Everything you love about jalapeno poppers is packed into these jalapeno popper potato skins! The potatoes bake up incredibly crispy and are jam-packed with a spicy jalapeno cheddar filling and lots of crispy bacon on top.
If you make ONE app for the Superbowl this Sunday please, please, please let it be these potato skins! We’re combining two of the world’s greatest apps into one today and everybody needs this kind of magic in their life.
Preferably by the large plateful with extra bacon bits on mine, thanks.
I mean, what else can I even say about these little gems?? They’ve got that signature crispy potato exterior while the inside is similar to that of a jalapeno popper filling and we’re covering the whole shebang in bacon.
It’s entire meal worthy and possibly every-meal worthy.
These Potato Skins feature…
- Super crispy roasted potato skins
- A rich cream cheese cheddar jalapeno filling
- Crispy bacon bits and green onions piled on top
Making the Potato Skins
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Baking potatoes
- Unsalted butter
- Jalapenos
- Garlic
- Cream cheese
- Cheddar cheese
- Bacon
- Green onions
Choosing Your Potatoes
You will need 6 small russet baking potatoes for these potato skins. I recommend choosing smaller potatoes so they roast up quickly and are appetizer-sized.
Prepare the potatoes for roasting by scrubbing them clean of any dirt and pricking all over so they release steam during baking. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer on a sheet pan and they’re ready for roasting.
Tips for Perfect Potato Skins
- Bake whole potatoes – bake the potatoes at 425F 40-50 minutes until they can easily be pierced with a fork.
- Halve potatoes and scoop out filling – make sure you leave a 1-inch layer on the bottom of potatoes. This will prevent the filling from leaking out and give you a bit of hearty potato in every bite.
- Brush potato skins with butter and bake again – place the potato skins cut-side down and bake an additional 15-20 minutes. This crisps up the exterior of the potato skins.
- Fill potatoes and bake one last time – fill the potatoes with the cream cheese filling and bake one last time 8-12 minutes until filling is lightly-browned and melted.
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on these potato skins.
- Make it mild – use 1 jalapeno pepper instead of 2. You can also use 1/4 cup pimentos in place of the jalapeno for a non-spicy version.
- Try another cheese – mozzarella, asiago, Parmesan, or sharp white cheddar work great in this recipe.
- Skip the bacon – omit the bacon topping for a vegetarian-friendly version.
- Use Neufchatel cheese – this is a lower-calorie alternative to cream cheese.
Make Ahead Instructions
Follow these instructions for time-saving make ahead tips.
- Roast the potatoes – roasted potatoes store well in refrigerator up to 6 days.
- Make the cheddar filling – the cheddar filling stores well in refrigerator up to 6 days.
- Assembly – when ready to assemble, carve out the potatoes and follow step 3 in the recipe to crisp up the potatoes. Fill potatoes with filling and bake according to recipe instructions.
That first bite is an experience like no other here. It takes you down through the crispy potato skin into all that creamy jalapeno filling and it is a RIDE, lemme tell you.
Don’t worry, I won’t tell when you go back for a 4th.
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.
More killer apps to add to your lineup!
Jalapeno Popper Potato Skins
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Ingredients
- 6 small baking potatoes
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and divided
- 2 medium jalapenos, minced
- 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 6 oz cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 strips bacon, cooked until crispy and finely diced
- Sliced green onions for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F. Scrub potatoes clean and arrange in a single layer on a large sheet pan. Prick potatoes all over with a fork. Roast potatoes at 425F 40-50 minutes until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Keep oven on
- Allow potatoes to cool several minutes. Once cool enough to handle, cut potatoes in half vertically. Carefully scoop out potato interior, leaving about 1-inch of potato shell at the bottom (save the potato interior for another use).
- Grease the sheet pan you used to roast the potatoes. Brush potato shells with 1 tablespoon melted butter and arrange cut-side down on sheet pan. Bake potatoes at 425F 15-20 minutes until cut side is crispy.
- Meanwhile, melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add jalapeno and sauté 2-3 minutes until slightly softened. Add garlic and cook 1 additional minute until fragrant.
- Combine sauteed jalapeno mixture with cream cheese and cheddar in a medium bowl. Fold until mixture is just combined and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove potatoes from oven and flip to opposite side. Fill potatoes with cream cheese filling. Return potatoes to oven and continue baking 8-12 minutes until filling is melted and lightly browned.
- Remove potato skins from oven and top with crispy bacon and green onions. Serve warm and enjoy!
Ann Leroux says
what do you do with scooped out potato
Sarah says
I save it for another use! It’s great in soups or you can mash it for mashed potatoes.