Potato Skins

[ericco7]

What is the best way to cook them and then fill them?

[Buenchico]

The BBC website holds a superb recipe database. Here's Antony Worrall Thompson's answer to your question:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/cri spypotatoskins_72318.shtml

Tracy-Ann Oberman suggests some fillings:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/cri sppotatoskins_83890.shtml

Chris

[BBWCHATT]

Potato Skins

6 potatoes
1 cup vegetable oil
8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese
1/8 cup bacon bits
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
Pierce potatoes with a fork. Microwave the potatoes on high until they are soft; approximately 10 to 12 minutes.
Cut the potatoes in half vertically. Scoop the inside out of the potatoes, until 1/4 inch of the potato shell remains.
Heat oil to 365 degrees F (180 degrees C) in a deep fryer or a deep saucepan. Place the potatoes in hot oil, fry for 5 minutes. Drain potatoes on paper towels.
Fill the potato shells with cheese and bacon bits. Arrange them in the prepared baking pan.
Bake for 7 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Serve hot with sour cream.

Metric:
6 potatoes
235 ml vegetable oil
225 g shredded Cheddar cheese
15 g bacon bits
454.4 g sour cream

[BBWCHATT]

Twice Baked Potatoes

4 large baking potatoes
1/2 pound bacon
4 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon salt
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon dry bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Use a fork to pierce the potato skins.
Bake the potatoes unwrapped for about 1 hour, or until soft, in the preheated oven.
Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
Over medium-low heat melt the butter in a large saucepan. Combine onion, mushrooms, red pepper, garlic powder, pepper, chives and salt. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally until the onions are soft.
Slice open the baked potatoes and, keeping the skins intact, scoop the insides into a medium bowl. Transfer the onion mixture to the bowl. Mix in the sour cream. Pour in 1/2 of the cheese and continue mixing until all ingredients are well blended.
Using a large spoon, fill the potato skins with the mixture. Top with bread crumbs, the remaining cheese and bacon.
Return the potatoes to the preheated oven and continue baking for about 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the filling is slightly brown.

Metric:
4 large baking potatoes
225 g bacon
55 g butter
1 large onion, chopped
50 g chopped fresh mushrooms
3 g crushed red pepper
3 g garlic powder
2 g ground black pepper
1 g chopped fresh chives
6 g salt
227.2 g sour cream
224 g shredded Cheddar cheese
2 g dry bread crumbs