Pimento Cheese Potato Skins

Pimento Cheese Potato Skins- Crispy broiled potato halves are stuffed with a creamy, homemade pimento cheese spread.

March 3, 2021 by Nicole Collins

Hey, ya'll!

I'm in full on “southerner” mode these days.

We all know that it's no secret that I'm counting down the moment until the stars align and I can permanently migrate down south. And, we all know that my end goal for a long time has been Florida.

But recently, it's been on my heart that I want to move to South Carolina. Don't ask me why. The only time I've even been to South Carolina is just passing through on my way to Florida.

However for some reason, the thought of moving to Charleston has been heavy on my mind and heart.

Has that ever happened to you?

Anyways, I recently found out there's a reality TV show that's set in Charleston. So, of course, I had to binge watch all 7 seasons over the course of about 3 weeks. I truly abandoned all responsibilities until I finished watching the show. And if I wasn't already obsessing about moving there, I DEFINITELY am now!

So, since I've been totally immersed (via the NBC app) in all things southern culture, my food inspo is definitely reflecting that I have living in the south at the top of my mind. And, we're definitely getting a taste of that in today's recipe.

Today, we're making Pimento Cheese Potato Skins!

These potato skins...mmm. They're crisp around the outside, fluffy on the inside, and have the creamiest cheese filling that oozes out with every bite. These are the definition of ooey gooey!

Let's start with the potato skins. We need a good ol' russet potato for this recipe. We're going to speed up the process a little bit by popping them in the microwave to soften them up. Once they're cool enough to handle, we'll slice them in half, scoop out a good bit of the flesh, and brush them all over with melted butter.

To help them get nice and crisp, we're going to pop them in the broiler and flip them up and down a couple of times. This helps the potato get a nice and crispy crust thanks to the high heat without the risk of them burning. So, they'll go in cut side up for 4 mins, flip and broil cut side down for 4 mins, flip again and broil for 4 more mins, then they get stuffed before they finish out their last 4 mins in the oven.

To stuff these crispy potato shells, we're going to make a quick and simple pimento cheese spread. So, all we need is some softened cream cheese, a little bit of mayo, two types of cheddar cheese, a couple pantry staple spices, and some diced pimentos. They get mixed all together until they're nice and creamy, then we're going to spread that filling right into the cavity of our potatoes.

Easy breezy!

During the last 4 minutes under the broiler, the potatoes form a nice crust along the edges, and that pimento cheese filling becomes totally creamy and super duper gooey. The creamy cheese also gets these perfect little golden spots along the top, and that's how you know they're ready to devour.

These are so creamy, dreamy, and comforting. You have savory notes coming from the crispy potatoes. You have ultimate creaminess coming from all of that cheese. You have these little bursts of freshness with each bite of the pimento peppers. And, there's this tiny touch of heat that hits you in the background thanks to the cayenne pepper. It's a little bit of a messy bite, but it is totally worth it!

Ok, everyone. I want to eat all of the traditional southern foods right now, so if you have any suggestions or things you want to see, send them my way!

Until then, enjoy! And, let's eat!

Pimento Cheese Potato Skins

Serves: 8 skins Print

Ingredients:

For the Pimento Cheese:

4 oz cream cheese, softened
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ tsp pepper
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/16 tsp cayenne pepper
½ cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
½ cup white cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tbsp diced pimentos, drained

For the Potato Skins:

4 small to medium russet potatoes (about 2 lbs)
½ stick (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted
1/8 tsp salt
½ tsp seasoned salt
minced chives, for garnish

Directions:

Make the Pimento Cheese: To a mixing bowl, add cream cheese, mayonnaise, pepper, salt, garlic powder, and cayenne. Using a hand mixer, beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add in both shredded cheeses. Beat until just combined. Add pimentos, and mix in by hand until fully combined. Set aside.
Prepare the potatoes: Pierce potatoes all over with a fork. Microwave potatoes for 12-14 minutes until tender. When cool enough to handle, slice potatoes in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop the flesh out of each half of potato, leaving a ¼ inch border.
Preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place potatoes cut side down on the baking tray. Brush the potato skins with melted butter, and season the skins with salt. Flip over the potatoes so they're cut side up, and brush the insides of the potato with melted butter. Dust the insides with seasoned salt.
Position oven rack to 6 inches from the heating element. Place potatoes under broiler for 4 minutes with cut side up first. Flip potatoes over, and broil for 4 more minutes. Flip back over to cut side up, and broil for 4 minutes. Divide pimento cheese evenly between potatoes, filling the center of each potato skin. Broil for 4 more minutes until the cheese is bubbly and starts to brown slightly. Garnish with minced chives, if desired. Serve!

Recipe notes:

*Positioning the oven rack closer to the heating element helps the potato skins get nice and crispy.

*I recommend shredding your own cheese instead of buying prepackaged shredded cheese for these. Freshly shredded cheese melts so much better than the pre-bagged stuff.

*You could cut these in half to stretch them as an appetizer. Everyone loves small bites!