Loaded Baked Potatoes
A baked potato with toppings is a complete meal. The potato is the base. Pile on whatever you have and you have got dinner.
Time
55 min
Difficulty
Easy
Serves
4
Ingredients 4 items
- 4 large potatoes, scrubbed clean
- 1 cup shredded cheese
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup sour cream
- Optional: Canned chili on top, Browned ground beef, Canned black beans or pinto beans, drained, Broccoli (frozen, steamed), Salt and pepper, Salsa
Equipment
- Oven or microwave
- Fork
- Baking sheet (if using oven)
Allergens: Contains Dairy (butter, cheese, sour cream). Dairy-free if you skip these toppings.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). If using a microwave, skip to the microwave method below.
- Wash the potatoes and poke each one several times with a fork. This lets steam escape while they bake.
- Place the potatoes directly on the oven rack or on a baking sheet. Bake for 45–50 minutes until a fork slides into the center easily.
- Cut each potato open lengthwise. Squeeze the ends gently to push the insides up.
- Add butter, then cheese, then sour cream. Season with salt and pepper if you have them.
- Add any other toppings you have.
notes & tips
- Microwave method: Poke potatoes with a fork. Microwave one at a time for 5–7 minutes, flipping halfway through. Let rest for 2 minutes, then top.
- Make it a full meal: Canned chili on a baked potato is an entire dinner. So is browned ground beef with cheese.
- No cheese or sour cream? Butter and salt alone are great on a baked potato. You can also use salsa as a topping.
- Sweet potatoes work too. Same method, same cook time. They're naturally sweet so they're good with just butter and cinnamon.
- Leftover potatoes: Refrigerate and reheat in the microwave the next day. They're almost as good.