Looking for a fun, easy-to-eat appetizer to serve to your Super Bowl fans? This week our friend Eila Johnson, The Full Plate Blog, shares a crowd pleasing big game recipe . . . These mini loaded potato skins are hearty enough for the most macho, and can be made healthy enough for those trying to stick to their New Year’s resolutions. “When I serve a baked potato bar as dinner for my family, I set out a bunch of different topping options… with these bit-sized appetizers, I fill some with everything from fresh veggies to bacon. I’ve recreated that colorful array of topping options with these mini potato skins,” says Johnson.
Mini Loaded Potato Skins
(Makes about 40 pieces)
Ingredients:
- 28 oz bag baby Yukon Gold or red potatoes
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese (divided)
- 1 cup Stewart’s store-made fresh salsa*
- ½ cup bacon bits (or crisp cooked and crumbed bacon)
- ½ cup organic sour cream
- ¼ cup fresh chives, minced
*Stewart’s own salsa is found by their store-made prepared foods, to the left of the deli counter
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Drizzle olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Roll the potatoes around on the sheet so they are lightly covered in oil. Bake the potatoes until just tender, about 20 minutes; flipping halfway so one side doesn’t get too browned. Then cool potatoes completely. {While the potatoes are cooking, you can cook/crumble your bacon, unless you are using bacon bits, which are ready to go.}
Once cool, slice each potato in half lengthwise, and then carefully hollow out each one, using a melon baller or small spoon to remove 2/3 of the flesh, placing it in a medium mixing bowl. {Reserve potato ‘innards’ for another use.}
Sprinkle ¼ cup of the shredded cheese, equally divvied up among all of the potato skins. Next, fill the hollowed skins with Stewart’s Fresh Salsa. Then divide a sprinkling of bacon between each of the skins. And finally, sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup of shredded cheddar among the tops of the potato skins. {Potatoes can be made ahead to this point. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Bring to room temp before baking.}
When ready to serve, return the potatoes to the 400°F oven and bake until the filling heats through and cheese is melted, 7-10 minutes. Serve warm or room temp with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of chives.
New Canaan mom, Eila Johnson, writes the full plate blog. The site, which was named to Forbes’ Top 100 Sites for Women, Forbes’ Top 10 Parenting and Homemaking Sites, and was ranked in the Top 5 “Foodie Mom Blogs” on a major parenting site in both 2012 and 2013, teaches busy parents how to make simple, nourishing recipes for their families and friends.
