work best because of their texture, but you could also use another firm dry variety. The potato skins are rubbed with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper (just like baked potatoes).
• Cheddar Cheese: We love classic cheddar, but if you want to switch it up, try pepper jack!
• Toppings! We like crumbled bacon, sour cream, and green onions (scallions) but you can load these up with anything you like! Try air fryer bacon. It’s reliable to make a small batch of bacon to use in recipes.

How it comes together

Prep potatoes. Scrub the potatoes, dry them, and slice them into roughly one half inch slices. The recipe is written for one pound of potatoes but you can make as many as you like. Just adjust the amount of oil, seasoning, and toppings accordingly.

Arrange on baking sheet. Next, spread the potato slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for straightforward cleanup. Brush both sides generously with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake. Roast the potatoes in a preheated oven until they are golden brown and tender, flipping them once after 20 minutes, then baking an additional 5 minutes. They’ll look so good already you may have to sample one.

Add toppings. Sprinkle each slice with a little (or a lot) of shredded cheddar and pop them back into the oven for just a couple of minutes to melt the cheese. Top with sour cream, bacon, and green onions, and serve immediately. We bet you can’t eat just one!

Straightforward Recipe Variations

• Be creative with toppings! Pretty much anything goes on these babies. If you’re going vegetarian, skip the bacon, no problem!
• Substitute sweet potatoes. Slice a raw sweet potato into ½ inch slices instead of using russet potatoes. Keep in mind that sweet potatoes are a little softer and might not quite make it as a finger food but they are rich!
• Pizza potato skins. This is a fun variation. Add a teaspoon of pizza sauce, lots of mozzarella cheese, and a pepperoni on top of each slice of potato for a Italian twist on this recipe.

Keeping leftovers

Baked potato skins are best eaten right away. Once the toppings are on, they don’t keep well.

Make ahead idea: Reserve the baked slices before topping them, cover and refrigerate them for a day or two. Reheat the slices in the oven (single layer), air fryer, or toaster oven, or lightly fried in a skillet, and continue with the recipe as directed.

• Yield: 4
• Prep: 5 minutes
• Cook: 27 minutes
• Total: 32 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 russet potatoes (about 8 ounces each)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
• coarsely ground black pepper, to taste
• ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Topping Suggestions:

• sour cream, sliced green onions, crispy bacon

Method

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper, if desired for easier clean-up.
2. Scrub potatoes thoroughly, and dry. Slice each potato into ½ -inch slices, as evenly as possible.
3. Arrange potato slices on baking pan, brushing both sides with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Bake 20 minutes, remove pan from oven, flip each slice over, then bake 5 more minutes.
5. Top each potato slice evenly with cheddar cheese, return to oven for 2 more minutes or until cheese is melted.
6. Top with desired toppings. Serve immediately.

Notes

Be creative with toppings! Pretty much anything goes on these babies. If you’re going vegetarian, skip the bacon, no problem!

Sweet potato slices: Slice a sweet potato into ½ inch rounds. Keep in mind that they are a little softer and might not quite make it as a finger food but they are good!

Pizza potato skins: Add a dab of pizza sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese, and a slice of pepperoni on top of each potato slice for a fun Italian twist on this recipe.

Reheating: Baked potato skins are best eaten right away. Once the toppings are on, they don’t keep well. If you reserve some of the slices before topping them, cover and refrigerate them for a day or two. Reheat the slices in the oven (single layer), air fryer, or toaster oven, or lightly fried in a skillet, and continue with the recipe as directed.