Potato Skins
Potato Skins
Game-day Hooray! You’ll love these easy and delicious Potato Skins, perfect for tailgating, parties, or a comfy evening on the couch. Easy to prepare and full of flavor, these potato skins will fly off the plate.
The sour cream adds a nice burst of rich creaminess and a slight tang. The sour cream is the perfect topper, balancing the flavors of the crispy bacon and cheesy goodness.
Potato Skins Ingredients
- Baking Potatoes (6 small): Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes work well for this recipe.
- Salted Butter (2 tablespoons, melted): Adds a burst of salty flavor and helps the potatoes brown and crisp.
- Seasoned Salt (2 teaspoons): Use your favorite seasoning salt. Try experimenting with flavors for tasty twists.
- Grated Parmesan Cheese (3 tablespoons): Best when freshly grated, it adds a nutty saltiness to the potato skins.
- Cheddar Cheese (1 ½ cups): Adds the traditional tangy flavor to the potato skins. Cheddar has less moisture than some other melting cheese, making it ideal for crispy potato skins.
- Bacon (4 strips, cooked and crumbled): Savory, salty, and full of smoky deliciousness, it is one of the classic ingredients in potato skins.
- Daisy Sour Cream (3/4 cup): Adds a richness and creaminess to the potato skins, while also adding a slightly tangy flavor.
- Fresh Chives (2 teaspoons, finely diced): Adds a pop of color and have a mild onion flavor.
Substitutions, Variations, and Tips
- Save the scooped out cooked potato for mashed potatoes or hash browns.
- Red potatoes don’t work as well in this recipe, as they are too waxy.
- Lemon Pepper or other powdered spices/blends may be used in place of season salt. Experiment with different ones for tasty twists.
- Unsalted butter may be used in place of the salted butter.
- Olive, canola, or vegetable oil may be used in place of the butter.
- Make sure the potatoes are browned and crispy before adding toppings.
- Asiago or Romano cheese may be used in place of the Parmesan.
- Melting cheese, such as Monterey Jack, Muenster, Edam, Havarti, or Gruyere may be used in place of the cheddar.
- Be sure cook the bacon to crispy and dice into small pieces.
- Scallions and green onions may be used interchangeably.
How to Make Potato Skins
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Lightly grease outside of potatoes, cut small slit in top. Bake 45 minute or until soft. Let stand until cool enough to handle (about 15 minutes).
- Cut potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out the middle, leaving a very thin layer of potato.
- Brush outside and inside of skins with melted butter. Sprinkle inside with seasoned salt and Parmesan cheese. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake 8 minutes or crispy.
- Fill each with cheddar cheese and bacon. Bake 3 minutes or until melted.
- Top with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle of chives. Serve immediately.
Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes
Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes
The perfect side for weeknight dinners, yet fancy enough to serve alongside your holiday favorites. These Mashed Potatoes will melt in your mouth. Mashed potatoes are the ultimate comfort food and are easily customized.
These potatoes have the perfect balance of richness and creaminess from the addition of the sour cream with bursts of saltiness from the pancetta and cheese. It’s full of savory goodness and is a snap to make with only 20 minutes of hands-on prep. These mashed potatoes are sure to be a crowd pleaser. An added bonus is that they can be made ahead!
Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes Ingredients
- Russet Potatoes (6): The perfect starchy potato for mashing and baking. They mash up perfectly light, fluffy, smooth, and creamy.
- Pancetta (2oz, diced): Provides a burst of salty, robust flavor to the mashed potatoes without adding the smokiness of bacon.
- Green Onions (1/4 cup, sliced): Milder in flavor than other onions, green onions are slightly sweet and add a bit of peppery zip to the potatoes.
- Daisy Sour Cream (1 cup): Adds richness and creaminess to the mashed potatoes, while also adding a slightly tangy component that helps balance the other flavors.
- Kosher Salt (pinch): A large-grain salt that is less refined than table salt and contains no additives. It’s perfect for sprinkling.
- Fresh Cracked Pepper (pinch): Floral and spicy, fresh ground pepper is perfect for potatoes.
- Gouda (1 cup, shredded): A dense cheese with a mild nutty and sweet flavor, with a smooth, creamy texture. It’s a great melting cheese and along with the sour cream, adds richness to the potatoes.
Substitutions, Variations, and Tips
- Uniformly cut the potatoes into cubes before cooking for the perfect textures. Uneven cubes will lead to uneven cooking, with some pieces being overcooked and some undercooked.
- Cook potatoes until just barely tender. To test if they are ready, pierce a potato cube with a fork or knife. They are done when the fork or knife easily pierces the potato pieces. Avoid overcooking as it will make the potatoes mealy.
- Yukon Gold potatoes may be used in place of Russets. Yukon Golds are a yellow, slightly waxier potato, which will yield a buttery mash.
- Be sure to dice pancetta into small cubes to render and make extra crispy bits.
- Bacon may be used in place of pancetta. Bacon will add a smoky flavor.
- Scallions and green onions may be used interchangeably. Finely diced yellow onions may also be used in place of green onions.
- Table salt and ground black pepper may be used in place of Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.
- Creamy melting cheeses such as Muenster, Edam, Havarti, or Gruyere may be used in place of the Gouda.
- Mashed potatoes can be made hours ahead of time and kept warm in a slow cooker on low. Just give a quick stir before serving.
How to Make Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes
- Peel potatoes and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes.
- Place in a 3-quart saucepan and cover by 1” cold water. Bring water to a boil. Cook potatoes 20 minutes or until easily pierced with a fork or knife. Drain potatoes.
- Meanwhile, cook pancetta over medium-low heat 5-8 minutes or until crisp. Add green onions and cook 30 seconds.
- In large bowl, mash potatoes.
- Add pancetta, green onions, gouda, sour cream, salt, and pepper. Mix to combine. Serve immediately or place in slow cooker for holding.
Easy Avocado Toast
Easy Avocado Toast
This Avocado Toast is filled with healthy fats, protein, and is big on flavor. With the classic avocado, tomato, and cottage cheese pairing and under 300 calories, it makes the perfect quick and easy breakfast, snack, or lunch. The toast comes together in under 5 minutes with a handful of fresh ingredients.
Avocado Toast Ingredients
- Hearty Whole Wheat Bread (2 slices): The best bread for this recipe is a thickly sliced hearty bread with a tight crumb to hold the toppings.
- Avocado (1 ripe, mashed): Available year-round with a nutty flavor and buttery texture. Any variety of avocado will work in this recipe.
- Daisy Cottage Cheese (1/2 cup): The cottage cheese is creamy and slightly salty, adding cheesy goodness with a boost of protein in every bite. It is low in sugar, big on taste, and combines perfectly with the avocado as the creamy element that compliments the crustiness of the toast.
- Grape Tomatoes (8, halved): Oblong bite-sized tomatoes with the perfect balance of sweetness and acidity. They are tender, juicy, and meaty.
- Sunflower Seeds (2 teaspoons): Sunflowers are rich in healthy fats, as well as vitamins and minerals. They have a mild, nutty flavor, and add a nice crunch to the toast. Unsalted sunflower seeds work best in this recipe.
- Kosher Salt (pinch): A large-grain salt that is less refined than table salt and contains no additives. It’s perfect for sprinkling.
- Fresh Cracked Pepper (pinch): Floral and spicy, fresh ground pepper adds just the right amount of zip to the toast.
Substitutions, Variations, and Tips
- Any hearty thick-slice bread with a fine crumb will work well for the toast.
- Avocados are ripe when they have a slightly firm (not hard) feeling when pressed. They should not be too soft or mushy. The color of the avocado also slightly darkens as it ripens. Between the feel and color, you can easily tell if the avocado is ready to eat.
- To half the avocado, run a knife in the avocado until you hit the pit and then run it around the parameter, so you have two equal halves. Slightly twist the two halves and they should easily separate. Then remove the pit, slightly press your knife into it. The pit will give and pull out when you pull the knife back.
- Premade guacamole, which can be found in your produce section, is a great shortcut for freshly mashed avocado.
- Cherry tomatoes or sliced tomatoes may be used in place of grape tomatoes.
- Either toasted or raw sunflower seeds work well for this recipe.
- Pine nuts or other seeds may be used in place of the sunflower seeds.
- Table salt and ground black pepper may be used in place of Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.
- If you like your food a little spicier, drizzle with hot sauce.
How To Make Avocado Toast
- Toast bread.
- Layer with cottage cheese, mashed avocado, and tomatoes.
- Sprinkle with sunflower seeds, salt, and pepper.