Homemade Potato Skins

Homemade Baked Potato Skins are classic game day fare. These crisp skins are topped with colby jack cheese, horseradish sour cream and green onions. 

When it comes to game day snacks, whether you are watching at your favorite sports bar or the comfort of your own couch, there are a few things that are a must have. Things like dips, chicken wings and, one of our personal favorites, potato skins.

Potato skins are great because you can customize them to suit whatever you and your guests like. You can literally put anything in them! Common toppings are cheese, bacon and green onions.

For this recipe, I made a vegetarian version and loaded the skins with colby jack cheese, horseradish sour cream and green onions. Oh my goodness guys, they are pub food PER.FEC.TION.

Now sure, you can grab a box from the frozen food section but they are SO easy to make at home. Using the recipe I am sharing with you today, you can skip the frozen food aisle and make your own Baked Potato Skins right at home.

Ingredients You’ll Need:

YUKON GOLD POTATOES: I prefer to use Yukon gold potatoes for my potato skins. They get a bit crispier because they are thinner than russet potatoes. That being said, if you prefer the bite of russets more you can certainly substitute small russet potatoes.

OLIVE OIL/SALT : For brushing and sprinkling on the skin of the potato before baking.

COLBY JACK CHEESE: As always, I suggest shredding your own. I find that freshly shredded cheese melts better.

GREEN ONIONS: A must when you have potato skins IMHO.

SOUR CREAM, HORSERADISH, WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE: Sure sour cream is good but the mixture of these three ingredients make the sauce on top of these out of this world!

How to make Homemade Potato Skins:

STEP #1: Poke potatoes with a fork and brush with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and bake for 45 minutes – 1 hour or until a fork can be inserted to the potatoes easily.

STEP #2: Once potatoes are cool enough to touch, cut in half and carefully remove the flesh. Try not to break the skins.

DES’ TIP: Instead of tossing the flesh of the baked potatoes, I’d recommend saving the flesh for baked potato soup.

STEP #3: Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees. Spray a cooling rack with cooking spray. Place the potato skins on the cooling rack. Bake for an additional 15 minutes or until skins are crispy.

STEP #4: Remove potato skins from oven. Divide shredded cheese evenly between the potato skins. Bake for 5 more minutes or until the cheese is melted. You can also place them under the broiler for 2 – 3 minutes to get the cheese hot and bubbly.

STEP #5: In a bowl mix the sour cream, horseradish and Worcestershire sauce. Place a dollop on top of each potato skin. Sprinkle with green onions. Serve immediately.

These are best served when hot so the cheese is nice and melted. And because you have the delectable horseradish cream on top, no need to worry about serving these with a dipping sauce!

Looking for more game day snacks? I have got everything you need right here on my blog! Here are some reader favorites:

Dill Pickle Chicken Wings

Crispy Jalapeno Bites 

Deep Fried Pickles

Creamy Ranch Dip 

Deep Fried Chicken Wings

Note: This recipe was originally posted in 2011. It was updated with new photos, step by step instructions and nutrition facts in 2021.