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Loaded Baked Potato Skins

Crispy loaded potato skins on plate with homemade ranch.
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5 from 1 review

These Loaded Baked Potato Skins are the most delicious appetizer! They're crispy, brushed with garlic butter then loaded with bacon, cheese and chives. We're pairing them with a homemade ranch dressing for the ultimate match up. Get ready for some serious flavor. 

Ingredients

Loaded Potato Skins:

  • 8 slices of tradition bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces + reserved bacon grease
  • 4 medium to large sized russet potatoes, washed and dried
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded from the block
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chives, minced

Homemade Ranch:

  • 5 ounces 2% plain greek yogurt
  • 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, preference for Hellmann's mayo
  • 1/3 cup whole milk
  • 2 teaspoons distilled or white vinegar
  • 1/3 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chives, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried dill
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Heat a skillet on the stovetop to medium low heat. Add the bacon and cook until crispy, about 8-10 minutes. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Reserve the bacon grease in a bowl. Prepare 4 large pieces of tin foil to wrap the potatoes in. Brush each potato with bacon grease, then sprinkle with salt and pepper and wrap in a foil piece. Place all the foil wrapped potatoes on a cookie and bake for 55-60 minutes until tender.
  2. While the potatoes are baked, make the homemade ranch by adding yogurt, mayonnaise, vinegar, milk, 1 clove minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, dried dill, fresh parsley and chives into a food processor. Blend on high for 30 seconds, then pulse about 10 times quickly. Pour into a container, then refrigerate until serving.
  3. Once the potatoes are baked, carefully unwrap them from the foil and allow them to cool for 10-15 minutes. In a small skillet over medium low heat, melt the butter, then add the 2 remaining cloves of minced garlic and cook for 60 seconds. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
  4. Slice the potatoes in half, then scoop out the center. You want to leave enough inside to where the skin is still really stable. Basically, you want it like a stable bowl that you can fill with toppings. Place the halved scooped potatoes back on the cookie sheet and brush with garlic butter. Return to the middle portion of the oven to get crispy for about 12-18 minutes. We're looking for golden brown edges, but not burnt garlic. Once they're crispy, remove from the oven and top with cheddar cheese, then our reserved bacon. Bake for 5-8 minutes until the cheese is gooey and melted.
  5. Top the potato skins with remaining 1 tablespoon of chives. Grab the ranch from the fridge and give it a quick stir before serving next to the potato skins. Enjoy!

Equipment

Notes

  • Shred the cheese from a block for the best melt. Bagged cheese doesn't melt well because of the anti-caking agents.
  • Bake the potatoes until tender, but not too long to where they are breaking apart too easy. You want them to keep their shape well (not shriveled up). I found this was about 55-60 minutes.
  • If the ranch is too thin, simply whisk in another tablespoon of mayonnaise or yogurt until you get the desired consistency. If it's too thick, add a tiny splash of milk and whisk.

Find it online: https://simplymadeeats.com/20823/loaded-potato-skins/