Last weekend my wife was out of town. So… I got crazy and made two of my favorite appetizers for dinner. When I am at a restaurant and I cannot make up my mind on what to eat, I will go for the appetizer platter if they contain 2 out of 3 items: potato skins, mozzarella sticks, and chicken wings. So, I covered the wings in my last post. This will cover my twist on potato skins…. Green Chile Bacon Potato Skins. I lived in New Mexico for a few years after college, so I have a strong love for green chiles. They go great with about anything you would enjoy bacon with… eggs, potatoes, burgers, etc. I think you will love these tasty little boats.
We are using medium Russet potatoes for this recipe, which are your standard baked potato variety. They have a thick skin unlike some potatoes, making them idea for potato skins that need some structure and strength. I roasted mine at 425 degrees for 1 hour. You know when they are done by pressing on the skin. If they are done you will feel an empty pocket behind the skin, like it has pulled away from the flesh of the potato a little bit.
Pull them out and let them rest until cool enough to handle. Cut them in half and scoop out the meat of the potato. You then want to coat the skin with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper. Then flip them over and fill with our ingredients. Butter, cheese, green chiles, and bacon… enough said.
Place them on the grill over low heat or indirect heat for 15 minutes and then finish over direct heat for 5 minutes to crisp up the skins. When bubbly hot and crispy, pull the skins to decorate with toppings of your choice. I like to keep it simple with sour cream. I hope you enjoy this small twist to a classic favorite of mine. If you give them a try, let me know what you think.
Green Chile Bacon Potato Skins on the Grill
Ingredients
- 4 Medium Russet Potatoes
- 6 Slices Bacon
- 1 4 oz Can Roasted Green Chiles
- 6 oz Shredded Cheese Monterrey Jack, Cheddar, or other good melting cheese
- 4 Tablespoons Butter
- 8 Tablespoons Sour Cream
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- Coarse Salt & Pepper
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425 degrees F
- Clean potatoes and stab them several times with a fork on all sides
Bake potatoes directly on the rack for approximately 1 Hour or until soft. Rotate them every 20 minutes. It should feel almost a little empty behind the skin when you press on the potato skin with your finger.
Saute the bacon until it gets a little crispy. Chop up or rip apart into small pieces.
- Cut the potatoes in half and remove the flesh of the potato.
Flip skins over and brush with olive oil. Salt and Pepper the skin sides.
- Place 1/2 Tablespoon of butter in each skin and then fill with cheese, green chile, and bacon.
- Heat grill up to 350 degrees and place the skins over low heat or indirect heat. Cook for 15 minutes.
- Finish the skins over high heat for 5-10 minutes to crisp up the skin.
- Remove from heat and top with sour cream for serving.
