Description

These Cheesy Bacon and Kale Potato Skins are loaded with a fresh kale pesto and topped with crumbled bacon and melted cheese.

Ingredients

Scale

5 slices bacon
5 medium russet potatoes
2 tablespoons oil, divided
1 tablespoon butter
5 ounces kale
3/4 cup almonds or pine nuts
1 handful basil leaves or other herbs (optional – see notes)
1 cup cooked chickpeas (optional – see notes)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2–3 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup any kind of shredded cheese – I used Chihuahua cheese

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Instructions

BACON: Fry the bacon until crispy. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate. When cool enough to handle, crumble or chop the bacon into small pieces. Set aside.
POTATOES: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash and dry the potatoes. Rub or brush them with 1 tablespoon oil. Place on a large baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes. When they’re cool enough, slice the potatoes in half, scoop out most of the flesh (use for another recipe – yay mashed potatoes!), but leave a little bit attached to the skin to help them hold their shape. Melt the butter and combine with the remaining tablespoon oil. Brush the insides and outsides of the skins with the butter/oil and bake for another 5-10 minutes, skin side up, until nice and crispy.
KALE: In a food processor, pulse the kale, nuts, herbs, chickpeas, olive oil, Parmesan, garlic, and salt until smooth.
ASSEMBLY: Fill each of the potato skins with the kale mixture. Top with crumbled bacon and cheese. Bake for 5-10 minutes until ooey-gooey melty and delish. Sprinkle with extra bacon or herbs before serving to make it look extrafancy.

Notes

I like to put the chickpeas in the kale mixture because it helps to bulk it up and add some filling power to the potato skins. This would still work just fine without the chickpeas – it would just be a thinner kale pesto and it wouldn’t fill the skins as much.

If you don’t have any fresh herbs, don’t sweat it. I make versions of this kale pesto sauce stuff all the time and it works beautifully with fresh herbs like basil, but it can also hold its own in the flavor department without the herbs.

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 1 hour 20 mins
Category: Dinner
Cuisine: American

Keywords: baked potato skins, bacon and kale potato skins, potato skins