a Slimmed Down Twice Baked Potato Skin

Super Bowl. Football, Commercials, Beer, & Food. Delicious, fattening food.

My challenge was to still keep the great flavor, but not all the calories. Inspired by Rachel Ray’s Mashed Potato Skins, I created the following dish: a twice baked potato that has the taste of a potato skin.

a Slimmed Down Twice-Baked Potato Skin

Ingredients

6 Baking Potatoes
1 Package Turkey Bacon
1+ Cup Fat Free Sour Cream
3/4 Cup Milk
1+ Cup Low Fat Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/2 Cup Shredded Gruyere Cheese
Fresh Chives, chopped
Salt & Pepper

*Note: this can, and perhaps, should be prepped a day in advance as the flavors really get enhanced over time. If making ahead, crisp the skins and do the “second-bake” the day of serving.

Preheat the oven to 400. Clean the skins of the baking potatoes, and then dry thoroughly. Pierce the potatoes several times with a fork, and then line them on a baking sheet. Rub the skins with olive oil, then sprinkle them with sea salt. Bake the potatoes for an hour, or until they are soft to the squeeze (use an oven mitt to test!). While the potatoes are baking, cook the turkey bacon according to the package directions. I prefer the bacon to be extra crispy but cook it to your liking. Once cooked and cooled, chop the bacon into large bits. When the potatoes are cooked through, carefully slice the potatoes in half, lengthwise. Scoop out the center of the potatoes, reserving the flesh in a large bowl. Be sure to leave some flesh of the potatoes on the skin though so the skin stays intact. Increase the heat of the oven to 450 degrees. Brush the potato skins, inside & out with olive oil, and sprinkle with more salt. Place the skins on a broiler pan skin down, and roast for 8 minutes. Flip them over and roast for another 8 minutes. You want to just give the skins a slight crisp. Turn the oven down to 350 and set the crispy skins aside.

Mash the potatoes with a fork in the pot (or with a potato ricer to get a fluffier mash). Add the sour cream and then slowly pour in the milk. Mix until the potatoes start to get smooth but not too runny. Add the cheddar & gruyere cheese, reserving some for topping the potato skins. Don’t skip on the gruyere cheese. It may take a little more effort to find at the grocery store, but the nutty, complex flavor of this Swiss cheese really compliments the bacon well in this dish.

Next, mix in the chopped bacon, as well as the chives. Reserve both some bacon and chives for topping the potatoes when fully cooked. Season with salt & pepper.

Fill each skin with the potato mixture. Sprinkle each potato with additional cheese, and then bake for another 15-20 minutes until the potato is heated through and the cheese is melted. Once out of the oven, sprinkle more chopped turkey bacon and chives on top of each potato skin. Serve hot with a side of sour cream. Enjoy!