Bacon Cheeseburger Potato Skins

What was your favorite food as a child? Growing up, I ate from 2 food groups: the cheeseburger food group and the everything else food group. Whenever possible, I only ate from one of those groups. I’m sure you can guess which one. And it (mostly) makes me smile to see my son take after his momma with the cheeseburger obsession. However, I’m trying to work on expanding his palate. Sigh, we’ll save that for another day…another destination.

I still love a good, classic cheeseburger every now and then, but I really enjoy creating fun variations of my childhood fave. I was a straight up ground beef and American cheese kind of kid. But today, the more toppings, the merrier!

 Also, cheeseburgers and fries go together like Forrest and Jenny (and peas and carrots). Most normal people eat them as 2 separate parts of the same meal. But for me, when nobody’s looking, I sometimes sneak some fries onto my cheeseburger. There’s something so indulgent about piling fries on your burger and eating it all together.

These Bacon Cheeseburger Potato Skins feature all the classic burger toppings PLUS you get that French fry togetherness factor from the crispy potato skins. I used bacon, pickles, tomatoes, and some green onions for the toppings, but feel free to customize these skins according to your burger preferences. I totally just envisioned a Korean version with kimchi, bulgogi-flavored ground beef, red pepper sauce, and a fried egg on top. Oh wow. I digress. We’ll save that for another day…another destination.

Bacon Cheeseburger Potato Skins

 

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Prep time

1 hour 15 mins

Cook time

7 mins

Total time

1 hour 22 mins

 

Author: Krista

Serves: 16 servings

Ingredients

• 8 small russet potatoes
• 1 tbs olive oil
• ½ onion, chopped
• 1 lb lean ground turkey or beef (I used Jennie-O Lean Ground Turkey)
• 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 2 tbs apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp olive oil
• ½ cup pickle chips, finely chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 4 slices cooked bacon, chopped into bits
• ⅔ cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 tbs ketchup
• 2 tbs mustard
• 2 green onions, chopped (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using a fork, pierce each potato a few times. Place potatoes on a large baking sheet. Bake for about 45 minutes until a fork can easily be inserted into them. Let the potatoes cool for a few minutes.
2. While the potatoes are cooling, prepare the ground turkey. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onions to the pan and sprinkle with salt. Sauté the onions for 2 minutes until soft. Add the ground turkey. Cook turkey for about 5-7 minutes minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meat is cooked through. Add the tomato sauce, vinegar, onion powder, and garlic powder. Stir to combine and cook for another minute. Set aside.
3. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in half lengthwise. With a spoon, scoop out the inside of the potato, leaving a thin layer. Place each potato skin back on the large lined baking sheet. Brush each skin with olive oil using a brush or your fingers. Put back into the oven for about 7-8 minutes until they’re browned and crispy.
4. Fill each potato skin with an equal amount of meat filling. Top each potato skin with a sprinkle of pickles, tomatoes, bacon, and cheddar cheese. Bake in the oven for 5-7 minutes until the cheese has melted and the filling is heated. Top each potato skin with a splatter of ketchup and mustard, and a few chopped green onions (optional).

Notes

Serving size: 1 potato skin
Nutrition Information (per serving) from Caloriecount.about.com
Calories: 140 Fat: 5.3g Carb: 13.5g Fiber: 1.7g Protein: 9.1g Sugar 2.1g Sodium: 252mg
Weight Watchers Points (calculated on member website)
WW: 3 Points Plus

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