Potato Skins

Low FODMAP potato skins of crisp russet shells filled with aged cheddar, bacon, and chives, served with lactose-free sour cream.

Prep 15 min

Cook 1 hr 15 min

Serves 4

Gluten-freeNut-free

Ingredients

• 4 medium russet or white potatoes (about 200g / 7 oz each), scrubbed
• 2 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil, divided
• 1/2 tsp salt, plus more for seasoning
• 100g (about 1 cup) grated aged cheddar cheese
• 4 slices plain bacon, cooked crisp and chopped
• 2 tbsp finely chopped chives, or the green tops of scallions
• 1/4 cup (60g) lactose-free sour cream, to serve
• Freshly ground black pepper

Potato and aged cheddar are low-FODMAP in these servings, and only the green parts of the chives or scallions go in. If you plan to eat several skins at once, look up the toppings in the FODMAP Foods app to see how their rating changes with portion size.

Instructions

Bake the potatoes

1. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Prick each potato all over with a fork so steam can escape.
2. Rub the skins with 1 tbsp of the garlic-infused oil and a little salt, then set them on a baking sheet.
3. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until a fork slides in easily. Let them cool for about 10 minutes so you can handle them.

Scoop and crisp the shells

1. Halve each potato lengthwise. Scoop out the flesh, leaving a shell about 1/4 inch (6mm) thick. Save the flesh for mashed potatoes or a soup.
2. Brush the inside and outside of each shell with the remaining garlic-infused oil, then season with salt and pepper.
3. Return the shells to the oven cut side up and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges turn crisp and golden.

Load and melt

1. Fill each shell with grated cheddar and chopped bacon.
2. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, until the cheese has fully melted.
3. Top with chopped chives and a spoonful of lactose-free sour cream. Serve warm.

Tips & Substitutions

• Read the bacon label. Many cured bacons carry added garlic or onion powder. Pick plain bacon with a short ingredient list, or leave it out and add extra cheddar.
• Keep the scooped flesh. The potato you remove is low-FODMAP, so mash it with lactose-free milk or stir it into a chowder rather than throwing it away.
• Oil, not bulb, for garlic. Garlic-infused oil delivers the flavor because the fructans in garlic do not dissolve into oil. Do not substitute garlic powder or fresh cloves.
• Watch the sour cream. Use lactose-free sour cream, since regular sour cream adds lactose. A dollop of lactose-free plain yogurt works too.
• Green tops only. Chives and the green tops of scallions are low-FODMAP, while the white bulb of a scallion or spring onion is not. Chop from the green end.
• Dairy-free swap. Use a dairy-free shredded cheese with no cashews, onion, garlic, or inulin on the label. Lactose-free cheddar is lower in lactose but still dairy.

Why This Works

• Potato is low FODMAP. White and russet potatoes are low FODMAP at the serving used here, so the shell needs no swaps.
• Aged cheddar is low in lactose. Hard, aged cheeses lose most of their lactose during production, so the 25g serving per person is low FODMAP.
• Garlic flavor from the oil. Garlic's fructans do not dissolve in oil, so strained garlic-infused oil carries the taste without them.
• Chives for onion flavor. Chives and scallion green tops are low FODMAP at the amounts used, unlike the white bulbs, so they season the skins.

Storage

Keep leftover loaded skins in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 375°F (190°C) oven for 8 to 10 minutes to bring back the crisp edges; the microwave works but leaves them soft. Add the sour cream fresh after reheating rather than storing it on top. Unfilled crisped shells also freeze well for up to 1 month, so bake a batch ahead and load them when needed.