Loaded Baked Potato Skins Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Do you eat the skin on a loaded baked potato? ›

Yes. Eat the skin to capture all the russet potatoes nutrition. The potato skin has more nutrients than the interior of the potato. It has lots of fiber, about half of a medium potato's fiber is from the skin.

TO REHEAT.

Place the potato skins in a 425 degree F oven until heated through (5 or so minutes). Add remaining toppings.

Transfer frozen potato skins to a freezer bag to store up to 6 months. To reheat from frozen: Microwave two potato skins for 1.5 minutes. Air fryer potato skins at 325°F for 5 minutes. Bake potato skins at 350°F for 10 minutes.

Glycoalkaloids occur naturally in potatoes and are toxic to humans at high levels. Glycoalkaloids are concentrated in the peel and prolonged exposure of tubers to light will stimulate the formation of glycoalkaloids near the surface of the potato tuber. Glycoalkaloids are not broken down by cooking or frying.

Potato skins are generally safe to eat and actually contain beneficial nutrients like fiber, vitamins, and minerals. However, they can also contain trace amounts of natural compounds like solanine and glycoalkaloids, especially in green or sprouted areas, which might be harmful in large quantities.

The best side dishes to serve with potato skins are buffalo chicken dip, coleslaw, chili, spinach artichoke dip, crispy green beans, potato rosti, bacon wrapped asparagus, blooming onion, goat cheese dip, baked beans, garden salad, fried pickles, and cheese fries.

Light exposure can cause a potato's skin cells to produce chlorophyll. The chlorophyll then causes the skin to turn green and helps the potato get ready to sprout. Light also activates the skin cells to produce solanine, a glycoalkaloid toxin, which has a bitter taste.

Baked potato skin is a great source of potassium and magnesium. When you don't have enough potassium in your diet, your body retains extra sodium, and too much sodium raises your blood pressure. A potassium-rich diet can help decrease blood pressure, protecting the heart and reducing the risk of stroke.

Cool baked potatoes completely, place them in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag and refrigerate them. The USDA says they can be safely refrigerated for 3 to 4 days. Like all foods that have been cooked and cooled, potatoes should be reheated to at least 165 degrees F.

Pioneers in the development of the skins as an appetizer include the Prime Rib Restaurant in Washington DC, R.J. Grunts in Chicago and the TGI Friday's chain out of Dallas Texas.

Does wrapping potatoes in foil make them bake faster? ›

Wrapping potatoes in foil does not hasten baking. On the contrary, since the foil itself has to be heated before the potato begins to bake, cooking times increase slightly. Not only do you get better baked potatoes when you bake them unwrapped, you also save money.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange product in a single layer on baking sheet and place on middle rack of oven. Bake for 14-16 minutes (half of box) or 16-18 minutes (full box).

Baking at 450 degrees F is way too high and the potato will have a wrinkled skin. Baking for an hour and a half is too long, the potato will be overcooked. Of course it can take that long if potatoes are stacked on top of each other.

Tip: If you're making baked potatoes, leave the peel on to get the best texture.

"From a health point of view, and I think from a taste and texture point of view, it's much better to leave the skin on," Simon says. "The skin of the potato is very high in fibre, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B — all of those good, healthy things are in high concentration in the skin."

It's up to you whether or not you peel your potatoes. Potatoes that are completely peeled and then cut into large chunks will crisp up nicely on all sides, whereas unpeeled potatoes that you've cut into wedges, or into halves or quarters, will become really crunchy only on their peeled sides.

The short answer is yes. You can absolutely peel potatoes ahead of time. But you'll want to take some extra steps to make sure your potatoes don't get discolored.