Vegetarian Southwest Stuffed Potato Skins
Once the calendar turns from August to September, I know what my weekends look like. Football on Thursday, Football on Saturday, Football on Sunday. Oh, did I mention Football on Monday? Of course, I could care less about the actual game, but I take my roll of football snack creator fairly seriously.
While we have a list of running favorites (lentil tacos, sloppy joes, potato nachos), we were both in the mood for something different last weekend. Crispy potato skins stuffed with beans and spinach, then covered in cheddar cheese? One of the best decisions we’ve made in a while.
As a professional snack grazer, I love this mini take on traditional potato skins. Perfect to enjoy right as they are coming out of the oven, at kick-off and then again at half-time. For a more nutrient-dense version, I added in black beans for protein and fiber along with a serving of spinach. Even with my football food, I like to sneak in as many vegetables as I can.
While almost any potato variety from the The Little Potato Company will work, I prefer the Blushing Belle for this recipe. A red creamer potato, Blushing Belle’s have a smooth, velvety texture and thin, slightly sweet skin. Perfect for roasting to crispy perfection, then stuffing to the max.
Whatever event you’re heading to this Fall, I’d encourage you to bring a platter of these mini skins with you. They are a guaranteed crowd pleaser for both kids and adults. We loved them so much last weekend, that BL already asked for them again on Sunday.
When snack food is this delicious, easy and inexpensive- who can say no?
If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag your Instagram photos with #delishknowledge . I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking!
Vegetarian Southwest Stuffed Potato Skins
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds The Little Potato Company creamer potatoes, Blushing Belle variety
- 4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
- 1 shallot, minced
- 6 ounces fresh baby spinach
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1 cup black beans, from canned, drained and rinsed
- salt and pepper to taste, depends how salty your cheese and beans are, I like starting with 1/4-1/2 teaspoon and going from there
- ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese or mexican cheese blend
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Lightly wash the potatoes (Little Potato Company already comes scrubbed!) and pierce each potato with a fork 2-3 times. This allows steam to escape so the potato doesn’t explode in the oven.
- Toss potatoes with 2 teaspoons olive oil and place on a baking sheet in a single layer. Depending on the size of your baking sheet, you may need two. Cook until tender, ~30-35 minutes.
- Remove the potatoes from the oven and let rest until just cool enough to handle. Keep the oven on.
- While the potatoes are cooking, heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the oil and the shallot, cooking until caramelized, about 3-4 minutes. Add in the spinach and cook until just wilted. Remove from heat and let stand.
- Halve the potatoes and gently remove the flesh using a small spoon or melon baller
- Place the potato skins on the same baking sheet and the flesh into a medium bowl.
- Mash the potatoes with the sour cream, cooked spinach and shallots, black beans and salt and pepper.
- For a crispier potato skin, lightly drizzle the scooped out skins with a bit of olive oil and return back to the oven for 3-5 minutes to crisp up.
- Fill each potato skin with the mashed mixture, then cover with cheese. Bake once more for 10-15 minutes until cheese is bubbly and skins are heated through.
- Serve; I love these best with lots of salsa!