The variations here are limitless. Top these little potatoes with chili, caviar, taco meat, shredded chicken, grilled vegetables, chutney…the list goes on. I baked the shells the night before then reheated them gently before topping with cheese and broiling. I prefer them warm but room temperature works, too. Use more- or less- cheese and toppings, just make sure to keep them finely chopped, in keeping with the small scale of the  potatoes.

Loaded Mini Baked Potato Skins
Makes 48 pieces

24 small (uniformly sized) redskin potatoes, pierced a couple times with a fork
Olive oil or olive oil spray
Salt and pepper
1 cup sharp cheddar, finely grated (or 1 cup blue cheese, finely crumbled)
Sour cream
6 strips bacon, cooked and finely crumbled
4 green onions, very thinly sliced

Heat oven to 375°F.

Working in batches, microwave potatoes a minute or two until just slightly softened. When cool enough to handle, cut each in half. Cut a small slice off the bottom of each to prevent the potatoes from tipping, Use a melon baller to remove the center of each potato, leaving about a 1/4-inch border. Spray (or brush) a baking sheet with olive oil. Place shells, cut side up, on the prepared baking sheet. Spray (or brush) with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake 20 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Divide cheese  between potatoes; broil until bubbly and melted, about 1-1/2 minutes. Top each potato shell with a dollop of sour cream, bacon and green onion slices. Sprinkle with a bit more black pepper. Serve.