{things i made} crispy stuffed potato skins
Less was more at the small party we threw for this year's Super Bowl. We put together four classic appetizers–nachos, buffalo chicken meatballs, jalapeno pretzel poppers and these stuffed crispy potato skins. Each hit the spot perfectly (I'm still enjoying the leftovers!), but I think these spuds were my new favorite. They take some time, but most of it is inactive as the oven works to crisp them up. Amazingly, no frying is involved but the crunch and flavor is phenomenal. I kept things simple with sour cream and chives topping the cheddar and bacon, but any number of add-ons–mushrooms, peppers, blue cheese, broccoli, avocado, beans, or chicken could all work–though not all together!
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8-10 (3-inch-long) russet potatoes (about 2 1/4 pounds), scrubbed and thoroughly dried
Coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
olive oil, as needed
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
6 slices cooked, crumbled bacon
1/3 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
1. Heat the oven to 400°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Pierce each potato several times with a fork. Place the potatoes directly on the oven rack and bake until the skins are crisp and a knife easily pierces the potatoes, about 50 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Set the oven to broil.
2. Slice each potato in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh, leaving about 1/4 inch intact, reserving the flesh for another use. Brush the insides of the potatoes with oil and season with salt and pepper. Flip the potatoes over, brush the skin sides with oil, and season with salt and pepper.
3. Evenly space the potato halves skin-side up on a baking sheet and broil until the skins start to crisp, about 5 minutes, watching so they don’t burn. Flip the potato halves over and broil until the top edges just start to brown, about 5 minutes more.
4. Evenly fill each skin with cheese and crumbled bacon. Season with cayenne pepper. Place in the broiler and broil until the cheese is melted and bubbling, about 5 minutes. Remove from the broiler and top each with 1 teaspoon of the sour cream and a sprinkling of the chives. Serve immediately.
