I was never much of a football fan growing up. My dad roots for the Washington Redskins but isn't a diehard fan, so I never grew up with a strong opinion for one team over the others. It wasn't until a few years ago, when I bought into my company football pool, that I decided I should adopt a team for myself. Naturally, being from Central PA, most of my friends, family and coworkers cheer for either the Pittsburgh Steelers or the Philadelphia Eagles. But since I like to be a little different, I chose another somewhat local team to call my own; the Baltimore Ravens. I thought, "hey, I like purple and black, they're named after Edgar Allen Poe and Baltimore's a nice city to visit, why not?"
And so, I became a Ravens fan, which doesn't necessarily sit well with my new Eagles fan boyfriend. But we're compromising. I even sported one of his Eagles jerseys a few weeks ago for a game. And being the good girlfriend that I am (and because I never turn down a reason to eat greasy food), I offered to make Philadelphia Cheesesteak Potato Skins in honor of the Eagles game on Sunday night. I made a few Ravens themed skins complete with Old Bay seasoning to even it out a little bit too.
A few years ago, Food Network Magazine featured a spread on NFL themed potato skins which was the inspiration for my potato skins. They created a skin recipe for each team in the NFL based on the cuisine of the team's home city. Some where as elaborate as including macaroni and cheese or sausage and peppers. There was even a muffalata potato skin for the New Orleans Saints. These potato skins are the perfect game day indulgence.
Philadelphia Cheesesteak Potato Skins
adapted from Food Network Magazine
4 large russet potatoes
6 slabs of frozen cheesesteak meat (such as Steakums) or six slices of deli roast beef
1/2 of a large onion, sliced into rings
Worcestershire Sauce
1 cup of cheese sauce (such as Cheez Whiz)
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 tablespoon butter at room temperature
Salt
Pepper
Steak seasoning
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash and dry the potatoes and pierce each potato a few times with a fork. Place the potatoes in the oven, directly on the rack. Bake for 60 minutes or until tender.
Remove the potatoes from the oven and allow them to cool completely. Once cool, quarter the potatoes, lengthwise, and scoop out the potato, leaving just the skins and a thin layer of potato.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Transfer the skin quarters onto a baking sheet, skin side up. Brush each skin with melted butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake the skins at 450 for an additional 15 minutes or until crisp.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, add 1 tablespoon of butter and the onions. Add a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Saute the onions until transparent and caramelized.
Break the frozen steak slabs into small pieces and toss them into the pan with the onions. Brown the meat until it is cooked thoroughly. Add a few more dashes of Worcestershire sauce and sprinkle with salt, pepper and steak seasoning.
Warm one cup of the prepared cheese sauce in the microwave.
Remove the potato skins from the oven and place on a platter. Top each skin with the meat and onions and drizzle with the melted cheese sauce. Serve immediately.
Baltimore Old Bay Skins
adapted from Food Network Magazine
Drizzle crispy potato skins with melted butter. Liberally sprinkle each skin with Old Bay Seasoning and grated parmesan cheese.
