Creamy, cheesy, fluffy potatoes with crispy bacon — all baked inside a crunchy potato skin. These Stuffed Potato Skins are serious comfort food. Below you’ll also find ten more filling ideas to try.
“Potatoes are my real carb weakness, especially jacket potatoes. These stuffed skins had my mouth watering — I had to make them. Absolutely yummy.”
– Kathryn
Nicky’s Notes
These potato skins are perfect to eat with your hands — a great handheld snack, lunch or party food.
Scooping the potato into a bowl and mashing it with butter and cream yields a light, fluffy filling. Adding crispy pancetta (or bacon) and grated cheese turns them into something truly indulgent.
Table of Contents
- Nicky’s Notes
- 🧑🍳 Abbreviated Recipe
- Pro Tip
- 🍽️ What to serve it with
- 🍲 More fantastic potato recipes
- 10 more ideas for stuffed potato skin fillings
- 📺 Watch how to make it
- Loaded Potato Skins Recipe
- Make Ahead
- The Pancetta
- The Potatoes
- More Finger Food Ideas
🧑🍳 Abbreviated Recipe
Full recipe with detailed steps is in the recipe card below.
Bake the potatoes until their skins are crisp and the insides are tender. While they roast, fry the pancetta or bacon until crispy. Halve the potatoes, scoop out the flesh and mash it with butter, cream, salt and pepper until fluffy. Stir in the cooked pancetta and most of the grated cheese, reserving a little to sprinkle on top.
Spoon the mixture back into the potato shells, top with the remaining cheese and bake until the cheese melts and the tops are golden.
Pro Tip
- Choose potatoes of similar size so they cook evenly.
🍽️ What to serve it with
Finish each potato skin with a dollop of soured cream and a sprinkle of chopped spring onions (scallions).
🍲 More fantastic potato recipes
Sides
Dauphinoise Potatoes
Roast Dinner
The Best Crispy Roast Potatoes
Appetizers
Smashed Roast Potatoes with Garlic, Bacon and Cheddar
Sides
Crispy Smashed Potatoes
Sides
Homemade Air Fryer Chips
Sides
Sautéed Potatoes with Garlic
10 more ideas for stuffed potato skin fillings
- Thai Sweet Potato Skins – a spicy-sweet version with peanut butter, coconut milk and warming spices. Works well as a vegan option when using plant-based ingredients.
- Lasagne-Stuffed Potato Skins – use leftover lasagne meat and cheese sauce and tuck in small pieces of lasagne sheet for a hearty family favourite.
- Egg and Bacon – top each filled skin with an egg and bake until the white sets but the yolk stays slightly runny for breakfast-style potato skins.
- Philly Cheesesteak – shredded ribeye, onions and melted Gouda make a rich, meaty filling.
- Chicken Fajita – mash sweet potato with fajita spices, then add cooked chicken, red onion and fresh coriander.
- Cheesy Tuna and Sweetcorn – mix drained tuna, sweetcorn and cheddar for an easy, family-friendly filling.
- Cottage Pie – spoon in mince in gravy and top with creamy mash, then grill until golden.
- Cheesy Veg with Panko – mix cooked carrots, broccoli and green beans into the mash with cheese, then top with panko crumbs and bake until crisp.
- Spinach, Sausage and Lancashire Cheese – combine drained cooked spinach and chopped cooked sausage, then fold in tangy Lancashire cheese.
- Creamy Garlic Mushroom – sauté sliced mushrooms with garlic and butter, stir into the mash and top with cheese before finishing in the oven.
📺 Watch how to make it
Loaded Potato Skins Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 small floury potatoes (eg Maris Piper, Russet or Rooster)
- 1 tbsp oil
- 200 g pancetta cubes or bacon lardons
- 2 tbsp double/heavy cream
- 2 tbsp salted butter
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 175 g grated cheddar or mixed cheese
- 4 tbsp soured cream
- 4 spring onions, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190°C / 375°F (fan).
- Prick the potatoes with a fork. Start them in the microwave on high for 10 minutes to speed things up, or add extra time if cooking entirely in the oven.
- Place potatoes directly on the oven shelf and roast for 35–45 minutes until the skins are crisp and the insides are soft.
- While the potatoes cook, heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and fry the pancetta for 5–6 minutes until crispy, then remove from the pan.
- When potatoes are cool enough to handle, halve them and scoop out the flesh into a large bowl. Reserve the shells.
- Add the cream, butter, salt and pepper and mash until light and fluffy.
- Stir in the cooked pancetta and most of the grated cheese, saving a little for the tops.
- Spoon the mixture back into the potato shells, place them in a baking dish and sprinkle with the reserved cheese.
- Bake for 10–15 minutes at the same temperature until the cheese has melted and the tops are golden.
- Serve with soured cream and a scattering of chopped spring onions.
Notes
Make Ahead
Prepare through step 7, let the stuffed potatoes cool, cover and refrigerate for up to two days. When ready, bake uncovered for 20 minutes until piping hot.
The Pancetta
Swap pancetta for chopped crispy bacon if you prefer — smoked or unsmoked both work.
The Potatoes
Floury varieties such as Rooster, Russet, Desiree or Maris Piper give the best texture for scooping and mashing.
Nutritional information is approximate, per potato skin.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is calculated automatically and should be used as an approximation.
This loaded potato skins recipe was first published in Sept 2019 and has been updated since with refinements.
More Finger Food Ideas
Appetizers
Sesame Prawn Toast
Appetizers
Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings
Appetizers
Homemade Vegetable Samosa
Appetizers
Cheeseburger Spring Rolls
Appetizers
Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
Appetizers
Crispy Chicken Lollipops
Some links may be affiliate links, which can earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Nutritional information is approximate and can vary. For more information see the site’s terms and conditions.