food
By Katherine Gillen
•
Published Sep 13, 2022
Butter, salt and sour cream are fine—but have you ever considered that a baked potato could be the ideal blank slate for a whole world of toppings you haven’t tried? From caramelized kimchi to buffalo chicken, these 26 baked potato recipes (including sweet potatoes, too!) prove that you are a dinnertime artiste and the spud is your canvas.
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1. Caramelized Kimchi Baked Potatoes
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 5 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, vegetarian, beginner-friendly
Sugar on a potato? Don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it. Here, the subtle sweetness offsets the tangy kimchi for a totally balanced side dish (or main).
Get the recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
2. Cheese and Bacon Baked Potatoes
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, special occasion–worthy, gluten free
One surprisingly easy way to upgrade your spud is to Hasselback it—that’s a Swedish technique of shingling the potato so it’s crispy and fluffy at the same time (and it’s kinda genius).
Get the recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
3. Loaded Baked Potato ‘Chips’
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 5 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, <10 ingredients
When it comes to baked potatoes, there are no rules. Instead of leaving them whole, slice them into homemade crisps and load them up with your favorite toppings.
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Erin McDowell
4. Grown-Up Baked Potatoes
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: low sugar, beginner-friendly
It’s a choose-your-own-adventure side dish, so what’ll you have? Spicy Brussels sprouts, creamy mushroom or balsamic caramelized onion?
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Aubrie Pick/Eat What You Love
5. Buffalo-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: make ahead, high protein, <500 calories
Let’s not forget about the humble sweet potato, which is just as versatile as its starchier counterpart. Here, easy shredded buffalo chicken adds protein and spice.
Get the recipe
Teri Lyn Fisher/Eat Like You Give a Fork
6. Overstuffed Sweet Potatoes with Chipotle-Lime Yogurt
- Time Commitment: 50 minute
- Why We Love It: make ahead, vegetarian
These stuffed sweet potatoes work just as well as a vegetarian main as they do a side dish. You can totally roast them ahead of time too, since they’ll keep in the fridge for five days.
Get the recipe
What's Gaby Cooking
7. Chipotle Cheddar Twice Baked Potatoes
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
Sharp cheddar, chipotle peppers, scallions and a bit of sour cream give these twice-baked spuds major southwestern vibes. Feel free to add bacon if you want to up the ante.
Spoon Fork Bacon
8. Twice Baked Breakfast Potatoes
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 39 minutes
- Why We Love It: kid-friendly, gluten free, make ahead
Nothing against hashbrowns…but we’ve found a new breakfast carb for our rotation. FYI, you can prep the potatoes ahead of time and stuff them when you’re ready to serve.
The Modern Proper
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 5 minutes
- Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients, vegan
We see you, potato purists. These classics are crisp on the outside, tender on the inside and perfectly seasoned—what more could you ask for?
How Sweet Eats
10. Kale and Smoked Cheddar Twice Baked Potatoes
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, gluten free, <10 ingredients
Aka how to get your greens and carbs all in one side. These would be just as tasty with another veg, like Swiss chard or spinach.
Spoon Fork Bacon
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, special occasion–worthy
Using new potatoes in place of the usual Idaho or Yukon Gold means these tots are as adorable as they are quick-cooking. Hot tip: Line a chopstick on either side of the potatoes before slicing, so they stay partially intact.
Gimme Some Oven
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
For baked potatoes with irresistibly crispy skin, try brushing them with melted butter or olive oil before baking. (Psst: This works for sweet and regular spuds.)
Foodie Crush
12. Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 25 minutes
- Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, make ahead, high protein
Nearly anything you can do with a baked potato, you can do with a baked sweet potato. These babies are topped with brown sugar bacon, which would be a welcome addition to any holiday spread.
Feel Good Foodie
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why We Love It: air fryer recipe, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
For the ultimate in crispy skins, break out your air fryer to make baked potatoes. Just don’t skip the sour cream for dipping.
The Modern Proper
- Time Commitment: 2 hours, 5 minutes
- Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy
The extra effort of scooping and stuffing is worth it when you consider how flavorful your potatoes will taste. These are filled with blue cheese and bacon, but any cheese goes.
Ambitious Kitchen
15. Breakfast Baked Sweet Potatoes with Almond Butter, Banana and Chia
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, <500 calories, vegan
This takes baked potato to a whole new level. If you aren’t following a vegan diet, you can add Greek yogurt for a boost of protein.
Pinch of Yum
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
Forget buns—we’re transforming our baked potatoes into barbecue chicken “sandwiches” with all the fixings.
Feel Good Foodie
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: kid-friendly, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser
One part baked potato, one part French fry. Serve these spuds with ketchup, barbecue sauce or even ranch dressing. (Yeah, we went there.)
I Am a Food Blog
18. Jalapeño Bacon Ranch Mini Twice Baked Potatoes
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
The name might be a mouthful but these guys are mini, so you can cram as many as you’d like in your mouth.
Lexi's Clean Kitchen
19. Instant Pot Baked Potatoes
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why We Love It: Insant Pot recipe, <10 ingredients
As it turns out, you can speed up the cook time and make a batch of baked potatoes in less than 45 minutes. Use that time saved to brainstorm your toppings (or sure, scroll through your phone).
Lexi's Clean Kitchen
20. Slow Cooker Baked Potato Bar
- Time Commitment: 4 hours, 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, slow cooker recipe, make ahead
On the flip side, you can totally make your potato bar a “set it and forget it” situation. Have a pot of chili simmering nearby to pair with it.
The Defined Dish
21. Twice Baked Potatoes with Truffle Salt and Grùyere
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: make ahead, special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
Well aren’t you fancy? The twice baked factor means you can prep these potatoes in advance, and the luxurious truffle salt takes them over the top—all in all, a no-brainer for entertaining.
Darn Good Veggies
22. Creamy Mustard Twice Baked Potatoes
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 50 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, dairy free
They’re rich and creamy without any dairy, and that’s the power of the potato (plus a little dairy-free butter).
Well Plated by Erin
23. Potato Skins
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, gluten free
If you’re more team crispy than you are team fluffy, just ditch the filling and make these cheesy potato skins. The toppings are yours for the sprinkling—bacon bits, chives and flaky salt are all welcome.
24. Baked Garlic Herb Potato Wedges
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 5 minutes
- Why We Love It: sheet pan recipe, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
These bites have crispy, golden edges that seem like they came out of a deep fryer, but the joke’s on all of us: They’re baked. Bonus, the garlic-herb topping takes three minutes to make in a food processor.
Healthy Nibbles
25. Kung Pao Chicken Stuffed Potatoes
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: high protein, gluten free
Two comfort foods walk into a bar…a baked potato bar, that is. All jokes aside, these innovative spuds are tastier (and healthier) than takeout.
Damn Delicious
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
No matter the type of baked potato, one thing is certain: Baking them in foil yields a fluffy, tender interior that can’t be beat (not to mention, the cleanup is a breeze).
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Katherine Gillen is PureWow’s senior food editor. She’s a writer, recipe developer and food stylist with a degree in culinary arts and professional experience in New York City restaurants. She used to sling sugary desserts in a pastry kitchen, but now she’s an avid home cook and fanatic baker.
Katherine Gillen
Senior Food Editor
Katherine Gillenis PureWow’s senior food editor. She’s a writer, recipe developer and food stylist with a degree in culinary arts and professional experience in New York City...
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