PW's Potato Skins

I made my first recipe out of my 20th wedding anniversary present (The Pioneer Woman Cooks Cookbook) and it was amazing!

I made PW's Potato Skins for two reasons. 1) I have this really annoying habit where I have to start at the first recipe in a cookbook and make the dishes in order. And PW's Potato Skins were the first recipe in the book that I knew everyone would eat and probably like. 2) My kids love potato skins, they always ask for them at restaurants. They hardly ever get them cause you know we are a family of 5 with only 1 income trying to build a house and appetizers are like 10 dollars and so unless someone is willing to give up their meal it just isn't gonna happen.

PW's Potato Skins

 Here is the recipe along with my review and the things I did different and also the things that I plan on doing next time.

8 slices thick-cut bacon (I just used a pound of regular bacon)
8 russet potatoes, scrubbed clean (I used the smallest ones that were in the bag)
Canola oil
Kosher salt (I forgot and just used regular salt, next time I'm using kosher salt to see if I can taste a difference)
1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese (I used New York White Cheddar instead, next time I will be using the regular sharp cheddar)
1 cup sour cream (I just sat the sour cream out on the table because not everyone in my family likes sour cream)
4 green onions sliced (I forgot about these too, and I bought them and everything. Next time I will not forget!)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Fry up the bacon.

Wash the potatoes and rub the skin liberally with canola oil. Place on a baking pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the potatoes are fork tender.

Slice the potatoes in half lengthwise. (Next time I am going to give the potatoes some time to cool down. My poor fingers were burnt BAD)

With a cookie scoop or spoon (I used a cookie scoop), scrape out the inner flesh of the potatoes, leaving a small margin of  potato in the skins (I left quite a bit more than she shows in her pictures, because I wanted enough potato to taste)

Brush both sides of the potato skins with canola oil. Salt both sides liberally. (I brushed and salted the inside of the skins then I placed them back on the pan and brushed and salted the other side)

Place the skins cut side down on the pan and return to the oven.

Bake for 7 minutes, then flip the skins to the other side.

Bake for 7 minutes more, or until the skins are crispy. (mine took the entire 7 minutes on each side)

Grate up the cheese.

Chop the bacon into bits (I just roughed chopped the strips of bacon as we like larger pieces of bacon on our potato skins)

Sprinkle cheese onto each potato skin.

Then sprinkle with bacon and return to the oven just long enough to melt the cheese.

Before serving, spoon 1 tablespoon of sour cream on each skin and sprinkle with sliced green onions (I did not do this as my boys do not like sour cream and as I mentioned I forgot the green onions, but I will be adding those next time).

And the verdict on these were unanimous: EVERYONE LOVED THEM! I have already planned on making them for New Year's Eve (but I know that I will make them before that too).

Next recipe I will be trying: Cinnamon Rolls!