These Bacon Mac and Cheese Potato Skins are crispy, cheesy and loaded with bacon and barbecue sauce. An easy appetizer for game day and parties.
Looking for an irresistible appetizer or game day food? Bacon Mac and Cheese Potato Skins are crispy potato skins loaded with creamy mac and cheese, smoky barbecue sauce and crispy bacon! This easy appetizer is hearty and delicious.
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Loaded Potato Skins
Crispy potato skins, creamy mac and cheese, smoky barbecue sauce and crispy bacon make an irresistible combination.
These potato skins are filled with comfort food favorites, macaroni and cheese and bacon, and potato skins are a comfort food themselves.
Now these bacon cheese potato skins take snacking to a whole new level of deliciousness.
Crispy baked potato skins become the perfect vessel for creamy, cheesy mac and cheese.
Add a drizzle of barbecue sauce for a sweet and smoky kick along with the ultimate finishing touch of crispy bacon and now we’re talking serious snacking.
Hearty enough to serve as a party snack and fun enough to make for game day, and gatherings with friends and family.
The combination of crispy potato, creamy macaroni and cheese, tangy barbecue sauce and salty bacon make every bite so incredibly satisfying.
Best of all, you can customize these loaded potato skins with your favorite mac and cheese, your go-to barbecue sauce and any toppings you desire.
Bacon Mac and Cheese Potato Skins are the kind of appetizer that bring big comfort food flavor to the table.
They’re easy enough for a casual snack and special enough for your next party and the perfect appetizer for football season game days
I guarantee that these Bacon Mac and Cheese Potato Skins are an explosion of flavors that’s sure to disappear quickly.
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How to make bacon mac and cheese potato skins
This is a quick overview of how to make this loaded potato skins recipe. Scroll down for the full recipe instructions and ingredient amounts in the recipe card below.
- Bake the potatoes and cool slightly.
- Cut each potato in half and scoop out some of the potato flesh and save for another use.
- Spoon on the barbecue sauce and top with mac and cheese.
- Sprinkle with bacon and bake.
Why You'll Love These Bacon Mac and Cheese Potato Skins
- Two comfort foods in one - Crispy potato skins and creamy mac and cheese come together for the ultimate comfort food appetizer.
- Perfect for entertaining – You can assemble these potato skins ahead and bake them just before serving.
- Sweet and savory flavor - Barbecue sauce adds a delicious smoky-sweet flavor to the cheesy mac and salty bacon.
- Easy to customize – You can change up the barbecue sauce and add your favorite toppings, such as sour cream, sliced scallions or minced jalapenos, to make these loaded potato skins your own.
- A great leftover idea - This is a fun and delicious way to turn leftover macaroni and cheese into something completely new.
Recipe Tips
- Evenly sized potatoes – Select potatoes that are even in size so that they cook at the same rate.
- Tender potatoes - Bake the potatoes until tender. The potatoes should be soft and fully cooked making them easy to scoop out the centers and prepare the skins.
- Leave some potato in the skins - Don't scoop out too much of the potatoes. You’ll want to leave enough potato in the skin so the potato skins remain sturdy and hold their filling.
- Crisp the potato skins well - The crispier the skins, the better they will hold the filling and provide additional texture with the creamy mac and cheese.
- Crisp the bacon - Crispy bacon adds texture.
- Add toppings - Customize your potatoes with shredded cheese, scallions, jalapeños, sour cream or ranch dressing.
- Serve warm - Loaded potato skins are at their best when the potato shells are crisp and the filling is hot and cheesy.
- Scooped out potato – Save the potato flesh that you scoop out and make a mashed potato side dish or potato pancakes.
- For entertaining - You can prepare the potato shells ahead of time and assemble them closer to serving. Heat them in the oven right before serving so that they are hot out of the oven. This helps make party preparation easier while keeping the potato skins crisp.
- For dipping and drizzling - Serve with extra barbecue sauce, ranch dressing and sour cream on the side.
Variations
- BBQ Chicken Mac and Cheese Potato Skins - For a heartier loaded potato skin, add shredded cooked chicken or buffalo chicken to the mac and cheese filling.
- Cheddar Bacon Potato Skins - For an extra cheesy topping, sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese over the macaroni and cheese before baking.
- Loaded Mac and Cheese Potato Skins - for an over-the-top loaded potato experience ,top with chopped green onions, fresh chives, extra cheese, a dollop of sour cream and more bacon.
- Pulled Pork Potato Skins – Add a layer of pulled pork tossed in barbecue sauce for a delicious barbecue-inspired appetizer.
- Ranch Bacon Mac and Cheese Potato Skins - For a creamy, tangy twist, drizzle with ranch dressing before serving.
- Spicy Bacon Mac and Cheese Potato Skins - Use a spicy barbecue sauce and top with sliced jalapeños for extra heat. Add a drizzle of hot sauce too!
Substitutions
- Baking potatoes - I prefer to use russet potatoes but Idaho potatoes will work well too.
- Olive oil – You can substitute avocado oil or another neutral cooking oil for olive oil
- Kosher salt - Fine sea salt can be used in place of coarse kosher salt but just reduce the amount that you use.
- Mac and cheese – I used my homemade Velveeta mac and cheese but you can substitute your favorite boxed mac and cheese, 1 package. (12 ounces) deluxe macaroni & cheese dinner, with cheese pouch, or leftover mac and cheese. To save time, you can use store-bought prepared macaroni and cheese from the hot foods section of your grocery store.
- Barbecue sauce – I used my homemade BBQ sauce but feel free to substitute your favorite barbecue sauce, such as smoky, sweet, spicy or tangy.
- Bacon - Turkey bacon can be used in place of bacon, however, traditional bacon provides the richest flavor and crispiest texture.
Storage
- Refrigerator - Store any leftover potato skins in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.
- Reheating - For the best texture, reheat them in an oven, toaster oven or air fryer rather than the microwave. Reheat until the potato skins are heated through and the mac and cheese is warm.
What to Serve With Loaded Potato Skins
These loaded potato skins make a delicious appetizer on their own, but they’re also delicious to serve with other game day favorites and party foods, such as:
When to Serve Potato Skins
These easy loaded potato skins are perfect for serving on so many occasions, such as:
- Appetizer parties
- Barbecues and cookouts
- Birthday parties
- Casual entertaining
- Family gatherings
- Football parties
- Game day parties
- Holidays
- Movie nights
- Super Bowl parties
- Tailgating (keep warm wrapped in foil on the grill)
- Weekend snacking
FAQs
Can I use leftover mac and cheese for potato skins?
For sure! Bacon Mac and Cheese Potato Skins are a great way to transform leftover macaroni and cheese into a fun new appetizer or snack.
What potatoes are best for potato skins?
Russet baking potatoes are ideal to use because their skins become crisp as the potato inside becomes fluffy and tender. Idaho potatoes will work well too.
How do you make potato skins crispy?
Baking the potato skins with a light coating of olive oil and seasoning helps them to get a crisp exterior. Reheating leftovers in an oven, toaster oven or air fryer can help to keep their crisp texture.
Can I make potato skins ahead of time?
Yes. The potato shells can be prepared ahead of time, then filled and topped closer to serving. This makes them especially convenient when you are entertaining.
Ingredients
Ingredient for cheesy baked potato skins
- Baking Potatoes - Russet potatoes are an especially good choice for the potato skins because their skins bake up crisp while the inside becomes fluffy and tender. Idaho potatoes will work well in this recipe too.
- Olive Oil - Olive oil helps the potato skins become delightfully crispy while adding a subtle richness. When you brush the potato skins with oil before baking it helps to create that classic crispy potato shell texture.
- Kosher Salt - Kosher salt seasons the potato skins and brings out the natural flavor. It also helps all the savory flavors in the cheesy filling and bacon topping to pop.
- Mac and Cheese - The macaroni and cheese makes a creamy, cheesy filling that pairs perfectly with the crispy potato.
- Barbecue Sauce - Barbecue sauce adds a sweet, smoky and tangy layer of flavor. You can choose your favorite barbecue sauce, whether you prefer it sweet, smoky, spicy or tangy.
- Cooked Bacon - Crispy cooked bacon adds an irresistible smoky, salty flavor and a satisfying crunch. Be sure to cook the bacon until it is crispy so that it makes a delicious contrast to the creamy mac and cheese.
Bacon Mac and Cheese Potato Skins Recipe
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Ingredients
- 6 Russet baking potatoes about 5 ounces each
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 cups macaroni and cheese
- 3/4 cup barbecue sauce
- 4 slices cooked crispy bacon crumbled
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F.
- Pierce potato skins several times with a fork or sharp knife then rub with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Arrange on a baking sheet.
- Bake until tender, about 1 hour. Cool slightly.
- Halve each potato lengthwise and scoop out potato pulp to within 1/2" of edges. Yu can save the scooped out potato for another use such as mashed potatoes.
- While the potatoes are cooling, you can cook the macaroni and cheese if you haven’t cooked it already.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 350F.
- Spoon barbecue sauce inside potato skins. Top with prepared macaroni & cheese and sprinkle with crumbled bacon. Arrange on a large baking sheet. *You can prepare the recipe up to this point, refrigerate and then heat when you are ready to serve!
- Bake until heated through, 8-10 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Great idea! I love how portable these are, as you could easily bring these over to a friend's house (especially if they are hosting the Super Bowl)...do you think they might freeze OK too?
I actually haven't tried to freeze them myself but I can't think of any reason why you couldn't. If you give it a try let me know how they turn out! Enjoy!