These dressed-up sweet potato skins still have bacon, but are a lot healthier. They are perfect for game day snacking or appetizers at any time!
Potato skins were a really big thing when I was a teenager. I think it had something to do with the fact that my friends and I could drive to our favorite restaurant on a quarter tank of gas and still have money left over to share a platter of cheese and bacon-topped potato skins. Then we’d go through the inevitable “splitting of the bill”, which was painful because someone always “forgot” to put in their portion and figuring out $12.95 divided by 8, plus tip, never went well.
Now that I’m a little older and wiser, I’ve turned to making potato skins at home, with sweet potatoes, better cheese and a lot less drama. And I don’t even charge my guests for them! What a deal.
I’ve been convinced for a long time that sweet potatoes and bacon are made for each other. A little sweet, a little salty…a little tender, a little crunchy…it’s like a love tango for food. And I want to throw myself right onto the dance floor with them.
The key to these sweet potato skins is to bake them first, so you can scoop out most of the tender flesh (save it for mashed sweet potatoes), then broil them until starting to turn golden brown and a little crispy. Once you add the goat cheese and bacon, it just takes a couple more minutes under the broiler to reach that perfect bubbling, cheesy state. Salivating.
These are best served warm, so if they cool down while out on the appetizer table, just pop them back in the oven for a couple of minutes.
Other healthy game day appetizers:
Cookin’ Canuck’s Baked French Fries with Indian Spices
Cookin’ Canuck’s Southwestern Stuffed Mushrooms with Black Beans, Rice & Red Pepper
Gimme Some Oven’s Skinny Buffalo Chicken Dip
This Mama Cooks’ Black Bean-Avocado Salsa with Home-Baked Tortilla Chips
Eat Yourself Skinny’s Mini Zucchini Pizzas
Light Sweet Potato Skins with Bacon & Goat Cheese
These tasty and healthy sweet potato skins are fantastic for game day, or any snack time.
Ingredients
- 4 (8 oz. each) sweet potatoes, scrubbed
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- 1/4 tsp ground pepper
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 2 oz. goat cheese (chevre), crumbled
- 6 slices center cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1 green onion, thinly sliced
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and place a rack on top of the foil.
- Pierce the sweet potatoes all over with a fork and place on the rack.
- Bake the sweet potatoes until tender when pierced with a fork, 50 to 55 minutes.
- Let the potatoes cool for 10 minutes, then cut into quarters. Scoop out the flesh, leaving a ¼-inch border of potato. Reserve the flesh for another use.
- Preheat the broiler.
- Lightly brush both sides of each potato skin with canola oil, then place the potato skins on the rack, skin side up.
- Broil until the skins are starting to turn crispy, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn them over, then broil for additional 1 to 2 minutes, or until the edges are starting to brown.
- Sprinkler the pepper, salt, goat cheese and bacon evenly between the potato skins.
- Broil until the cheese is starting to melt, about 2 minutes.
- Garnish with green onions and serve.
Recipe Notes
Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness says
Jan 23, 2015 at 5:36 amI’ve actually NEVER had potato skins at a restaurant…my mom always made them growing up! BUT, she never made them with Sweet potato…and goat cheese.
These compl-eat me, they look so good! Pinned!
Marla Meridith says
Jan 23, 2015 at 5:41 amSweet potatoes will forever be a favorite in our house! Love this recipe Dara!!
TidyMom says
Jan 23, 2015 at 6:36 amI’ve never had sweet potato skins…….that’s about to change now!!
Colleen (Souffle Bombay) says
Jan 23, 2015 at 7:16 amBacon!! Potato Skins WERE the thing for us back in the day as well – at Houllihans! Your take on them looks delicious! Love it when you get a 2-fer from a dish! Mashed Sweet Potatoes & skins!
Krista @ Joyful Healthy Eats says
Jan 23, 2015 at 7:16 amhaha.. I can remember going to TGIF just to get potato skins! 🙂
These seriously look way better and healthy, plus goat cheese just makes everything better! can’t wait to give these a whirl Dara!
The Food Hunter says
Jan 23, 2015 at 8:08 amThese are perfect for Super Bowl!
Danae @ Recipe Runner says
Jan 23, 2015 at 12:05 pmSo much to love about this recipe Dara! I agree that the sweet salty combo of bacon and sweet potatoes totally go together. Add in that tangy, creamy goat cheese and you have the perfect potato skin!
Heather | girlichef says
Jan 23, 2015 at 1:22 pmWhat a deal, indeed! 😉 I admit, I love potato skins. I’ve never tried making them with sweet potatoes (why!?!), but that’s about to change. I’m making a batch just like this!
Bea says
Jan 23, 2015 at 1:29 pmYes to potato skins – they remind me of my time as a foreign exchange student in the US. Loaded up and so good; I had totally forgotten about them 🙂
I absolutely love sweet potatoes and bacon. What a fantastic treat!!!
Charlie says
Jan 23, 2015 at 2:17 pmHi Dara!
These sound just right!
Goat cheese is a must.
Although probably not a healthy, I’m thinking Boursin.
Thanks for the idea
Kim (Feed Me, Seymour) says
Jan 23, 2015 at 5:44 pmI am obsessed with sweet potatoes. Love seeing them like this!
Alyssa says
Jan 23, 2015 at 9:10 pmThese look great! I like that they are healthier than traditional potato skins and I really like that they have bacon in them!
Nutmeg Nanny says
Jan 23, 2015 at 10:14 pmI love sweet potatoes and I agree – they go amazing with bacon. Plus you put on goat cheese…sweet baby J it’s my favorite!
Martha@A Family Feast says
Jan 24, 2015 at 8:56 amWho needs all that gooey cheese, calories and extra fat – these look delicious!
Sommer @ASpicyPerspective says
Jan 24, 2015 at 10:15 amOh yeah, sweet and salty are a match made in heaven. Perfect for game day!
Angie | Big Bear's Wife says
Jan 24, 2015 at 5:18 pmI love Potato skins and we almost always order them when we see them on a menu! I’ve only made them at home a few times though! Love this healthy version!
Kirsten/ComfortablyDomestic says
Jan 24, 2015 at 8:04 pmFire up the mirror ball because I’m ready to take a spin around the dance floor with a couple of these tasty nibbles. Why or why have I never used sweet potatoes in potato skins?
Kate @ Diethood says
Jan 24, 2015 at 9:18 pmThese look amazing!! They NEED to happen!
Amanda @ The Kitcheneer says
Jan 25, 2015 at 12:48 pmIm loving this lightened up appetizer! Must try!
Jenny @ The Peachy Pair says
Jan 28, 2015 at 2:09 pmThree of my favorite things together! Yes please!
Bob says
Mar 16, 2015 at 3:53 pmUnless you’re making two potato skins, it should be “Sprinkle the pepper, salt, goat cheese and bacon evenly AMONG the potato skins.” Keep up the delicious work.