To celebrate my love of brunch, I’ve partnered with Smithfield to show you how easy it is to bring brunch home. I’m sharing a favorite brunch-time recipe that my family LOVES, combining Smithfield Applewood Smoked bacon, scrambled eggs, cheese and potatoes.

When I think of brunch, one food comes to mind— bacon! It’s a staple that makes every meal better, especially when featured with the delicious combo of breakfast and lunch…it’s just so versatile!

Typically my family enjoys brunch on the weekends when we sleep in and wake up somewhere between breakfast and lunch. While it seems like a luxury, I think brunch should be casual — and we all should enjoy it more often, even during non-brunch times.

These Bacon, Egg and Cheese Potato Skins are a cinch to make if you pre-prepare the shells (see my tip below!). Just fill with yummy toppings and serve any time of day.

Bacon, Egg and Cheese Potato Skins Recipe

Servings: 10 Potato Skin Halves

Author: Stefanie Fauquet

Ingredients

5 baking potatoes scrubbed
8 slices Smithfield Applewood Smoked Thick Cut cooked & chopped
4 eggs scrambled
2 cups cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons butter melted
Chives for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
Pierce each potato several times with fork and place directly on the oven rack. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven to cool.
Cut potatoes in half lengthwise; scoop out centers (save for other use) leaving the shells.
Place on greased baking sheet and brush each with melted butter. Sprinkle with salt and better.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Turn over and bake for additional 5-10 minutes, until crispy.
Remove from oven, fill potato skins with cheese, scrambled eggs and bacon.
Return to oven to cook an additional 5-7 minutes, until cheese is melted.
Top with chives and serve with sour cream or ranch dressing.

We love these bacon, egg and cheese potato skins so much that I often make a batch for dinner. Whenever I’m baking potatoes, I make sure to make a double batch to use later for potato skins.

I simply scoop out the insides and freeze the shells for later use. When I’m ready to make my potato skins, I leave the frozen shells on the counter to defrost and then pop them in the oven for another baking session before filling with scrumptious toppings.

I used Smithfield Applewood Thick Cut bacon in my loaded brunch potato skins, but other flavors, such as Smithfield Cherrywood Thick Cut and Hometown Original bacon, could also be used with amazing success— let’s face it, ALL of Smithfield’s bacon is delicious! Smithfield bacon is known for being smoked and cured to perfection.

To make these potato skins even more brunch-tastic, I paired them with a traditional Bloody Mary with a bacon garnish (no celery here!).

This beverage can be enjoyed with or WITHOUT alcohol (just omit the vodka— it will still taste amazing!), so don’t feel guilty about serving it any time of day. Trust me, Smithfield bacon really does make everything better!