Skinny “Overloaded” Potato Skins

Loaded-Potato-Skins-(Healthy)

Meat-and-Potatoes-Guy and I sometimes place an order for “Outrageous Potato Skins” from a nearby chain restaurant.

They’re made of crispy fried potatoes, cheese, bacon.

Completely delicious, obviously.

However.

I happened to find the nutrition listings while looking at their online menu one day.

One serving features 1,130 calories and 33 grams of saturated fat.

Oh. Ouch.

“Outrageous Potato Skins” taste slightly less delicious, knowing what I know now.

So I’ve since decided to make my own easy, tasty, healthy version.

Healthy-Overloaded-Potato-Skins

These potato skins are most definitely “overloaded” – with cheese, bacon, seasoned ground turkey, fresh shredded cabbage, tomatoes, and sour cream.

Really, a plate, fork, and knife are needed to handle all the tastiness.

Overloaded-Potato-Skins-(Healthy)

The good news: this recipe cuts way down on the saturated fat and calories, as compared to the chain restaurant variety.

These potato skins are nutritious and healthy enough to eat as an appetizer or light meal any day of the week.

Skinny-Overloaded-Potato-Skins

The even better news: they taste so good.

Different than the greasy chain restaurant kind.

Fresher. Lighter. But equally as tasty.

Healthy-Loaded-Potato-Skin-Recipe

This is a Meat-and-Potatoes-Guy favorite.

ingredients

Here are the key ingredients for this recipe.

Quick Note: the recipe calls for shredded cabbage, and any bagged coleslaw blend will work perfectly.

cutting-russett-potato

Begin by preheating the oven to 550 degrees F.

Grab some large Russet potatoes and cut them in half lengthwise.

Then cut each half into four equal quarters.

brushing-olive-oil-on-potatoes

Place the pieces of potato on a parchment-lined baking sheet so that the skins face upward.

Then measure a tablespoon of olive oil and brush the oil all over each of the potato skins.

Sprinkle salt and pepper over the skins too.

baking-potato-skins

Then roast them in the oven until the potatoes are tender and the skins turn crisp and golden.

Set them on the counter to cool.

While the potatoes are roasting away, begin preparing the toppings…

bacon-bits

…First, the bacon!

This is definitely not a”health food,”  but it’s possible to find a healthier bacon by reading the nutrition label:

Some types of bacon can have a ton of salt, so look for one that is low sodium.

Also, for a bacon that’s lower in fat, choose a “center cut” variety.

And obviously, eat in moderation. This recipe calls for just one strip of bacon per serving, so you can enjoy bacon without going overboard. And the potato skins also have fresh, high-nutrition veggies to balance out the dish.

There may be better ways to prepare bacon when you’re eating it plain, but for this recipe, since just a few crumbled bacon bits are sprinkled over each potato skin, I save time and work: Throw the bacon on a plate, cover with a towel, and microwave until it’s nice and crispy.

Then crumble it up. Done!

diced-tomatoes

Grab a small tomato and cut it in half lengthwise. Place one half flat-side-down and cut thin strips.

Then cut in the opposite direction, dicing the tomato.

mixing-sour-cream

Next, prepare the sour cream mixture.

Grab a mixing bowl and add some low-fat sour cream, some low-fat plain Greek yogurt, some garlic powder, and some dried oregano.

Add a pinch of salt and pepper and stir to combine.

preparing-potato-skins

If the potatoes are cool enough to handle at this point, grab a sharp or serrated knife.

Slice off the majority of the potato, leaving just about a quarter-inch of potato, along with the skin.

Meat-and-Potatoes-Guy was in the kitchen stealing bites of roasted potatoes.

So I roped him in to demonstrate this process for the photo.

baked-potato-skins

The next step is optional: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (the oven will probably already be this warm from roasting the potatoes).

Sprinkle some grated sharp cheddar cheese over the potato skins and heat in the oven for a few minutes, until the cheese is melted.

The cheese is delicious, but I actually don’t often use it.

I find the bacon, seasoned turkey, and sour cream add enough flavor, and the cheese isn’t really necessary.

sauteeing-ground-turkey

Last step: Grab a sauté pan and heat a bit of olive oil over medium-high heat.

Then add some ground lean white turkey and season with a bit of salt and pepper.

Cook until the meat is browned, then add the same tasty seasonings used for the sour cream mixture: garlic powder and dried oregano.

Healthy-Overloaded-Potato-Skins

Next, grab a big plate and load up the potato skins with toppings.

Spoon on some of the seasoned turkey.

Add some diced tomato and some shredded cabbage.

Drizzle some of the sour cream mixture over everything.

Then top with some bacon crumbles.

Overloaded-Potato-Skins-(Healthy)

These potato skins are so overloaded with tasty ingredients, you’ll really need a fork and knife to eat them.

Healthy-Loaded-Potato-Skin-Recipe

The seasoned turkey is so flavorful paired with the roasted potatoes.

The tomatoes and cabbage add freshness.

And topped off with seasoned sour cream and crispy bacon: scrumptious!

Yummy “overloaded” potato skins, guilt-free!

Here is the complete, printable recipe:

Skinny 'Overloaded' Potato Skins
 
Author: 
Total Time: 50 minutes
Prep: 25 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 3 large Russet potatoes
  • 6 strips bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled
  • 3 tablespoons low-fat sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon low-fat plain Greek yogurt
  • 1½ teaspoons plus ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1½ teaspoons plus ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ pound ground lean white turkey
  • ⅓ cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated (optional)
  • 1 small tomato, diced
  • ½ cup shredded cabbage (any bagged fresh coleslaw blend may be used)
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 550 degrees F.
  2. Cut each potato in half lengthwise, then quarter each half. Arrange the potatoes on a parchment-lined baking sheet so that the skins face upward. Measure one tablespoon of olive oil and brush some of the oil over the skins of the potatoes. Sprinkle the potatoes with salt and pepper. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork and skins are crisp and golden. Allow potatoes to cool to room temperature.
  3. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, combine the sour cream, plain yogurt, ½ teaspoon of oregano, and ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder. Stir until well combined.
  4. Next, heat one teaspoon of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the ground turkey and cook until browned, about 7 minutes. Add 1½ teaspoons dried oregano and 1½ teaspoons garlic powder. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
  5. If using cheddar cheese, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  6. When potatoes are cool enough to handle, use a sharp or serrated knife to remove most of the potato from each quarter, leaving just a quarter-inch of the potato skin. Arrange the skins on the same baking sheet so that the skins now touch the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the cheddar over the potatoes and bake until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes (optional).
  7. Top each potato skin with a spoonful of the ground turkey mixture. Add some diced tomato and shredded cabbage. Drizzle the sour cream mixture all over the top. Add some bacon crumbles. Serve.

 

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17 Comments

  1. February 28, 2013 / 2:36 pm

    Haha the name is so perfectly fitting for this delicious snack my friend 😀

    Cheers
    CCU

  2. February 28, 2013 / 4:24 pm

    YUM! Love this lightened up version of tasty potato skins. Give me a plate of these and a cold beer and I’m a happy camper!

  3. February 28, 2013 / 5:59 pm

    Love your “skinny” version – you’re so great at lightening up restaurant faves!

  4. March 1, 2013 / 12:45 am

    These sound delicious! I’ll definitely have to try them out when I’m back from China and have an oven again.

  5. March 3, 2013 / 1:15 pm

    Now I can eat potato skins again without all of the guilt! Great recipe Meat-and-potato guy!!!

  6. March 5, 2013 / 3:38 pm

    Just discovered your blog and love it.
    What a great idea to transform classic recipes into healthy
    guilt free pleasures!

  7. March 7, 2013 / 1:42 pm

    I love your version and I do believe home-made is always fresher and healthier than chain restaurants!

  8. March 10, 2013 / 9:46 am

    I think most people would be shocked to learn that their favorite appetizer has more calories than what you should eat for a whole day. Your recipe now gives people a healthier option.

  9. March 12, 2013 / 4:08 pm

    OK – these look seriously awesome! I’m not usually a calorie-counter, but that’s A LOT in the restaurant version. Yours are way better!

  10. March 22, 2013 / 11:52 pm

    These look fantastic. I follow your blog already, but I am looking at the pictures now with another computer, and they look amazing! I wonder if they would taste great without the bacon, or with veggie imitation bacon instead? Hope you are well, E

    • Jen Elizabeth's Journals
      March 28, 2013 / 8:07 pm

      Hi there, and thank you for stopping by 🙂 I think veggie bacon would be an excellent substitute – I like it best crisped in a skillet with a little olive oil 🙂

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