Want To Upgrade Your Potato Skins? Break Out The Beer

Whether you're in need of a party appetizer or just craving some comfort foods, potato skins are a delicious and savory snack. Simply bake the potatoes, slice them in half, and scoop out the insides. You'll want to leave a little bit of the inner potato for structure, but empty out enough room to place all your desired fillings. Plus, you can use the leftover scooped-out potato to make potato pancakes, buttery mashed potatoes, or potato rolls.

Potato skins pair well with beer, but if you want to up the boozy flavor in every bite, there are a number of ways to incorporate your favorite brew into the potato skins rather than simply serving them on the side. Beer cheese is a pretty common addition to the appetizer table, and would be right at home spooned onto your potato skins. For some added protein, you can cook up some bratwurst in a little bit of beer, allowing the meat to absorb the beer's flavor. If you like caramelized onions, beer can help enhance the flavors of those, too. Best of all, potato skins make it easy to combine all three of these into one dish.

When making beer cheese dip, you'll want to mix up cheeses and seasonings separately. On the stovetop, add your liquid ingredients — including the beer — to a saucepan and allow it to heat up. Then, stir in the cheese until the mix takes on a smooth and saucy consistency. 

For some boozy bratwurst, simply add the alcohol to a saucepan. Once it's simmering, place the brats in the beer for about 10 minutes. The meat will absorb the flavors of the alcohol and retain it even when grilled and fully cooked through. They can then be chopped up and scattered atop the potato skins.

When caramelizing onions with beer, don't add the booze right away. Instead, start to caramelize the onions normally in a saucepan. Once they've softened, pour in the beer, mixing it around to evenly coat the onions. As the veggies cook, the beer will be completely absorbed, and the onions will brown slightly.

Of course, you'll want to choose a beer to cook with that will work well in the recipes you're making. While you may be a fan of sipping on an IPA, this particular beer should be avoided when cooking. Its bitter, citrus flavors may not be complementary to many dishes, and it could even add an unpleasant flavor when heated to higher temperatures.

Instead, opt for an ale. Bratwurst is typically made of pork or beef, and the slightly fruity flavor of most ales will pair well with the savory meat. Porters and stouts can also be good choices for heartier dishes. Beer cheese is typically best made with brown ales, which can add a nutty hint of flavor to the dish, and for caramelized onions, the mild, smooth flavor of a lager should lend a pleasant contrast to the sweet-and-sour flavor of the allium.

The next time you're cooking for an adult crowd, consider adding a little bit of a boozy twist to your snack foods. And if you end up with leftover beer, then you know what you're all drinking.