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Ultimate Game Day Pimento Cheese Stuffed Potato Skins with Crispy Bacon Crumbles

Three baked potato skins generously filled with bright orange Pimento Cheese Stuffed Potato Skins mixture and topped with bacon bits and chives.

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Make crispy potato skins filled with homemade, creamy pimento cheese and topped with bacon. This recipe provides instructions for preparing the shells and the savory filling.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 large Russet potatoes
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup diced pimentos, drained
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped white onion
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Scrub the potatoes clean and prick them several times with a fork.
  2. Rub the potatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake directly on the oven rack for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the skins are crisp and the insides are tender.
  3. While potatoes bake, prepare the bacon. Cook the bacon until crisp, drain it on paper towels, and then crumble it. Set aside.
  4. Once potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice each potato in half lengthwise. Scoop out most of the interior flesh, leaving about a 1/4-inch thick shell. Place the shells on a baking sheet.
  5. In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, diced pimentos, white onion, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. Mix until completely smooth and well combined. This is your pimento cheese filling.
  6. Spoon the pimento cheese mixture evenly into the potato shells, mounding it slightly.
  7. Return the stuffed potato skins to the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the filling is hot throughout and the edges of the cheese begin to brown slightly.
  8. Remove from the oven. Sprinkle the tops of the hot skins with the crumbled bacon and fresh chives before serving.

Notes

  • For extra crispy skins, brush the empty shells lightly with oil and bake them for an additional 5 minutes before filling.
  • You can substitute store-bought pimento cheese for the homemade filling mixture if you are short on time.
  • If you prefer a spicier flavor, add a dash of cayenne pepper to the cheese mixture.

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