Makes 16 Large or 32 Small Potato Skins

Get ready for Kickoff with two varieties of my delicious potato skins, Chilli and Cheese and Bacon and Blue Cheese, two fun twists on the classic appetizer.

Ingredients

• 8 large or 16 small russet potatoes, washed
• 7 slices of bacon
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
• pinch cayenne pepper
• 2 cups mascarpone
• 1 cup blue cheese, crumbled
• 2 cups chili, canned
• 2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/3 cup Sour cream
• 1/4 cup Chives

Directions

1. Pre heat your oven to 375°.
2. Pierce potatoes with a fork and bake on a baking sheet for 1-1 1/2 hours or until easily pierced with a fork.
3. Remove from the oven and set- aside until cool enough to handle.
4. Lay bacon strips on a baking sheet lined with Sil Pat or parchment paper.
5. Mix together brown sugar and cayenne.
6. Sprinkle brown sugar over bacon.
7. Bake for 12-16 minutes or until crispy. Remove from the oven and set-aside.
8. Once the potatoes have cooled, slice each one in half length-wise.
9. With a spoon scoop out most of the inside, leaving a 1/4inch rim left with the skin, reserve the scooped out potato for later mashed potatoes.
10. Remove from the oven and fill each one with 1 Tablespoon mascarpone (1 1/2 tablespoons for large potatoes).
11. Top half of them evenly with blue cheese and cut up the bacon and crumble the cooked bacon over the blue cheese.
12. Evenly fill the remaining potatoes with the chili and top with cheddar cheese.
13. Place filled potatoes back in the 375° oven and allow the cheese to melt, about 5-7 minutes.
14. Remove from the oven top both with scallions  and the chili ones with sour cream.

This recipe is perfect for a Thanksgiving menu or a quick meal a home. Make sure to taste your potatoes before you stuff them to make sure the texture and flavor is to your liking, if you have larger potatoes you might want to add a tablespoon more of butter or milk.

Quick Tip: Make the potatoes up to a day ahead, keep in the fridge and bake about 25 minutes before you want to serve.

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Sauteed Green Beans with Leeks and Bacon
Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 Cup –Bacon (sliced in to bits)
• 1 Cup – Leek (sliced 1/4 inch)
• 1 Pound -Haricot Verts (or green beans)
• 1/4 Cup –Almonds (slivered)

Directions

1. In a medium sauté pan, over med/high heat cook bacon until crisp (about 8-10min) stirring occasionally.
2. Remove bacon from pan and set aside, leaving drippings in the pan.
3. Add leeks to pan with drippings, sauté on medium heat for 5-7 min, stirring occasionally.
4. Add green beans to leeks and sauté for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. In a separate small pan toast almonds over medium heat stirring so not to burn. Toast almonds until fragrant, about 5 minutes.
6. Toss green beans, bacon and almonds together and serve.