Loaded Baked Potato Bar

A Loaded Baked Potato Bar is an easy weeknight comfort food that is totally family friendly!  Let everyone add their own toppings, like shredded cheese, roasted broccoli, bacon, black beans, corn, avocado, salsa, kale chips, and sour cream or plain yogurt!  This healthy baked potato bar with endless topping ideas and possibilities can be served a little different every time!

Weeknight Comfort Food

• Simply Delicious! - Sometimes we let dinner get just too complicated! A loaded baked potato bar can take you back to a simple childhood favorite. These are homemade, with healthy whole ingredients, scratch cooking, and everyone can make theirs just the way they like them.  It's the real food we grew up with as kids!  My mom always topped our baked potatoes with Homemade Beef Vegetable Chili and all the fixings.

• Toppings are Versatile! - I usually make a loaded potato bar when I think I have nothing for dinner! Get the potatoes in the oven and from there, see what's in the fridge for toppings!

• A Baked Potato Bar is just so simple, when I thought I had nothing in the fridge, I was actually able to pull together a home-cooked satisfying meal! Save this recipe in your back pocket! You'll also love this Tuna Broccoli Pasta Bake and this Easy One-Pot Jambalaya!

Ingredients & Topping Ideas

• Russet Potatoes - Use one per person if using the large baking potatoes. Don't worry if you don't have the "right" potatoes. Really any potatoes can be baked and will work. Smaller potatoes will need less cooking time.

Baked Potato Bar Toppings

• Bacon - I like to bake the whole package of bacon on a sheet pan in the oven and freeze the leftover chopped bacon. It's great to throw in eggs, paninis, or pasta.

• Broccoli - Fresh or frozen broccoli can be roasted in the oven, or blanched for a few minutes in boiling salted water. You could also roast cauliflower for a different topping idea.

• Cheese - Use any shredded cheese such as cheddar, white cheddar, mozzarella, provolone, Colby or Muenster.

• Black Beans & Corn - I always have a can of black beans on hand, an easy topping and extra protein. Just rinse your black beans and frozen corn together in a strainer to thaw it.

• Red Onion, Scallions, or Chives - A little chopped onion goes a long way and adds a nice sharpness! Use any kind of onion you like.

• Avocado - Diced or mashed with a pinch of salt. You can also make guacamole to give your loaded baked potatoes a southwest spin!

• Salsa - Store-bought salsa is fine or try my homemade Cherry Tomato Pico de Gallo or Easy 5 Minute Salsa from the food processor.

• Sour Cream or Plain Yogurt - I always buy plain yogurt is a substitute for sour cream, very similar in taste and function. We also eat it for breakfast with Almond Vanilla Granola, use it in smoothies, Mediterranean Hummus, Avocado Bean Dip, and in Protein Pancakes. It's the perfect topper for Loaded Baked Potatoes, chili, tacos and soup.

• Other Topping Ideas - Cilantro, olives, cherry tomatoes, roasted cauliflower, or Parmesan Kale Chips. If serving baked potatoes less loaded and more plain, start with a sprinkle of salt and pepper and a pat of butter.

Instructions

Step 1 - Wash potatoes well under running water, scrubbing them with your hands. Poke a few holes with a fork. Bake them directly on the oven rack at 400°F for anywhere between 30 to 60 minutes, depending on their size.

Step 2 - The bacon and broccoli can be cooked in the oven on sheet pans while the potatoes bake and taken out when they are done. Cook bacon about 20 minutes, flip with tongs halfway through.

Drain the bacon on a plate and chop. Toss broccoli with olive oil, salt and pepper and cook about 15 to 20 minutes. Set a timer and check the oven often to pull things out when they are done.

Step 3 - While everything is baking, assemble all your toppings for the baked potato bar on a cutting board or in small bowls.

Step 4 - When the potatoes are soft when squeezed, they are done. Slit them and squeeze them open and load on your toppings!

Recipe Tips

• Easy Toppings - I always have cheese to shred, plain yogurt or sour cream, and a can of black beans rinsed with frozen corn to thaw it. Then, just add any veggies you have on hand, you certainly don't need them all! Roasted broccoli (fresh or frozen) or cauliflower, Parmesan Kale Chips, Guacamole or just sliced avocado are all great toppings. A jar of my 5 Minute Salsa or Cherry Tomato Pico de Gallo is a great way to add extra veggies.

• Cook Bacon in the Oven - Bacon adds that classic baked potato flavor.  The whole package of bacon can be baked in the oven on a sheet pan. This is much cleaner and easier than cooking it in a frying pan! It cooks evenly and you can cook more at a time.  You won't need a whole package for the baked potato bar, but I love to freeze extra bacon. Leftover frozen bacon is so handy to throw in omelettes, on a Chopped Dinner Salad, in soup like Potato Corn Chowder, or in pasta.  Or if you have some already frozen bacon from leftover BLT's that would be perfect to easily add to these loaded baked potatoes!

• Storage - Store leftover loaded baked potatoes, either assembled or unassembled, in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Microwave to reheat, makes a great lunch!

• Freezer Tips - It's great to freeze a few packages of bacon to thaw in the fridge for this easy dinner! A bag of frozen corn mixed with a can of black beans also makes an easy baked potato topping that you can always keep on hand! You can even freeze the extra black bean and corn mixture for next time or to add to taco night. Just run under cold water in a strainer to thaw. You can also roast frozen broccoli for this recipe.

• Baked Potato for Kids - A loaded potato bowl is the perfect kid friendly dinner! Kids love to do things themselves, so let them add the toppings they like! I usually have luck with the cheese, bacon, yogurt, salsa and avocado with hopefully a few bites of broccoli!

• Vegan Loaded Baked Potato - To make a healthy baked potato bar vegan, simple omit the bacon and substitute a vegan cheese and sour cream. You can also increase the veggie options, maybe roast broccoli and cauliflower together. This is still a hearty meal when kept vegan!

If you made this recipe, I'd love to hear how you liked it! Be sure to leave a star rating by clicking the stars in the recipe card, or leave a comment below!

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