One of the ultimate side dish recipes! These are seriously comforting, extra cheesy, deliciously creamy, mashed potato loaded, hearty stuffed potato skins and they never disappoint! A family favorite recipe!
Servings: 8(or 6 large)
Prep15 minutesminutes
Cook1 hourhour30 minutesminutes
Ready in: 1 hourhour45 minutesminutes
Ingredients
4(13 - 14 oz. each)large baker russet potatoes
1/2cuphalf and half,then up to 1/4 cup more if needed (heavy cream can be substituted for a richer option)
Preheat oven and prep potatoes: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scrub and rinse potatoes clean and pierce potatoes several times on each side with a fork.
Bake whole potatoes until softened through: Place potatoes in preheated oven and bake 75 - 80 minutes until fully cooked through (they should be fairly soft when squeezed). Remove potatoes from oven and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Scoop out flesh of potatoes: Slice potatoes into halves. Use an oven mitt to hold potato halves and scoop potato flesh into a large mixing bowl (while leaving about 1/6-inch potato intact with the peel). Transfer empty potato peels to a 13 by 9-inch baking dish or baking sheet (see note*).
Mash: Mash potatoes with a potato masher until no longer lumpy (or pass through a potato ricer or food mill into bowl for seriously smooth potatoes).
Add liquids and season, stir: Add in half and half, sour cream, butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. Blend mixture together with a spoon (or with just briefly with an electric hand mixer) while adding more half and half as needed to thin.
Fill potato skins: Scoop mixture into potato peels. Sprinkle with cheddar.
Stir seasonings and sprinkle over potatoes: In a small bowl whisk together paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Sprinkle seasoning evenly over potatoes.
Bake to heat through and melt cheese: Bake in preheated oven until cheese has melted and potatoes are heated through, about 10 - 15 minutes. Sprinkle with bacon and green onions and serve warm.
Notes
*If you liked potatoes to be heaped full only use 6 skins and 1 1/4 cups cheddar, if you want to fill level use 8 skins and 1 1/2 cups cheddar.
To cut calories you can use light sour cream, 2 Tbsp butter, low fat cheddar and omit the bacon. Nutrition estimate given based on 8 servings.
Possible Variations:
Swap sour cream with cream cheese.
Add sautéed or roasted garlic to the potatoes.
Try with another cheese on top like Colby jack or even a Mexican blend if that's what you've got on hand, or use a blend of cheddar and another cheese like parmesan.
Add a drizzle of ranch dressing on top after baking. So good!
Substitute 2 Tbsp fresh minced chives for the green onions.