Robin's Healthy Take: Better-For-You Potato Skins

Did you know that a single restaurant serving of potato skins contains 1270 calories? Robin shows you how to slim down this typically unhealthy recipe while still packing in flavor.

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Are you sitting down? You should be when you read the nutrition numbers for restaurant-style potato skins with cheddar and bacon. Ready? Here goes:

Calories: 1270
Total Fat: 83 grams
Saturated Fat: 38 grams
Total Carbohydrate: 97 grams
Protein: 33 grams
Sodium: 690 milligrams
Fiber: 12 grams

And let me remind you, potato skins are considered an appetizer. A single baked potato has 94 calories and zero fat, so what the heck happens in the restaurant kitchen? I’ll tell you what happens: the chefs take a nutrient-rich vegetable and give it the fat equivalent of 9 chocolate frosted doughnuts. Well, I’m not that kind of chef. Dig into my recipe revamp and enjoy the loaded potato skin in all its glory.

Potato Skins With Two Cheeses, Prosciutto and Scallions

Cooking spray
4 small baking/Russet potatoes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup reduced-fat shredded sharp cheddar cheese (4 ounces)

1/4 cup diced prosciutto or Parma ham (dry-cured Italian ham), about 2 slices

1/4 cup chopped scallions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Spray the outside of potatoes with cooking spray and place on a baking sheet. Cut a small slit in the top of each potato and bake 45 minutes, until soft. Leave oven at 425 degrees.

When cool enough to handle, halve potatoes lengthwise and scoop out flesh, leaving 1/4-inch of flesh with the skin (reserve scooped out flesh for mashed potatoes later in the week!).

Spray the inside of potatoes with cooking spray and season with salt and black pepper. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of the Parmesan cheese on the inside of each potato skin. Return skins to baking sheet and bake 6 minutes, until cheese is golden brown.

Fill each skin with 2 tablespoons of the cheddar cheese and 1/2 tablespoon each diced prosciutto and scallions. Bake 3-5 minutes, until cheese melts.

Nutrition Info Per Serving (serving size: 2 potato skins)
Calories: 215
Total Fat: 7 grams
Saturated Fat: 4.6 grams
Total Carbohydrate: 24 grams
Sugars: 1 gram
Protein: 13 grams
Sodium: 468 milligrams
Cholesterol: 27 milligrams
Fiber: 3 grams

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