Loaded Potato Skins

I don’t know about you, but I love this time of year when the Super Bowl is quickly approaching, party invites go out and menu planning begins. I love all the greasy fattening food. In my mind it’s ok to indulge in these types of food for one day. Everything in moderation, right?

One of my favorite, bar style foods is the loaded potato skin. Words can not express how much I adore the potato, and then to broil it and make the skin crispy and load it with cheese, bacon, and green onions in my mind completes it! Potato skins can be a labor of love, but I’ve come up with a much quicker alternative. I microwave my potatoes and then throw them under the broiler. I know… gasp. This could be considered a crime in some people’s book, but it’s not in mine. I don’t want to wait hours to indulge in a few potato skins! So in my book–you  get the best of both worlds. It takes half the amount of time to cook these spuds and you still get the crispy flavors like it’s been baked for an hour plus.

I also like using red potatoes which is steering away from the traditional large russet potato. Honestly, use what you have on hand. I always have red potatoes on hand, so that’s what I use. If you always have russet potatoes on hand–use those. The same goes with cheese. If you have Mexican blend shredded cheese on hand and not sharp cheddar–don’t go out to the store just to buy the shredded cheddar for the recipe. Adapt, adapt, adapt! Don’t be scared to do so. Typically, if I have fresh bacon on hand, I will cook up some fresh bacon, and crumble it for this recipe; however, if you don’t and all you have is bacon bits on hand don’t be afraid to use them ( I use them). It’s all about making cooking simple, and this is especially true if you are entertaining. And remember, don’t be afraid to indulge in these spuds!