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Who’s ready for the Super Bowl this weekend? Even though I’m no diehard football fan, I was hoping that this was the year for the Buffalo Bills (I’ve got quite the story as to why the Buffalo Bills, but I can save that story for later). Next year! No matter which team you’re supporting this year, I think we can all agree that the best part of the parties is all the finger food. So, of course, I had to create my own farmers market twist on the classic fully loaded potato skins. Well, swap out the potatoes for some farm fresh beets, and now you’ve got Fully Loaded Beet Skins!
My Farmers Market Twist on Finger Food
Is it just me, or is finger food just more fun? I mean, you’re allowed to play with your food so it has to be better. Right?
The flip side with finger food is that it’s often over processed junk food, the stuff most of us want to cut out of our diets. But just because we’re focusing on using whole foods from the farmers market doesn’t mean that you have to give up fun little appetizers and snacks. It just means getting creative with what’s in season. This is what makes the farmers market so fun!
The inspiration for using beets in this recipe came from my good friend Ashley, who was asking for recipes that use beet skins. She cooks beets all the time for her family, so she was looking for a recipe that wouldn’t require peeling the beets. Not only do you not have to peel the beets in this recipe, the skins are featured!
Farmers Market Ingredients and Substitutions
Beets
I used cylinder beets in this recipe, but any beet will work. Cylinder beets tend to be richer in color than your average red garden beet, but the flavor is the same. If you haven’t seen it yet, I’ve got a whole guide to all the different types of beets I’ve seen at farmers markets around the country. If you haven’t seen that yet, click here to check it out!
Ground Beef
I know the usual fully loaded potato skins use bacon bits, but I think the crisped up ground beef goes better with the flavor of the beets themselves. I prefer either an 80/20 or 85/15 blend for my ground beef.
Tips and Tricks
This recipe is easy to scale up and scale down! Each beet will make four beet skins, so roast one beet for every two people you plan to serve. Beets can be roasted several days in advance to make prep even easier.
Serving Suggestions
Want to make a whole farmers market spread for your own Super Bowl finger food party? Here’s what else I would serve alongside my Fully Loaded Beet Skins.
Guacamole
Is it really a party without chips and guac? Look for Mexicola avocados at the farmers market to keep this classic seasonal! This variety produces fruit in the colder months, making it perfect for a winter get together. Plus, this is the best season for limes, another key ingredient to guacamole. I generally don’t use a recipe and just start mixing things together, but if you want a guide to get started, I recommend reading the one Serious Eats put together.
Spinach Dip
Dark, leafy greens like spinach are at their sweetest in the winter. The sugar content actually increases in the plant as a natural antifreeze. This means that your spinach dip is going to taste even better in February than it would other months. Dinner at the Zoo has a great recipe using fresh spinach.
Stuffed Mushrooms
Stuffed mushrooms are another perfect one-bite appetizer for a Super Bowl party, and you’ll find a variety of different mushrooms year round at the farmers market. I’m partial to these dim sum inspired mushrooms from Nom Nom Paleo, but there are tons of different variations you could do with different proteins and herbs.
What about the leftovers?
Keep your leftover beet skins in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Let them come to room temperature before serving. Unfortunately, due to the nature of these fully loaded beet skins, they don’t freeze very well. But, it’s pretty easy to scale this recipe up or down to avoid having too many leftovers!
Fully Loaded Beet Skins
Of course, I had to create my own farmers market twist on the classic fully loaded potato skins. Well, swap out the potatoes for some farm fresh beets, and now you've got Fully Loaded Beet Skins!
Ingredients
- 3 red beets
- ½ lb ground beef, 80/20 preferred
- 1 tsp chili powder
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup sour cream
- Zest of one lime
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Wrap each beet in aluminum foil individually, then roast in the oven until soft and tender; approximately 40-60 minutes.
- While the beets are roasting, make the crispy ground beef mixture by browning the ground beef, chili powder, cinnamon, and salt and pepper, on medium high heat. Start in a cold pan to render out the fat and get the beef crispy.
- Remove beets from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature.
- Cut each beet into quarters, and scoop out the centers. Save the centers to use in another beet recipe, such as my beet, orange, and avocado salad.
- Evenly distribute the crispy ground beef mixture into the scooped out centers of the beet skins.
- Top each beet skin with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of the lime zest.
- Enjoy while rooting for your favorite sports team!
