Loaded potato skins for 12: 24 russet halves baked and scooped at home, then filled with cheddar and crisp bacon and finished on the grill, with sour cream and green onions on top. The oven work happens up to 2 days ahead, so the lot only takes about 20 minutes of grilling.
Feeds: 12 (24 skins) · Hands-on: about 45 min · Total: about 2 hours, mostly baking
Home gear: 2 sheet pans, a spoon for scooping, a skillet or a third sheet pan for the bacon, 2 lidded containers
Pack for the lot
- Potato skins, covered, in the cooler
- Crumbled bacon, in the cooler
- Shredded cheddar, in the cooler
- Sour cream and green onions, on ice
- Instant-read thermometer
- Wide spatula and tongs
- A spoon for the sour cream
- A foil pan or platter for serving
- Charcoal and a chimney starter, or a full propane tank
- Trash bags
Lot notes
- Fuel: charcoal or propane both work. You need a hot side to crisp and a cool side to melt the cheese without burning the bottoms. Some stadiums ban charcoal or open flames, so check yours in our stadium rules table before you pack fuel.
- Grill space: 24 skins take a lot of grate. On a small grill, do them in 2 rounds and serve the first round while the second one cooks.
- Dairy stays cold: the sour cream lives on ice at 40°F or below and only comes out to top the skins. Keep the cheese in the cooler until it goes on the grill.
- Holding them: potato skins are crispest right off the grill. Toss any that have been out past 2 hours, or 1 hour when it's over 90°F. Cook in rounds so nothing sits.
- Cleanup: scrape the grate while it's hot, and fold the serving pan over any leftovers and toss it.
Can you make potato skins ahead?
Yes. Bake, scoop and butter the skins and cook the bacon up to 2 days ahead, and keep them covered in the fridge. Fill and crisp them on the grill at the lot until they reach 165°F.
How do you keep potato skins hot at a tailgate?
Cook them in rounds and serve them straight off the grill. If a round has to wait, hold it on the cool side with the lid down so it stays at 140°F or above, and add the sour cream only when they go out.
How many potato skins for 20 people?
Plan on 2 each, so 40 skins from 20 potatoes. Use 5 tbsp oil, about 7 tbsp butter, 1¾ lb bacon, 5 cups cheddar, about 1⅔ cups sour cream and 7 green onions. Grill them in 2 or 3 rounds.
Can you cook potato skins on the grill?
Yes. Bake the potatoes ahead, then crisp the skins cut side down over direct heat and melt the cheese over indirect heat with the lid closed. It takes about 15 to 20 minutes per round.