I love making this easy appetizer recipe because nothing goes to waste. You use the potato skins for the recipe and the inside part can be used to make mashed potatoes or Shepherd’s Pie! This recipe makes 8 servings, but can easily be doubled or tripled if you need to.
Prep the recipe ahead of time by baking the potatoes first and scooping out the soft middle portion. If I’m making it for a party or special occasion, I’ll start the recipe in the morning and finish it off just before I want to serve it.
There is so much flavor inside every bite. The skins are brushed with a spicy butter and then broiled to crisp them up. Then the fun part happens – you get to load them with all the yummy toppings.
For the filling, I used a mixture of Monterey Jack cheese, Litehouse® Freeze Dried Red Onion, Litehouse® Freeze Dried Chives, bacon, jalapeno pepper slices, Litehouse® Hatch Chile Ranch Dressing & Dip and Litehouse® Freeze Dried Parsley.
Don’t worry – it’s not too spicy! I find the Litehouse® Hatch Chile Ranch Dressing & Dip perfectly complements the heat. My partner isn’t big on spicy foods and he gobbled up most of the appetizer himself. Thankfully, I was able to snag a few before he ate them all.
If you are a big spice fan, I recommend chopping up a jalapeno pepper and mixing it with the cheese and bacon. I put them on top so they can be picked off by anyone who isn’t a fan.
Another option is to add some cooked chicken or turkey. This is a great idea for leftovers. Play around with the ingredients and have fun with it. If you have kids, let them scoop out the inside of the potato. It’s not a big deal if the sides break a little, the recipe will still taste delicious!
I hope you enjoy it as much as we have. This recipe is a keeper in my books!