Football Food Makeover #3: Potato Skins

For this coming weekend I decided to makeover another of our tailgate favorites - potato skins. One of the many great things about potato skins is that they can be made up ahead of time and frozen until game day. Which means I can sleep in, be lazy all morning, and still have snacks ready by game time... or at least I could before I had a baby. Waking up early aside, no one appreciates a good make-ahead meal more than a new mama!

Garlic Potato Skins with Cheddar & Bacon

Ingredients:

(made over version)

- 8 large potatoes, cooked, cooled, and halved (or quartered if you prefer smaller skins)
- 2 T. olive oil
- 2 t. hot sauce
- 1 t. garlic salt
- 1 1/2 c. low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
- 2-3 medium fresh tomatoes, diced (or about 1 1/2 c. cherry tomatoes, diced)
- 1 T. cilantro
- 1/2 c. fat-free plain Greek yogurt
- 4 medium green onions, chopped
- 8 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled (I used the microwave kind)

(original recipe)

- 8 large potatoes, cooked, cooled, and halved
- 3 T. butter, melted
- 1 t. hot sauce
- 1 t. garlic salt
- 1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
- 2-3 medium fresh tomatoes, diced (or about 1 1/2 c. cherry tomatoes, diced)
- 1 T. cilantro
- 1/2 c. sour cream
- 4 medium green onions, chopped
- 8 slices of cooked bacon (I used the microwave kind)

WW points comparison: (makes 8 servings, 2 potato skins each)

-original is 17 points per 2 skins

-makeover version is only 7 points per 2 skins!

**The makeover version knocks off over half the points by changing 3 ingredients! And note that it wasn't the bacon :)

Directions:

1. First, cook the potatoes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash potatoes and poke several times with a fork. Microwave on high for 10 minutes, then bake on a foil-lined pan for 15 minutes, until soft. Allow to cool.

2. Cut cooled potatoes in half and scoop out the flesh, leaving a thin layer of potato flesh in each skin. (Keep the leftover potato for another recipe, like mashed potatoes, baby food, or cheddar-potato soup... recipe coming soon!)

3. In a small bowl, combine oil, hot sauce, and garlic salt. Brush the insides of each potato skin with oil mixture.

4. Place potato skins on foil-lined baking sheet; sprinkle with bacon and cheese. Bake at 425 for about 15 minutes, until cheese melts and skins are crisped to your liking.

the most useful yet under-utilized kitchen utensil

5.  Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix diced tomatoes and cilantro. Sprinkle tomato mixture over baked potato skins and top with green onions. Serve with 1 T. greek yogurt per potato skin (as a sour cream substitute - trust me, it's good!)

these got a little brown... I forgot to set a timer

and I was busy taking this picture:

7 months old!

I froze this batch, but I made a small amount

of topping so we could try one!

6. Potato skins can be made ahead and frozen, then baked directly from the freezer. To do this, allow skins to cool after baking, then place in the freezer in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Once frozen solid, wrap each in plastic wrap, then place in freezer bags. Best if frozen for no longer for a week, but can be frozen for up to 1 month. Do not freeze tomatoes and yogurt, add these after reheating.

mid-week & I'm ready for the weekend!

and boy, is that true...

7. To reheat frozen skins: preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Remove the plastic wrap and place a piece of aluminum foil over their tops, but do not fold it around them tightly. Bake for 15 minutes with the foil on, then remove the foil and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes foil-free. There is no need to defrost the potato skins before baking, but the oven should be fully preheated. (directions from Nigella Lawson, Food Network)

printable recipe