Potato Skins and Pig Skins

Happy Tuesday!

Tonight I'm bringing you another one of our favorite snacks for tailgating! Last night was something sweet and salty, tonight is all salty!

There's a saying I use in my kitchen a lot. CIY. What's it stand for you ask? Cook It Yourself, or if I'm feeling more gangsta I say Cook It Yoself :) Why do I say that to myself while standing in my kitchen alone? Sometimes there are foods that I'm craving like crazy, but are usually only really good at restaurants. Things like cheeseburgers, crab legs, french fries, tacos, and potato skins!

I am a sucker for a good potato skin. But the ones in the frozen section never taste great, and who has time to go to a restaurant for 3 orders of potato skins on a Sunday when there's so much football to watch?! So I stand in my kitchen and say "Elie, Cook It Yourself!". This recipe is a little time consuming, but soo worth the extra effort. These taste just like T.G.I.Fridays! And with these I'm home and can make other snacks while these cook. Win Win. (to WAY speed up the process, bake potatoes in the microwave)

Here's what I use to bake my potatoes:

Scrub your spuds well and place on a towel to dry, or pat dry with a paper towel. Pierce the potatoes all over with a fork and rub with olive oil. Sprinkle on salt and bake at 300 degrees for 90 minutes, turning halfway through. I put a baking tray under the potatoes to catch the oil that drips off.

While baking, make your bacon :)

 Let the potatoes cool, then slice in half:

Mix these:

Brush the potatoes with the seasoning:

And bake. Once cooked, pull out the potatoes and top with cheese and bacon crumbles and bake for a few more minutes. Once they're done you'll have beautiful golden brown, gooey, crunchy, amazing potato skins!

 

Trust me when I say these.will.go.fast! Serve with sour cream, sit back and enjoy the compliments at your next tailgating party!

Potato Pig Skins

Baked potato recipe:

6 potatoes

2 T Olive oil

1 T salt

Wash each potato under warm water. Pat dry and poke all over with a fork. Brush each potato with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place directly on over rack and place a large baking sheet on the lower rack. This catches any oil that falls off the potatoes while cooking. Bake at 300 degrees for 45 minutes. Turn each potato and continue to cook for an additional 45 minutes. Let cool.

For microwave potatoes:

Scrub potato and pierce all over with a fork. Place on a microwave-safe plate and cook on high for 5 minutes. Turn and cook on high 5 more minutes. Let cool.

Potato skins:

6 baked potatoes

4 T vegetable oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 1/2 T Parmasen cheese

1/4 tsp paprika

4 strips of bacon, crumbled

2 C shredded cheddar cheese (less or more depending on how much you like cheese :)

Sour cream

Greens onions, sliced-optional (we don't like them so I don't use them)

Combine oil, salt, pepper, Parmesan cheese, and paprika in a small bowl. Split each potato length-wise and brush with oil mixture. Place open side down and bake at 475 degrees for 7 minutes; turn. Bake for an additional 7 minutes, or until crispy. Add the cheese and then the bacon and cook for another 1-2 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Add onions and serve with sour cream. Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by!