Potato Skins with Pimento Cheese

These Potato Skins with Pimento Cheese are a perfect appetizer recipe for parties! Were using a homemade pimento cheese to stuff these potato skins!

We love making epic party appetizers like these potato skins! Also check out this Garlic Butter Shrimp and these classic Bacon Wrapped Scallops!

Mini Potato Skins with Pimento Cheese on a platter

What Is Pimento Cheese?

I had first heard of pimento cheese when we had family visiting from Virginia. Pimento cheese, as you probably know originated in the South, maybe that’s why I hadn’t heard of it..

But if you’re from the South, apparently it’s one of those recipes that every family has their own version of.

The base recipe is usually the same, shredded cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, garlic and onion powder and of course pimentos. I used Cento® pimentos, they come in a small 4 ounce jar, all chopped up for you.

You can use pimento cheese as a spread to go alongside your cheese platter with some crackers or even in a grilled cheese sandwich. Pimento cheese is also often made with bacon. I left the bacon out of this pimento cheese recipe only because I wanted to do something close to the original recipe, but you could totally add it if you want.

In fact I think it would be awesome in these potato skins. You could crumble up some bacon and just sprinkle it on top when they come out of the oven. As they say, everything is better with bacon…

How Do You Make This Potato Skin Recipe?

So you’re going to get a bunch of these small red or “new” potatoes, salt pepper and olive oil them up and throw them in the oven for about 1/2 hour.

While your potatoes are roasting, stir up the ingredients for the pimento cheese and put it in the fridge and chill. Some recipes say to beat the pimento cheese in a mixer with the paddle attachment, this makes for a smoother texture, but I thought stirring it well was just fine.

I used an extra sharp cheddar cheese because I like the sharpest cheese that I can find for this recipe. It seems to be the tanginess that sets this apart from other cheese spreads. This is the reason why I was told to use the juice from the pimentos also, you can use the juice from both jars if you want, it will just be slightly looser when it comes together.

red potatoes for Mini Potato Skins with Pimento Cheese

When they come out, split them in half lengthwise and scoop out a small center of the potato leaving a hole for the cheese.

You can save the leftover potatoes and mash them up later on for dinner.

potato skins to make Mini Potato Skins with Pimento Cheese

Then you brush the skins with some melted butter, put some salt and pepper on them and put them back in the oven to crisp up.

After they come out of the oven, let them cool and then fill the skins with a spoonful of your pimento cheese.

Mini Potato Skins with Pimento Cheese is an appetizer recipe for parties

Put some scallions on top (and some crumbled bacon if you’d like) and dig in. These Potato Skins are best served when the potato is still slightly warm and the cheese is nice and cold, but they are also great at room temperature so don’t worry about having them out at a party for a while- they won’t last long anyway!

Looking For More Appetizer Recipes?

Print

Potato Skins with Pimento Cheese

  • Author: Dan
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 10 servings 1x

Make these Potato Skins with Pimento Cheese for your next party! A fun and delicious appetizer that your guests will gobble up!

Scale

Ingredients

  • 24 oz. bag of red potatoes, washed and dried.
  • 1/2 stick of unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
  • 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped finely
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 8 oz. jar of chopped pimentos, drained but reserve the juice
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 3 scallions, chopped finely

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Add the shredded cheese, cream cheese, mayonnaise, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, jalapeño peppers, chopped pimentos and Worcestershire sauce to a medium bowl. Mix together and taste for seasonings. Add salt and pepper to taste. Chill the pimento cheese while you make the potato skins.
  3. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, toss to combine. Using a fork, prick the potatoes to let the steam escape while cooking.
  4. Roast the potatoes for 30 minutes, tossing halfway through until the potatoes are tender and can be easily pierced with a fork. When the potatoes are tender, let them cool slightly then slice them in half vertically and let cool for another 10 minutes.
  5. Turn the oven up to 450 degrees. Hollow out the center of each potato, leaving enough around the sides of the potato to hold the cheese.
  6. Brush each potato with the melted butter, season with salt and pepper, then place back into the oven for another 15 minutes until crispy.
  7. Let the potatoes cool for at least 15 minutes then stuff with the chilled pimento cheese.
  8. Garnish with chopped scallions and serve.

Recipe Notes

As an alternative, you can assemble these potato skins and put them under the broiler for 5 minutes. You can make the potato skins ahead of time and let them cool. stuff with cold pimento cheese and serve.

  • Category: Appetizers
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

You Might Also Like:

2 Responses
  1. Candace @ Cabot

    Wow! These look amazing. What a great way to use Pimento Cheese…one of our favorites. Thanks for the Cabot love! We’ll be sharing this on our FB page.

Leave a Reply

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

Cocktails and Drinks

Side “Bar”

Try some of the cocktails and drinks we’re mixing up this week!

VISIT THE COCKTAIL BAR