Sweet Potato Skins with Cheese and Caramelized Onions
There are two camps of thought on potato skins. Some folks scoop out most of the potato, mix it with some yummy stuff, spoon it back into the skins and bake. The other camps says no, no, no, that only a shallow scrape of potato is removed and the potato is topped with all kinds of yummy stuff and baked. I like both. This potato skin falls cleanly in the first camp. Soon, I'll post skins for the second camp! The cook time estimated above assumes the potatoes are baked in the microwave.
Servings 4 potato skins
Ingredients
- 2 sweet potatoes 1 cup when mashed
- 1 tablespoon creme fraîche
- 3 tablespoons Humboldt Fog cheese or your favorite
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives
- ½ cup finely chopped red onion
- ¼ teaspoon coarse black pepper
- Toasted pepitas
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400˚ F.
- Bake the sweet potatoes in the microwave or conventional oven until soft. Slice in half lengthwise and cool. Scoop out the sweet potato, leaving the skin intact, and leaving enough potato attached to the skin to allow the skin to sit upright on a plate. I scooped out most of the potato for a little more than one cup.
- Stir in the creme fraîche, cheese, salt and chives until fairly smooth.
- Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the red onion and sauté until lightly caramelized, about 15 minutes. Add the pepper and stir the onions into the sweet potato mixture.
- Spoon the sweet potato mixture back into the skins.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Top with toasted pepitas and serve whole or sliced into one-inch bite-sized sections.
Notes
This appetizer is perfect for parties because you can roast the potatoes and make the potato filling ahead. Just store separately and assemble before the party and bake. Serve warm, fresh from the oven.