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Loaded Potato Skins - Bacon and Cheese

Introduction & method

I've always loved a simple baked potato, just cut open and stuff with things like butter and salt, baked beans and cheese, maybe some chilli con carne if you were feeling exotic. But the loaded potato skin takes a simple baked potato to a whole new level.

Loaded Potato Skins - Bacon and Cheese Recipe

Prep and Cook the Spuds


First of all, preheat your oven to 180°C (356°F) for a fan oven, 200°C (392°F), gas 6. Now clean your potatoes and cut out any imperfections. Stab them all over with a fork (this helps the heat penetrate to the interior) and rub all over with extra virgin olive oil. Place in a roasting dish and bake for 1 hour. They should be done after this time, but just check by inserting a skewer into the centre of each one. If you feel any resistance, cook for another 10 minutes and test again. Let them cool for about 5 minutes before attempting to fill them.

Prep the Filling/Topping


Place 2 rashers of back bacon (3 rashers if using streaky) on a square of kitchen paper. Place another square of paper on top and cook in the microwave for 2 minutes. Heat a little oil in a frying pan on medium heat and sear the bacon both sides until it's browned and crispy. Cut one rasher into very small dice (this will go into the filling) and the other into largish strips (this goes on top). Thinly slice the spring onion, and keep the green bits and white bits separate. Grate the cheese.

Assemble the Loaded Potato Skins


Slice each potato in half and scoop out the flesh, leaving 4-5mm (quarter inch) stuck to the inside of the skin. Mash the scooped-out potato flesh together with the tiny bacon crumbs, the white bits of the spring onion, half the cheese, a knob of butter, 2 tbsps soured cream and a pinch of salt. Spoon the mixture back into the potato skins, place a few strips of bacon on top, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and put them under a hot grill/broiler. Take them out when the cheese has melted - about 5 minutes.

To Serve


Pop a dollop of soured cream on each potato, and sprinkle with the green bits of spring onion.



The video above is from the Keef Cooks YouTube channel. Click here to see the video recipe of Loaded Potato Skins - Bacon and Cheese on YouTube.

 

Ingredients & Info


POTATOES
 2 large baking potatoes
 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
FILLING/TOPPING
 75 grams mature Cheddar cheese
 2 rashers smoked back bacon
 1 spring onion
 a knob of butter
 3 tbsp soured cream
 a pinch of salt

UNITS:
Metric
US Customary/Imperial

Serves 2 
Prep time: 10 minutes.
Cooling time: 5 minutes.
Cooking time: 1 hour 5 minutes.
Total time: 1 hours 20 minutes.