Thanksgiving Potato Skins

These Thanksgiving potato skins are piled high with leftovers, but they’re so good, they just might deserve a place in your holiday spread. Preparing these potato skins is simple, and since you've already done the bulk of the Thanksgiving cooking—or received a generous takeout container of leftovers—all you need for this recipe is a few additional pantry staples: potatoes and cheddar cheese. The hollowed-out potatoes are an excellent vessel for extra-creamy mashed potatoes, stuffing, turkey, and dollops of cranberry sauce. Here are some tips on how to make them:

Twice-baked:
Use starchy potatoes, like russets or Idaho potatoes, as they're best for baking or roasting. Smaller-sized russets are perfect for an appetizer portion or as a side dish. Feel free to make more or less, depending on how many potatoes you have, but keep in mind that each potato makes two servings, or two potato skins. Tip: Roasting the potatoes whole will make the insides creamy and maintain the exterior potato skin. Once roasted and cooled, scoop out the potato, leaving a 1/4" border to preserve the shape of the potato skins, then roast the hollowed-out potato skins until crisp for an additional 30 minutes.

Pile with Thanksgiving leftovers:
Fill each potato skin with the perfect blend of sweet and savory Thanksgiving leftovers. Start filling each potato skin with a tablespoon of mashed potatoes, then layer in the turkey and stuffing leftovers. Top with shredded cheddar and bake again for 15 to 20 minutes until the cheese is melted. Serve with leftover cranberry sauce for the perfect Thanksgiving leftover bite.

Make ahead:
To make these ahead, follow the instructions through step 3. Freeze the hollowed-out potatoes in a single row on a tray and transfer to a freezer bag. Thaw overnight and proceed with steps 4 to 7 when ready to serve.

Extra mashed potatoes:
Reserve the scooped portion of the potatoes to make an extra batch of mashed potatoes or save for another Thanksgiving-inspired recipe, like fried mashed potato balls. To make a quick batch of mashed potatoes using the reserved potato, add 1 tablespoon butter, 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. We would keep it simple since we’re loading these up with Thanksgiving leftovers, but sour cream or goat cheese would be a welcome addition if you want something extra.

Made this recipe? Let us know how it went in the comments below!