Texas Potato Skins

Try these extra crispy potato skins at your next party or eat them as a main meal

Yes, potato, aka "tater," skins are made in a lot of places, but we're pretty sure they originated with a popular food chain that has its corporate offices in Texas. What it boils down to is: if you're making them at home, you can call them whatever you want - they'll still be tasty. They are good as appetizers, sides, or even as a main meal if you're on that kind of binge.

We developed our version to eliminate as much starch as possible, which means all the filling goes away. That's also why we call them extra-crispy. May even be too crispy for some folks. You be the judge.

Extra Crispy Texas Tater Skins

-Four Potatoes, long and narrow, if you can find them
-Butter
-Cheese, Cheddar
-Cheese, Monterey Jack
-Onions, diced (optional)
-Cooking spray

-Use a fork to pierce the potatoes and place in microwave for at least 5 minutes each side (more if they are large).
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees
-Use cooking spray to coat potatoes thoroughly and place in oven. The potatoes will be hot. (Make sure the bottom of the oven is protected with a layer of foil - the spray will drip.)
-Bake for about 1 hour. Raise the oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake until the outside skins are firm.
-Remove and cut in half (still hot, so use an oven mitt to protect your hands).
-Let cool for about ten minutes
-Scoop out all the filling. It's all right to leave some if you want a thicker portion, but we remove potato right down to the skin. (You can save the filling for other recipes)
-Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place the potato halves on the foil.
-Put about a teaspoon of butter in the bottom of each half.
-Grate the cheeses on top - use your own judgment as to the level of cheesiness you want. We pile it on.
-Add diced onions (optional). Note: you can also add minced jalapenos, bacon bits, and other goodies at this time.

Bake for another 20 minutes or until cheese has complete melted and is beginning to crisp.

Remove and serve. This is the super-crispy version. You can adjust to suit your own tastes.

You can make as many as you want. We're not going to give a serving size because I don't know how many of them your friends and family can eat. If you have any left over, just freeze them. They're not the same as fresh and are better reheated in the oven, not the microwave.