The loaded potato skins are dainty pieces of potato skins filled with bacon slices, sour cream, cheese and chives. Originated from the United States of America, the dish first made its appearance in the 1970s, at the local restaurants like T.G.I Friday’s and Prime Rib Restaurant.
The usage of potato skin as an ingredient truly revolutionised the food industry as it resulted in reusing food scraps for another meal, which in turn reduces food wastage.
The snack has genuinely changed our understanding of gastronomy, and it also comes with a controversial history to back it up. Now, the recipe is found everywhere in the States and all over the world, whether it be in family-friendly restaurants or even bars.
What are Loaded Potato Skins?
Loaded Potato Skins are made with potato skins, bacon, cheddar cheese, sour cream, chives, salt and pepper. The dish is made by scooping out the innards of the potatoes, followed by brushing butter all over the skin.
Salt and pepper are then seasoned all over the skins, and then toppings are added to create the perfect appetiser. People who are beginners to cooking may try making the dish as it is simple to make and it does not require much experience to create it.
The plate is best paired with a juicy steak or even with chicken, meatloaf or pork. It is best to avoid matching the loaded potato skins with highly starchy meals such as pasta or rice.
History of Loaded Potato Skins
The history of the potato skins is one loaded with controversy. Many lay claim to the invention of the dish. Three different restaurants have been given credit to the nature of the potato skins.
The restaurants are R.J Grunts in Chicago, Prime Rib Restaurant in Washington and also the franchise T.G.I Friday’s, all the way back in the ’70s. The owner of R.J Grunts claimed that he added potato skins to the menu after he heard a story from his brother about sailors eating potato skins.
He experimented with the idea to create the potato skins which he served at the salad bar. The proprietors of Prime Rib Restaurant claimed that they got the recipe from a home cook and then modified the recipe to create the potato skins.
A TGI Friday’s spokesperson stated that the restaurant came up with the recipe in 1974. The story goes that one of their cooks removed the potato from the skin and then dipped the coat into the fryer.
After it has been cooked, the cook added some special seasonings on it to create the potato skins. The restaurant was also attributed to popularising the dish to the masses.
Types of Loaded Potato Skins
The loaded potato skin is a versatile meal as the toppings used can be substituted with various ingredients. The taco-style potato skins consists of ground beef with taco toppings added to the potato skins. Another example is the mac and cheese potato skins that substituted the original toppings with homemade mac and cheese.
Sloppy Joe-style Potato Skins uses sloppy joe beef fillings into the potato skins. For a Mexican twist to the dish, the Chicken Enchilada-filled Potato Skins consists of chicken enchilada toppings in the potato skin. Various kinds of potato skins will suit any types of tastes and preferences.
Where to find Loaded Potato Skins in Malaysia
Interested in trying out the Loaded Potato Skins? Check it out at Havana Bar and Grill (Kuala Lumpur) and Las Carretas (Kuala Lumpur) for their delectable dishes! Find more Fast Food on foodpanda!