Chile Pepper Magazine featured these potato skins in a 2006 story about tailgating fare, and I’ve drooled over them ever since. Potato skins have always looked like a lot of work to me, so I put off making these for over 4 years. When I finally decided to tackle this recipe, I wondered why I had put it off for so long. Yes, it takes a while to bake then scoop the potatoes, but there’s a lot of downtime during baking, and really, this recipe ends up not being much more effort than some of my weeknight meals. And they taste so much better than any frozen version you’ll get; the effort is definitely rewarded!

Since I like a hit of habanero, I quadrupled the amount called for in this recipe (Come on, 1/2 a habanero for 40 skins? Craziness!! Toss a couple in there, and keep the seeds in, unless you’re a wuss 😉 ).

Pasilla and Habanero Potato Skins with Sour Cream Cilantro Dip
From Chile Pepper Magazine, October 2006
Makes 40 skins
20 small russet potatoes
2 dried pasilla chiles, soaked in warm water for 30 minutes
5 tablespoons canola oil, divided
2 cups diced chorizo
4 medium red onions, diced
16 garlic cloves, diced
2 cups diced red bell pepper
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/2 habanero chile, stemmed, seeded and diced (or 2, not seeded, if you’re like me)
3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 cups Sour Cream Cilantro Dip (see below)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a sheet pan, spread potatoes, and cook for about one hour or until tender. Remove potatoes from oven, and set aside to cool for about 30 minutes.

While potatoes are cooking, prepare stuffing: Stem and chop pasilla chiles, and reserve them in the soaking liquid. In a 4-quart post over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon oil. Saute chorizo until slightly browned. Add onion, garlic, and bell pepper, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add cumin, coriander and paprika, and saute for another 2 minutes, until fragrant. Add pasilla chiles, soaking liquid and habanero, and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes until thick. Spoon mixture into a bowl, and place in a refrigerator to chill.

Raise oven temperature to 500 degrees. Cut potatoes lengthwise, and scoop out center, leaving skins with about 1/2 inch of flesh. Reserve potato centers for another use (potato cakes cooked in bacon fat for breakfast, yeaaaayahhhh!). Rub skins inside and out with remaining oil, and season generously with salt and pepper. On a large baking sheet, arrange potatoes skin side up. Roast for about 10 minutes, until crisp.

Remove potatoes from oven. Using tongs, flip each skin over. Spoon stuffing into each potato, and top with cheese. Return to the oven, and bake until cheese is melted. Serve with Sour Cream Cilantro Dip.

Sour Cream Cilantro Dip
2 cups sour cream
1/4 bunch cilantro, chopped
juice of 2 limes
1 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Filed under:
Appetizers, Gluten free by Courtney