Easy Potato Skins (shortcut no-waste method!)

Love loaded potato skins but hate scraping out the hot insides of the potatoes? Try this shortcut method for easy potato skins, you’re gonna love ’em!

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!

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 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. So fun and super filling!

This version of loaded potato skins is easy (you won’t have to dig hot potato out of the skins) and there’s no waste.

What You’ll Need

• Sliced Potatoes – Russets work best because of their texture, but you could also use another firm dry variety.
• Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper – Just like if you were making roasted potatoes without the fun toppings!
• Cheddar Cheese – If you want to switch it up, try pepper jack!
• Toppings! Crumbled bacon, sour cream, green onions (scallions), or 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

You can make loaded potato skins in about half an hour!

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! 

FAQs

Changes You Could make To This Recipe

• 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 the 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 fun Italian twist on this recipe.

Storage & Reheating Tips

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.