Recipe: Stuffed Potato Skins

Stuffed Potato Skins
rec.food.cooking: Beth Wettergreen

When I'm cooking for a big group up at camp I make the potatoes do "double duty."

First I bake a bunch of potatoes and, when they are done, cut them in half and scoop out the inside and set the skins aside, covered, to cool. With the scooped-out potato stuff I'll make a potato-cheese souffle or garlic mashed potatoes or potato pancakes as a side dish to go with dinner. I prefer a make ahead and reheat alternative such as garlic mashed potatoes, so I can concentrate on the potato skin hors d'oeurves before dinner.

Now to the potato skins themselves. What I do is fry them until crispy in a mixture of olive oil and butter. (It's especially important that the "mealy" side gets brown and crispy, the skin takes care of itself.) Then, pat them all dry on paper towels layered on a cookie sheet. While they are still warm, sprinkle with grated cheddar cheese. Run them under the broiler on the same cookie sheet (with paper towels removed) until cheese bubbles, then add a dollup of sour cream, chopped green onion and fake (soy) baco bits to top the sour cream. These are the number #1 all-time favorite appetizers served at our Audubon camp.

Of course, there's an endless variety of other toppings possible--from bleu cheese to caviar.