These are good, but here's a really smart tip if you want to cut out about 1/2 the calories, much of the fat and still keep the great taste: DON'T FRY THEM. The only thing that the frying does is make the shells crispy and add a whole lot of fat (1 cup oil is too much fat). You can get the same crunchiness by scooping out the potato shells and baking them in the oven for 45 minutes at 400 degrees. Then add the bacon and cheese and broil another 5 minutes (watch so the cheese doesn't burn). Trust me, why add the fat?
These were fabulous. DON'T FRY THEM!! I put the potatoes in the oven on 400 for about an hour. Then, scooped them out, sprayed the skins with pam, and stuck them back in the oven (425) for about 10-15 minutes. Sprinkled with baco's and cheese for the last 2 minutes. Crispy and delicious.
In an attempt to cut the fat and carbs in this recipe I baked my potatoes in the oven for one hour at 425 degrees. The skins got very crispy, then all I had to do was cut in half and scoop out the pulp. We used a little butter flavored spray, non fat sour cream and chives. Yummy without all the fat. Chivo is another alternative we find pretty tasty.
Potato skins have always been a favorite of ours, but this was the first time I ever made them at home. This is a great recipe as written, but I played with it just a little and was CRAZY happy with the result. I baked the potatoes in the oven early in the day (425 degrees for an hour) and left them on a rack to cool completely. About an hour before frying, I scooped out the flesh and sealed the shells in a zip-lock so they wouldn't dry out. I deep-fried them, seasoned with salt and cracked pepper, filled with sharp cheddar, and baked as instructed for 7 minutes. After removing from the oven, I sprinkled with lots of finely chopped green onion and more cracked pepper. I arranged the skins on a platter with a bowl of sour cream, and drizzled with a tiny bit of white truffle oil. Oh, MY. This isn't something I'll make often, but when you're in the mood for wicked, cheesy, over-the-top indulgence, this is the way to go. Misty, thank you for your wonderful recipe. You made us very happy!
I, too, did not deep fry these but instead baked the potatoes first in the oven, let them cool, then scooped out the insides. I brushed the inside with a bit of olive oil and baked for about 10 minutes at 425. I then had added the cheese & bacon into the scooped out portion of potatoes and mixed well, filled the skins with the mixture and then topped with just a bit more shredded sharp cheddar. After baking for about 10 minutes I turned the oven to broil and broiled just until the cheese was perfect. Served with fat-free sour cream and diced green onions. Needed a bit of salt and pepper and they were FANTASTIC!!!
These were awesome! I brought these to a wine tasting party and they were gone before I knew it. I didn't bake them in the microwave but did it the old fashioned way in the oven for about an hour. I wanted the skins to be crisp for easier removal of the potato. Using my "Fry Daddy" was the quickest and easiest way to fry the skins. They came out perfectly crisp and ready for the oven. Thanks Misty! I can't wait for another excuse to make these again.
Delicious! I made a single batch of these and cut them into quarters instead of halves. They were all gone in 2 minutes flat. You need to be careful when cooking in the oil. Mine definitely did not take a full 5 minutes-more like 2-3 depending on how much potato was left on the skin. Will make again but double the recipe. Thanks...this is a winner.
Awesome my wife went off atkins diet and wanted a rewarding dish! I made these for her as she always did order these as an appetizer when we dined out! She said mine were as good as the best she remembers!!! Not Bad huh!?!? For those of you without a thermometer for the oil it is med high heat! for deep frying on the stovetop!
What a simple yet flavoursome dish. I served this as a side dish to dinner tonight (sausages salad and coleslaw) Rather than frying these I baked them at 250oC (about 400oF) for 20 minutes turning once - don't like my family eating fried foods (I scarcely coated them with vegetable oil). They were super crunchy and when tossed in a salt blend (I tossed then in 1 teaspoon of chicken salt and 1/2 a teaspoon of regular salt) and didn't bother with the bacon or cheese they practically flew out of the serving dish!!! Misty thank you for such a fantastic recipe - this one is a keeper (my husband wants it for dinner tomorrow night it's that good)
I like these much better baked in the oven with melted butter poured on top, sprinkled with garlic salt, add chopped green onions, use ONLY real bacon and sharp cheddar, also sour cream as desired.
