Take one good baked potato, wrap it in bacon, and you’ve got something even better!
It’s almost universally accepted that you can improve anything by adding bacon to it. Even for something as perfect as a baked potato: Cover it with crispy strips of bacon, and voilà, it’s even more irresistible! The folks who run concessions at Lambeau Field in Wisconsin—home to the Green Bay Packers—capitalized on this a few years ago when they introduced a loaded baked potato wrapped in bacon. Not surprisingly, they called their amazingly delicious stadium dish “The Pigskin” thanks to its football-like shape. And the best news? You can make the same fun dish right at home for game day or any day you want an extra-special spud.
And while we love to highlight the bacon in this dish, it’s great in so many ways. The oven-roasted russets come out tender and fluffy, and topped with sour cream, green onions, and melty Cheddar, they’re an irresistible loaded potato. But wrap that potato in bacon, and you reach another level of flavor and aroma! It’s so good you’ll want to make these again and again. Plus, if you think “meat and potatoes” is the definition of a full meal, who are we to argue?
All about the bacon
While we love thick-cut bacon for many things, the bacon you want for these potatoes should be regular thin-cut bacon, also called American bacon or streaky bacon. This thickness will wrap more easily around the russets and will crisp up best during baking. Keep in mind that the bacon will shrink while cooking, so make sure the bacon slices overlap one another. Don’t be afraid to use toothpicks liberally if necessary to get the bacon to stay in place initially; you’ll remove them later. And guess what? If you’re into a total bacon nut you could even wrap up to four slices of bacon around each spud. Prefer turkey bacon? No problem, you can substitute your favorite turkey product for pork bacon if that’s your preference.
How do I store leftovers?
If you’re lucky enough to have leftover potatoes, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate them for up to 4 days. Unwrap and reheat them in the microwave or in a 350°F oven for 20 minutes.
Serving suggestions
Chili has long been a great meal to combine with a baked potato. If that sounds like a plan to you, we recommend you try Crock-Pot Vegetarian Chili or Cajun Instant Pot Chili. But if you’d like to add a hearty side instead to make the potatoes a full meal, Air-Fryer Vegetables would be a healthy side dish, as would Oven-Roasted Vegetables or a refreshing Fennel Apple Salad. But you really can’t go wrong. It seems like bacon goes with everything!
Ingredients
- 4 russet potatoes
- 8 slices bacon not thick-cut
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2-3 green onions sliced
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Scrub the russet potatoes clean under running water, then pat them dry with a towel.
- Carefully wrap each potato lengthwise with 1-2 slices of bacon, ensuring the slices slightly overlap. Secure the bacon with toothpicks to keep it in place during baking.
- Place the bacon-wrapped potatoes on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 55 to 60 minutes. The potatoes are done when they feel tender when pierced with a fork and the bacon is crispy.
- Once baked, remove the potatoes from the oven and let them cool for about 10 minutes. Carefully remove the toothpicks.
- Create a slit on the top of each potato and gently press the ends to open up the potato. Stuff each potato with 1 tablespoon of butter and then top with shredded cheese, green onions, and a dollop of sour cream. Serve immediately and DEVOUR!
Nutrition Info:
Nutrition information are estimates only and may vary based on the specific brands, ingredients, and portion sizes you use. This data is provided for informational purposes only.
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