Pesto. Goats cheese. Slow-roasted cherry tomatoes. All piled onto crispy potato skins and baked until bubbly. These loaded potato skins are easy, impressive and delicious.

If you enjoy potato skins don’t miss my Indian-spiced potato skins.

Overhead view of Potato Skins with Pesto and Goats Cheese and tomatoes

Time is ticking. It’s over half way through November already. Time is moving way to quick. It’s nearly time for lots of festive gatherings – in between all the shopping, decorating, Nativity plays, card writing and the endless wrapping of gifts.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I love all that (well, apart from the card writing, if I’m being honest). The run up to Christmas is one of my favourite times of the year – good excuse to bake if you ask me – but time is notoriously short in December and sometimes you need a quick fix to hand out to friends that’s going to impress whilst they sip their drinks. This is it. This is the wow dish you need to serve. Loaded Potato Skins with Pesto & Goats Cheese. The oven does all the hard work and you get to sit back and share something bright and big on flavour with your friends.

A jar of basil pesto with a few basil leaves next to it.

And the magic flavours?

Pesto
Goats cheese
Slow roasted cherry tomatoes

All piled onto crispy potato skins and baked until bubbly. Easy. I can’t believe I’ve never thought of putting my favourite pasta combination onto potato skins before. You don’t even have to make your own pesto. It’s December, the list of things to do probably does not include making pesto for most normal people. Of course, if you are off on a fancy holiday over the festive period and do not have a zillion other things to prepare, then knock yourself out on the homemade pesto front, it can only make these Loaded Potato Skins with Pesto & Goats Cheese even more scrummy than they already are.

Topview of Slow roasted cherry tomatoes in a baking tray

I have this rule that I won’t do anything too Christmassy before the 1st December each year, aside from making the Christmas pudding and the odd bit of shopping (and writing a blog post that mentions Christmas a few too many times… um… sorry). Mad, I know, because when December comes, it’s busy all the way, but a rule is a rule: no wrapping, no card writing (grrr), no Christmas songs and no mince pie baking (or scoffing) until it’s December. However, come the 1st of the month, I intend to cook myself a stash of these, pour a glass of wine and write those pesky cards.

close up of potato skins with cheese, roasted tomatoes and pesto

More party nibbles to make

📖 Recipe