Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links, which helps support Kitchen Concoctions via commissions made through customer purchases at no cost to you.
Looking for a crowd-pleasing party appetizer to serve at the big game? Check out this football fan favorite, Chili Loaded Potato Skins, stuffed with Texas style chili recipe and topped with sour cream, cheddar cheese and green onions!
Y’all, I can’t believe the football season is about to come to an end! Not that I’m a huge football fanatic, I’m not, but I can totally get into a game and we usually try to go to at least one or two football parties or tailgates a year. However, this fall was insanely busy and we didn’t watch a single football game, or, better yet, eat one single bit of football food, like these Chili Loaded Potato Skins!
I actually developed, tested and photographed these Chili Loaded Potato Skins last football season, when we were actually doing a lot of football watching and tailgating, but never got around to sharing them.
Because, you see, last year the super bowl was held in Houston, so for us Texans, a pretty big deal. But, this year? Yeah, I can’t even tell you how my favorite college teams did all season OR do I know where the super bowl will be held. BUT, that won’t stop us from gearing up to watch the big game with friends!
I’ll just plan on brushing up on this year’s football season a few days before the big game in February and show up with a tray full of these Chili Loaded Potato Skins, and hope that no one notices my lack of football knowledge or enthusiasm this year.
Before I get to the recipe, let’s talk chili, Texas chili to be exact. What sets Texas chili apart from other chili recipes, is that it is loaded with an array of spices AND there are NO BEANS. Usually most Texas chili recipes tell you to grind your own dried peppers and simmer for hours on end, however, I’ve developed a quicker and easier recipe, that I first shared when I shared my Texas Frito Chili Pie recipe a few years ago.
Instead of serving my Texas Chili recipe over Fritos (which is super popular ‘round these parts), today’s recipe dishes up the chili in little potato skin boats for the ultimate football watching finger food! Utensils optional!
Helpful Tips and Information:
Recommended Kitchen Tools: When I work in professional kitchens we normally make things like stew, chili or braised meats in a Le Creuset Dutch Oven; and while these are fantastic, quality pots that will last for like, forever, they are pretty pricey. Other quality Dutch ovens or stock pots that I highly recommend that are more affordable is this Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven or this T-Fal Stainless Steel Dutch Oven that comes in a cookware set.
Also, I recommend heavy bottomed sheet pans, like these Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Commercial Baker’s Half Sheet pans, because they won’t bend or “pop” when baking things at high heats. And if you don’t want to line your sheet pans with foil and spray with it cooking spray, I love my non-stick Slipat Silicone Baking Mat (which I’ve had for almost 12 years and use several times a week).
Leftover Suggestion: The potato filling that you scoop out to make the potato skin “boats” can be used to make Homemade Tater Tots or Leftover Mashed Potato Bread and Rolls.
If you like this Chili Loaded Potato Skins recipe, then you’ll love these other chili recipes:
Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Pork Chili
Three Bean Chili Pot Pies
Three Bean Chili Stuffed Bell Peppers
Copycat Wendy’s Chili
Beef Fajita Chili with Easy Baked Tortilla Strips
- For the potatoes:
- 10-12 small Russet potatoes
- 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon each Kosher salt and black pepper
- --
- For the chili:
- 1 tablespoon canola or corn oil
- 2 pounds ground chuck
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 2 jalapeno peppers, stemmed, seeded and minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2-3 whole canned Chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, minced
- 1 (12-ounce) can Texas lager or amber beer (beef broth may be substituted)
- ½-1 cup low sodium beef broth, or additional beer
- 1 ½ tablespoons ancho chili powder
- ½ tablespoon ground cumin
- ½ tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon each Kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 tablespoon masa or cornmeal
- 1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- --
- For serving:
- ½ cup grated cheddar cheese
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 green onions sliced
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Thoroughly scrub potatoes and pierce each potato several times with a fork. Brush each potato with oil and season with half of the salt and pepper. Wrap each potato individually with foil and place potatoes directly on the oven racks.
Bake potatoes at 400° for 35-45 minutes or until tender. Cool potatoes slightly, remove foil and carefully cut each potato in half lengthwise. Using a spoon or melon baller, scoop out the potato pulp, leaving a thin layer of potato in the skin (save the cooked potato for another use).
While potatoes bake, in a large, heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven, heat ½ tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook for 5-6 minutes or until no longer pink; using a wooden spoon or metal spatula to break up meat as it cooks. Drain the cooked ground beef and set aside.
- To the same pot, heat remaining oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add minced jalapenos and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in garlic and Chipotle chilies, and cook for 1 minute.
- Increase heat to high and stir in beer and ½ cup beef broth. Cook for 2-3 minutes then reduce heat to low.
Return cooked ground beef to the pot and stir in the spices, cornmeal and tomatoes. Simmer chili on low for 25 minutes or up to one hour, stirring occasionally, until chili has thickened. Add additional broth to chili, if needed as it cooks to thin the chili.
Once chili is made and potatoes are baked and have the potato filling removed, line a large baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Place potato skins, skin side down, on baking sheet and brush with remaining oil. Season potato flesh with remaining salt and pepper. Bake potato skins in oven for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
- Remove potato skins from oven and top with warm chili and cheddar cheese. Return to oven and bake for 2-3 minutes to melt cheese. Serve potato skins immediately topped with sour cream and green onions.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Leave a Reply