Baked Potato Skins

Delicious Smoky Potato Skins

I set out last weekend to make some homemade gnocchi. Every now and then I like to immerse my hands in dough, be it bread dough or pasta dough. I think it’s the touch and taste and smell combination. It is also very therapeutic. But, anyway, where was I going with this? I made gnocchi. I bake my potatoes (instead of boiling them) and I was scooping out the flesh, when I realized I had a stack of potato skins. I hate wasting anything lately and wondered what would I do with these. Sort of a duh moment, don’t you think? So I foraged the fridge. I had no bacon, but did have polish smoked sausage. I found cheese and sour cream. I also had 2 avocados perfectly ripe and some green onions and heirloom tomatoes. Needless to say, we had scrumptious baked potato skins for dinner that night. The gnocchi, I ate some too, but gave most of it away to a friend for their dinner. I can always make more!

Smoky Potato Skins

10 potato skin halves, scooped out with some of the flesh left on the skin

4 T butter, melted

2-3 T crushed red pepper

½ of ring of polish smoked sausage chopped into small pieces

1 heirloom tomato, chopped into small pieces

3 green onions, chopped into small pieces

1 – 2 c of shredded cheese (your choice – I use pepper jack if I want a good kick or cojack for a mild flavor)

sour cream

guacamole

black olives

Brush the scooped out potato skins in and out with the melted butter. Sprinkle each piece with crushed red pepper. Place on a baking sheet, prepared with Pam and bake in a preheated oven (375 degrees) for 10 minutes or until crispy.

While the skins are baking, put 1 T butter in a sauté pan and melt. Add the smoked sausage and sauté until crispy on the outside.

Remove the skins from the oven.

While still warm, place the cheese and smoked sausage into the shells. Return to the oven for an additional 7-10 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove.

Cool slightly, then add your sour cream, tomatoes, guacamole and black olives as toppings. You can add a dash of tomatilla salsa if you like or hot sauce to taste. What ever your kick!

Potato Skin PRINTABLE RECIPE

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