Most years on this first Saturday in January, we are heading to Kelli and Patrick’s for their annual Wild Card Saturday party. Unfortunately, this year, they took a hiatus. So in order to make up for missing such culinary delights as queso, wings, chili, and other delicious but not so good for you stuff, we decided to make some football food on Saturday night. Ladies and gents, I present: Wild Card Saturday Potato Skins.
These are mostly a riff on the recipe you’ll find over at Epicurious.com. But though the ingredient ratios are the same, the quality of the ingredients is much higher (Benton’s Bacon! Ronnybrook Creme Fraiche!) and the cooking method is a little different.
They are ridiculously easy to make. Come see.
First, wash potatoes and rub them in oil, then bake at 425 for one hour. Let them cool until you can handle them, then scoop out the flesh, leaving about 1/2 inch.
Meantime, while the potatoes are cooking, saute the bacon until crispy. Or cook it on a sheet pan underneath your potatoes for about 20 minutes.
After it’s cooled a bit, chop it into bits.
And combine parsley, cheese and cayenne in a bowl.
Don’t skimp on the cayenne. It lends a nice background of heat which goes well with the salty porky bacon and the sweet cheese.
After you’ve scooped your potatoes —
— fill them with cheese. Really fill them. It seems like a lot of cheese, but it will shrink as it melts and you don’t want deflated potato skins.
Bake them at 425 for about 10 minutes, until the cheese starts to melt pretty well. Then take them out and add the bacon on top. Cook that for another 10 minute until the skins are crisp, the cheese is bubbling and the bacon is very crisp but not burnt.
When they come out, garnish with green onions.
Voila!
Wild Card Saturday Potato Skins
Adapted from Epicurious.com
6 medium russet potatoe
Olive oil
6 bacon slices
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup chopped green onions
Sour cream
Preheat oven to 425°F. Scrub potatoes; pat dry. Rub skins with oil. Place potatoes on baking sheet. Bake until potatoes are tender, about 1 hour. Cool. Maintain oven temperature.
Meantime, cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium heat until brown and crisp. Drain. Chop bacon. In a medium bowl, combine cheeses, parsley and cayenne; stir to blend.
Cut each potato lengthwise into halves. Scoop out centers, leaving 1/2-inch-thick layer of cooked potato on skins. Oil baking sheet. Place skins, skin side down, on sheet, spacing 1 inch apart.
Sprinkle cheese mixture atop skins. Bake until cheese is melting and soft, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add bacon on top of each skin. Cook skins are crisp and cheese mixture melts, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Transfer skins to platter. Sprinkle with green onions; top with dollops of sour cream and serve.
Serves 4 to 6.
