These Loaded Potato Skins stuffed with crispy bacon and cheese are the perfect easy comfort food. Melting cheesy goodness baked in a jacket potato.
Originally posted March 24, 2016 this post was updated on 14th January 2020
I LOVE the start of a new year, it feels like a blank sheet, a chance to start afresh. But geeeeez, these January days can be grey and miserable can’t they?
The glitz and fun of December is long gone and the nights are still dark, all I want is comfort food to sink into. Who’s with me?
Meet my start of the year favourite, Loaded Potato Skins. Cheering me up on rainy days from now until forever. Hope they brighten up your dinner too.
You’ll love these Loaded Potato Skins because:
✅ A cheap and easy meal.
✅ Family favourite, kids love these.
✅ Feels like a mega treat without actually being a takeaway.
How do you make Loaded Potato Skins?
Loaded Potato Skins (or Stuffed Potato Skins) are so easy to make with either leftover baked potatoes or especially made jacket potatoes.
Some recipes scoop out all of the potato mash in the middle and just have the crunchy potato skins, you can do that with these if you prefer but I love the gooey, carby comfort of the cheesy mash filling. Plus is makes these a full meal.
SO! Scoop out baked potatoes, mash the inside with some other fillings, put back and pop in the oven. Yesss!
It’s also worth noting that these are a little lighter and healthier than some potato skins recipes as they are baked and not fried – hurrah!
What can I serve with these Potato Skins?
- Serve as a main dish with salad or baked beans.
- Cook them as an evening snack or ‘finger food‘.
- They make a fab buffet dish as easy to serve.
- Make them as a side dish to any cooked meats.
Variations to the Crispy Stuffed Potato Skins recipe:
- Omit the bacon to make this vegetarian.
- Add pepperoni or other toppings to make these ‘pizza baked potatoes‘.
- Leave out the mushrooms and replace with any other veg you fancy.
- Use ham instead of bacon to avoid needing to pre fry the meat.
Fancy some other comfort food inspiration?
- Baked Gnocchi – So easy and like a hug in a bowl.
- Sticky Sausage Traybake – Ideal for cold winter evenings
- Slow Cooker Chicken Casserole with Crispy Bacon – ideal winter warmer to leave cooking whilst you’re at work.
- Colcannon – The BEST ever mashed potato 😍
Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. I’d love to know how you got on and what you thought of it if you make this Loaded Potato Skins with Bacon and Cheese recipe. Please rate the recipe using the ⭐️ by the recipe.
Also, if you’d like to show me a photo by tagging me on Instagram (@tamingtwins) I LOVE to see your creations.
Loaded Potato Skins
These Loaded Potato Skins stuffed with crispy bacon and cheese are the perfect easy comfort food. Melting cheesy goodness baked in a jacket potato.
- 4 Large baking potatoes
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 250 g Bacon (Chopped into small pieces (see note 1).)
- 250 g Mushrooms (Chopped into small cubes)
- 4 Spring onions (Finely chopped)
- 50 g Cream cheese (See note 2)
- 1 Medium free range egg
- 150 g Cheddar cheese (See note 3)
- Salt and peper
To serve:
- Sour cream (See note 4)
- 2 Spring onions
- Chives (See note 5)
-
Preheat the oven to 220C and bake the potatoes for about an hour until they are cooked all the way through (or use leftovers!)
- Allow to cool slightly.
- Cut the potatoes in half and scoop out the middle into a bowl (set aside), make sure that you leave a little behind so that the ‘shell’ is still sturdy.
-
Put the empty potato shells onto a baking tray and pop them back into the oven for about 10 minutes.
-
Meanwhille, heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the bacon and mushrooms until cooked and crispy.
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Add the bacon, mushrooms, spring onions, cream cheese, egg, HALF of the grated cheddar and plenty of salt and pepper into the bowl containing the inside of the potatoes from earlier. Mash all together well.
- Remove the potato shells from the oven and share the mixture between them. Top with the remaining cheese.
- Pop back into the oven for about 10 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and crispy.
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Serve with the sour cream and the extra chopped spring onions.
Note 1 – Bacon – I like to use smokey bacon for added flavour. Pancetta cubes would be even better if you’re feeling fancy.
Note 2 – If you don’t have any cream cheese, you can omit this, OR add more grated cheese or forage frais or creme fraiche or even a little milk or cream. It just adds a smoother texture to the mash but isn’t vital.
Note 3 – Very strong cheddar is best for flavour. Sometimes I like to mix it up and add in some mozzarella for the top sprinkles to make it extra stretchy and cheesy.
Note 4 – Sour cream – You can substitute this for greek yoghurt, forage frais, creme fraiche or even mayonnaise.
Note 5 – Chives – These make a lovely, tasty garnish but aren’t necessary if you don’t have any.
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