Put some skins in the game with these hearty and crispy potato wedges

I can’t remember when I ate my first potato skin, but I do remember thinking, “Oh my goodness, this is so good.”

Crispy bacon pieces nestled inside potato skins that have typically been deep fried, topped with a generous amount of gooey melted cheddar cheese. Add a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of thinly sliced green onions and you have the snack version of a twice-baked potato. What’s not to like?

Personally, it is rare that I eat something from the potato family I don’t like. I like all versions — fries, tots, boiled, mashed, roasted and baked. Of course, within each of those preparations some versions are better than others.

My best example is a baked potato. Growing up my mom wrapped potatoes in aluminum foil prior to baking, and while they always tasted good, I prefer the Red Lobster preparation where the potato is rubbed with a little oil and then rolled in a little crunchy salt before being baked. The result is a skin — maybe my favorite part of a potato — that is a little crisp and seasoned. This is how I prepare my baked potatoes.

The same goes for potato skins; they are all good, but I believe some are better than others. So often the inside of the potato is almost entirely removed, leaving little to no flesh, resulting in a thin crisp almost like a chip. I prefer a potato skin with more heft and at least a half-inch of flesh attached to the skin so it can support all the toppings I like to add.

Topping possibilities are endless, but a traditional potato skin is topped with crisp chopped bacon pieces, cheddar cheese, sour cream and sliced green onions. On the other hand, I have also used the potato skin in lieu of a taco shell and topped it with seasoned meat, spicy peppers, cheese, salsa, lettuce, sour cream and guacamole. My kids loved it. I have also had a Rueben version topped generously with chopped corned beef, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese. There was a little mustard to drizzle on top, and it was delicious!

I have also found inspiration in a local restaurant that serves great stuffed baked potatoes. If a topping can be put into a potato, it can also be put on top of one. Be creative!

To make preparing potato skins easier, you can bake the potatoes the day before and, once cool, store them in the refrigerator overnight. You can also cut the potatoes and scoop out the inside earlier in the day, but you must then brush them with the butter and oil mixture referenced in the recipe and brown them on both sides right away or the flesh will oxidize and turn a very unappetizing gray. Once browned, the skins can be stored in the refrigerator again until you are ready to proceed. All the toppings can be prepared ahead of time. Then when you are ready, just assemble and bake.

I like to drizzle the sour cream on top of my skins prior to serving. In order to have it evenly distributed, I transfer it to a small zip-top bag, cut off a small corner, and use it as a piping bag. This also works with guacamole or anything with a similar texture. Easy and quick.

The other thing I like to do is cut the potatoes into smaller pieces. Most recipes have you cut the potatoes in half, but I don’t always want to eat that much. With large potatoes, I cut each half into quarters making eight pieces from each potato, about 2 inches by 1½ inches. This makes it possible for me to have some without committing to an entire potato half, a must when there are other appetizers on the table or a dinner ahead.

I don’t think I have ever met someone who didn’t like potato skins, which makes them one of my go-to, crowd-pleasing appetizers. I have even been known to serve them as a side dish on occasion, and my family has been thrilled. They are also pretty affordable and easy to make with items many of us have on hand. I hope this inspires you to make some of your own.

• Penny Kazmier, a wife and mother of four from South Barrington, won the 2011 Daily Herald Cook of the Week Challenge. Contact Penny at DhCulinaryAdventures@gmail.com.

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Hearty and Crispy Potato Skin Wedges

5 large potatoes (I like Yukon Golds)

2 tablespoons melted butter

2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil

Salt and pepper

5 slices of bacon, cooked to crispy and chopped

8 ounces grated mild cheddar cheese

4 green onions, thinly sliced

¼ cup to ½ cup sour cream

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Wash and dry the potatoes. Prick each with a fork several times and place on a dry baking sheet. Place in the oven; bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until the potato gives slightly when squeezed. Remove from the oven and allow to cool until easy to handle.

Carefully cut each potato in half, being careful to not damage the skin. Scoop out the potato flesh, leaving at least a half-inch of flesh inside of each. Cut each potato half into quarters, if desired, and place skin side down in a heavy pan or on a baking sheet with sides. Repeat with all the potatoes.

Combine melted butter and oil; brush half of the mixture on the potato flesh. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the pan back into the oven for 10 to15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Turn each potato piece over to be flesh side down and brush the skin side with the remaining butter mixture. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and return to the oven for 10 minutes. The broiler setting on your oven may be helpful at this point, but be careful not to burn the potatoes.

Flip the wedges over again, flesh side up, and sprinkle with half the bacon and half the cheddar cheese. Repeat with the remaining bacon and cheese. Place the pan back in the oven until the cheese is melted, approximately 5 to 10 minutes.

Drizzle the baked potato skins with sour cream and sprinkle with the sliced green onions.

Serves 8-10.

— Penny Kazmier