Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Love loaded potato skins but hate scraping out the hot insides of the potatoes? This shortcut method for easy potato skins is the best way to make loaded potato skins. Serve them as an appetizer, side, or meal.
How long it takes: about a half hour
Equipment you’ll need: baking pan
Servings: makes 12 to 16
These potato skins remind me of loaded baked potatoes. Have you ever gone to a baked potato fundraiser or church supper? We used to have “Spud Night” at our church. Everyone was given a hot baked potato to load up with fillings: chili, ham, velvety cheese sauce, broccoli, peppers, onions, pretty much whatever you could think of.
(Easy) Potato Skins Recipe
Addictively delicious! Crispy potato slices with melted cheddar cheese oozing over the sides are loaded with a dab of sour cream, a sprinkling of crisp smoky bacon, and fresh green onions. You’re just going to love these!
An easier option. This recipe for loaded potato skins is easy (you won’t have to dig hot potato out of the skins) and there’s no waste. You can make these loaded potato skins in about half an hour, start to finish!
Lots of serving options. While we usually think of potato skins as an appetizer, they could easily be a great dinner, lunch, or served as a side. They’d go well with baked maple salmon, Parmesan baked cod, or breaded pork chops. Pair them with a bowl of Instant Pot tomato soup or vegetable soup.
“These are a game changer!!! I love potato skins but they are such a hassle. This is genius! We’ve made “potato skins” based on this recipe for a couple years now!”
Ingredient Notes
- Sliced Potatoes: Russets work best because of their texture, but you could also use another firm dry variety. The potato skins are rubbed with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper (just like baked potatoes).
- Cheddar Cheese: We love classic cheddar, but if you want to switch it up, try pepper jack!
- Toppings! I like crumbled bacon, sour cream, and green onions (scallions) but you can load these up with anything you like! Try air fryer bacon. It’s perfect to make a small batch of bacon to use in recipes.
How To Make Loaded potato skins
Prep potatoes. Scrub the potatoes, dry them, and slice them into roughly one half inch slices. The recipe is written for one pound of potatoes but you can make as many as you like. Just adjust the amount of oil, seasoning, and toppings accordingly.
Arrange on baking sheet. Next, spread the potato slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for easy cleanup. Brush both sides generously with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake. Roast the potatoes in a preheated oven until they are golden brown and tender, flipping them once after 20 minutes, then baking an additional 5 minutes. They’ll look so good already you may have to sample one.
Add toppings. Sprinkle each slice with a little (or a lot) of shredded cheddar and pop them back into the oven for just a couple of minutes to melt the cheese. Top with sour cream, bacon, and green onions, and serve immediately. I bet you can’t eat just one!
Easy Recipe Variations
- Be creative with toppings! Pretty much anything goes on these babies. If you’re going vegetarian, skip the bacon, no problem!
- Substitute sweet potatoes. Slice a raw sweet potato into ½ inch slices instead of using russet potatoes. Keep in mind that sweet potatoes are a little softer and might not quite make it as a finger food but they are delicious!
- Pizza potato skins. This is a fun variation. Add a teaspoon of pizza sauce, lots of mozzarella cheese, and a pepperoni on top of each slice of potato for a Italian twist on this recipe.
Baked potato skins are really best eaten right away. Once the toppings are on, they don’t keep well.
Make ahead idea: Reserve the baked slices before topping them, cover and refrigerate them for a day or two. Reheat the slices in the oven (single layer), air fryer, or toaster oven, or lightly fried in a skillet, and continue with the recipe as directed.
More Appetizer Recipes
Easy Potato Skins (shortcut no-waste method!)
Ingredients
- 2 russet potatoes (about 8 ounces each)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- coarsely ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Topping Suggestions:
- sour cream, sliced green onions, crispy bacon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper, if desired for easier clean-up.
- Scrub potatoes thoroughly, and dry. Slice each potato into ½ -inch slices, as evenly as possible.2 russet potatoes
- Arrange potato slices on baking pan, brushing both sides with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.1 tablespoon olive oil, ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt, coarsely ground black pepper, to taste
- Bake 20 minutes, remove pan from oven, flip each slice over, then bake 5 more minutes.
- Top each potato slice evenly with cheddar cheese, return to oven for 2 more minutes or until cheese is melted.½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Top with desired toppings. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Be creative with toppings! Pretty much anything goes on these babies. If you’re going vegetarian, skip the bacon, no problem!
- Sweet potato slices: Slice a sweet potato into ½ inch rounds. Keep in mind that they are a little softer and might not quite make it as a finger food but they are good!
- Pizza potato skins: Add a dab of pizza sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese, and a slice of pepperoni on top of each potato slice for a fun Italian twist on this recipe.
- Reheating: Baked potato skins are really best eaten right away. Once the toppings are on, they don’t keep well. If you reserve some of the slices before topping them, cover and refrigerate them for a day or two. Reheat the slices in the oven (single layer), air fryer, or toaster oven, or lightly fried in a skillet, and continue with the recipe as directed.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
These are a gamechanger!!! I love potato skins but they are such a hassle. This is genius! We’ve made “potato skins” based on this recipe for a couple years now!
Aren’t they great?! Thank you for leaving a review!
Hi Rachel, With Super Bowl approaching, I was looking for another quick and easy side to balance my menu. Your recipe was a hit! I had to delete the sour cream for my diary-sensitive guests and it was still delicious.
I’m so glad it was a hit! Thanks for leaving a review and comment, it means a lot to me!
This were right on time!!! Family brought some boxed potato skins from the store which was not enough to satisfy everyone. They are also expensive and take up room in the freezer. So I wanted to make some, without ALL the time and effort to make these. So I googled ‘quick and easy potato skins’ and came across this. It hit the spot and taste BETTER and are BETTER for you than the ones you get from the freezer section, not to mention all the space you save in your freezer!!!
Oh good! Your comment made my day!
This potato skins looks so yummy! definitely gonna try it!
I hope you love them!
I could go for one right now.
Me too! Or 10!
Hey Rachel!
I bet these would also work in the air fryer. They look so yummy :-)
Thank you!
I bet you’re right! They’d be awesome in the air fryer!