BC Skins — When the Peas Belong to Someone Else, You Find Your Next Thing

Brayden is one hundred and thirty-three weeks old. The pregnancy is at thirty-three weeks. This Sunday’s post comes out of a small editorial-pivot — I had been developing a small green-pea-and-mint-soup recipe for a small magazine-submission opportunity Sarah Wickham had connected me with in February. I had submitted the recipe in March. The magazine had passed on the submission this week. The recipe had been the small competitor to another recipe-developer’s green-pea-and-bacon submission. The peas now belong to someone else. I have moved on.

The bacon cheddar potato skins are the small comfort-pivot — halved-and-scooped-out russet potatoes, brushed with olive oil, baked at 425 for ten minutes to crisp the skins, then filled with shredded cheddar, crumbled bacon, finely-diced green onion, baked for another five minutes until the cheese is melted, finished with a small dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of chopped chives.

The technique question on potato skins is the skin-crisp. The skins need to be brushed with oil and salted before the first bake. The first bake at high heat crisps the skin into the small dish-shape that holds the filling without going soggy. The second bake melts the cheese without further softening the skin.

Sunday I made eight skins. Dustin had four. I had two. Brayden had a small piece of plain potato (no bacon, no cheese, no sour cream). The skins were the small comfort-meal that the small-editorial-rejection asked for.

BC Skins (Black-Eyed Pea Potato Skins)

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour | Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 4 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 can (15 oz) black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup diced smoked ham or ham hock meat
• 1/4 cup diced yellow onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup sour cream, for serving
• 2 tablespoons sliced green onions, for garnish

Instructions

1. Bake the potatoes. Preheat oven to 400°F. Rub potatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of salt. Place directly on the oven rack and bake for 50–55 minutes, until tender when pierced with a fork. Let cool for 10 minutes.
2. Hollow the skins. Cut each potato in half lengthwise. Scoop out the flesh, leaving a 1/4-inch shell. Reserve the scooped potato for another use. Brush the inside and outside of each shell with remaining olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
3. Crisp the shells. Place potato shells cut-side down on a baking sheet. Bake at 425°F for 8 minutes, flip, and bake another 5 minutes until edges are golden and crisp.
4. Make the filling. While shells crisp, heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add a drizzle of oil and sauté the diced onion for 5–6 minutes until softened and lightly caramelized. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Stir in ham, black-eyed peas, smoked paprika, and cayenne. Season with salt and pepper and cook 3 minutes until heated through.
5. Fill and melt. Spoon the black-eyed pea mixture evenly into the crisped potato shells. Top each with shredded cheddar. Return to oven for 4–5 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.
6. Serve. Remove from oven and top each skin with a small dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of green onions. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 210 | Protein: 10g | Fat: 9g | Carbs: 24g | Fiber: 4g | Sodium: 380mg