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Introducing my Loaded Potato Skins. They are the perfect combination of crispy potato skins and creamy filling. They make for an easy appetizer that everyone can enjoy. Filled potato skins are also easy to adjust to fit different taste preferences.
Recipe Difficulty – Very Easy
Table of Contents
Why this recipe works
When it comes to potatoes, they are pretty much welcome year-round! From mashed potatoes to potato wedges to crispy potatoes, they don’t disappoint. This stuffed potato skins recipe is about to bring you another go to potato recipe that is sure to impress! It has definitely become a guilty pleasure of mine!
If you are a big sports family, this loaded potato skins recipe is perfect for game day! Everyone knows that one huge part of football season is great appetizers. And these homemade loaded potato skins definitely won’t disappoint! Start practicing these perfect loaded potato skins now and be the star of your next super bowl party!
These crispy loaded potato skins or twice baked potatoes, are sure to become a new family favourite! They take a while to cook, but don’t take much prep. They’re great for those Fridays when you need something easy. This was inspired by my Air Fryer Jacket Potato recipe and pairs well with this amazing Smashed Brussels Sprouts recipe.
Ingredients to make Loaded Potato Skins
- Baking Potatoes – such as russet potatoes will work best for this recipe.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil – helps to crisp up these crispy baked potato skins.
- Chopped Tomatoes – add a nice burst of colour and flavour.
- Garlic Cloves – bring that classic umami flavour.
- Dried Oregano – is a nice, subtle flavour.
- Salt – helps to accentuate the other flavours.
- Grated Mozzarella – gets mixed in as well as turned into a crispy cheese on top. I use Dairy-Free.
- Fresh Basil Leaves – finish off this dish perfectly.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions
- Baking Potatoes – are most commonly used for this, but you could also use red potatoes or yukon gold potatoes. You could even try it with a baked sweet potato instead.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil – Any neutral cooking oil will work fine.
- Vegetables – Some other great options to mix in with the filling are green onions, black beans, bacon, or corn.
- Mozzarella – You can use your favourite cheese and it will still be delicious. Some melty cheddar cheese would be great, for instance.
Variations
- Spicy – Mix in some chili powder to the filling for a nice kick.
- Deluxe – You can add a dollop of sour cream (or my Vegan Sour Cream) on top with some chopped spring onion and crispy bacon bits (or crumpled Rice Paper Bacon) to bring these up a notch.
- Kid friendly – These are already pretty kid-friendly! Give them some ranch, ketchup, or another favourite sauce for them to dip them in if that would help!
See this Thyme Infused Hasselback Potatoes recipe on my website for another great side!
How to make Loaded Potato Skins
Step 1: Firstly, preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F). Using a fork, prick some holes into the potatoes. Rub the potatoes in olive oil and place potatoes on a baking tray. Bake them for 50 minutes or until cooked and soft. Be sure to turn them over halfway through.
Step 2: Remove from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes. Slice them in half and scoop the potato flesh into a bowl. Put the skins back into the oven for another 10 minutes to crisp up the insides of the potato skins.
Step 3: Meanwhile, crush the garlic and add it to the bowl with the potato filling along with the chopped tomatoes, dried oregano, salt, and 1/2 of the mozzarella. Thinly slice 3/4 of the basil and add it to the bowl as well. Combine well.
Step 4: Remove the potato shells from the oven and stuff them with the mixture. Top with the remaining mozzarella and place back into the oven for another 20 minutes.
Garnish with the remaining fresh basil to serve.
Hint: Bake time may vary based on oven type and size of the potatoes. When you are making these for the first time, be sure to check doneness with a fork before scooping out the middles. Yours may need some extra time.
Leftovers
If you have leftover loaded potato skins, they can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to three months. Reheat in the oven, air fryer, or microwave.
Recipe FAQs
If you are using these as part of an appetizer bar, they go great with your other favourite appetizers. For a meal, you could serve it alongside my Three Bean Salad. If you want to keep it casual, they would even be great alongside some pizza.
This really depends on what you put in them. The potatoes themselves are good for you. I keep mine very healthy by mixing the potato filling with vegetables, herbs, and a bit of cheese. If you are mixing in cream, bacon fat, or melted butter, it is going to be a lot less healthy for you. A cheese bacon potato is always going to be less healthy than a veg-filled one.
You can, but you don’t have to! You could enjoy them cold right from the fridge, heat them up to room temperature, or warm them up to as hot as they were when you first made them.
Loaded potato skins start the same as a regular baked or jacket potato. The difference is that you remove the filling and cook just the skins for a bit. You then put the filling back on top of the crunchy potato skin and cook it some more. It makes for the best potatoes! They have a crispy skin with a delicious creamy center.
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Loaded Potato Skins
Ingredients
- 4 baking potatoes
- ½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- ¾ can chopped tomatoes
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp salt
- 75 g mozzarella, grated (I used dairy-free)
- 1 handful fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F). Using a fork prick some holes into the potatoes, rub them in the olive oil and bake in the oven for 50 minutes until cooked and soft. Turn them over halfway through.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before slicing in half and scooping out the filling into a bowl. Place the skins back into the oven for 10 minutes.
- Crush the garlic and add it to the bowl with the potato filling, along with the chopped tomatoes, dried oregano, salt and ½ of the mozzarella. Thinly slice ¾ of the basil and add to the bowl. Combine well.
- Remove the skins from the oven and stuff with the mixture. Top with the remaining mozzarella and place back into the oven for 20 minutes. Garnish with the remaining fresh basil to serve.
Easy and delicious 🙂
Thank you Wendy!