Method

• You can make potato skins the night before, and then refrigerate and reheat them. After all, potato skins are available commercially in the freezer section, which essentially relies on a similar process. Scrub russet potatoes well and pat them dry. Rub them with oil and bake them at 400 degrees for about an hour, or until tender. To shorten cooking time even more, microwave the potatoes instead of baking them. Pierce the potatoes with a fork and cook them on a microwave-safe plate for 20 minutes. Turn the potatoes over once during cooking time. Once they've cooled, scoop out most of the potato flesh. Fill the cavity with bacon, shredded cheese and green onions. Right before serving, reheat the potato skins in a 350 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are hot and the cheese melts.

Alternatives

• For even fresher flavor, wait to add the cheese, bacon and green onions until right before serving time. Baking and carving the potatoes is the most time-consuming part of preparation, so do that job the night before. Get started on the filling by cooking the bacon, and then crumble it and shred the cheese. Then refrigerate everything in separate containers. Assemble the baked potato skins right before serving, and bake them. Top the potato skins with sour cream. You'll have an instant appetizer in 15 minutes or less that tastes like it was just made.

Ingredients

• Like most dishes, the better the ingredients, the better your potato skins will taste. Start with fresh russet potatoes. Avoid those with shriveled skins, sprouts or green spots. Use sharp cheddar cheese for best flavor, or try a specialty cheese, such as blue cheese or Gruyere. Use thick or peppered bacon. Be sure to season the potato skins generously with salt and pepper or even a chili powder mix.

Substitution

• Potato skins make a fine snack or appetizer, but you waste the best part of the potato -- the flesh. For a more substantial but similar dish, try twice-baked potatoes. Twice-baked potatoes are similar to potato skins, but you use the flesh too. To make them ahead of time, bake the potatoes, cool them and scoop the flesh into a bowl. Mash it with cream, shredded cheese, bacon, and salt and pepper. Scoop the mashed potatoes back into the skins and top with more cheese, bacon, green onions and salt and pepper. At this point, you can refrigerate the potatoes. The next day, heat them at 350 degrees until hot and gooey before serving.