Loaded Baked Potato Rounds Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are the best toppings for a baked potato? ›

Loading up your potatoes is easy. Turn crispy potato skins into a hearty meal by filling them with classic potato pairings, like sour cream, bacon, and cheese. Or, grab a few baking potatoes (such as russets) to top with buffalo chicken, steak and spinach, or cowboy beans.

The best side dishes to serve with baked potatoes are grilled vegetables, steamed broccoli, Caesar salad, roasted Brussels sprouts, sautéed mushrooms, bacon-wrapped asparagus, garlic green beans, chili, coleslaw, roasted tomatoes, spinach and artichoke dip, BBQ chicken, buffalo cauliflower, and Greek salad.

A loaded baked potato is typically topped with a variety of ingredients such as cheese, sour cream, and bacon, whereas a regular baked potato is often served with just butter and perhaps some salt and pepper.

Wrapping potatoes in foil does not hasten baking. On the contrary, since the foil itself has to be heated before the potato begins to bake, cooking times increase slightly. Not only do you get better baked potatoes when you bake them unwrapped, you also save money.

Just scrub the skin well, poke few holes in the skin, and place the potatoes on the oven rack. Bake them at 400F until a fork inserted into the potato goes all the way in without resistance. Baking them without foil gives you a nice, crisp skin, which is the best part.

NEVER BAKE POTATOES IN FOIL.

Foil wraps will not decrease baking time, but will result in a soggy potato interior with wet skin. Wrapping a baked potato in foil after it has been baked will allow you to hold up to 45 minutes, but the best method for holding a baked potato is in a bread warming drawer.

The olive oil helps the seasonings adhere to the surface of the potato. To save time, restaurants often apply the oil with a spray bottle. Thanks to their naturally high starch content, which creates a plush texture under heat, Russet potatoes make a good fit for baking.

Some say wrapping baked potatoes in aluminum foil helps them cook faster (aluminum conducts heat, then traps it), and it does keep them hot for longer once they come out of the oven, which is why we think restaurants use this method. Wrapping potatoes will also give you a softer, steamed skin, if that's what you like.

Poke the potatoes with a fork just enough to pierce the skin so the potato won't burst when baking, especially in the microwave. Four or five times should be plenty. A potato is composed mainly of water, so poking them helps release steam as it cooks.

It is said that poking holes in the potato allows steam to escape the potato so it doesn't explode, but in reality, steam is actually able to escape from the skin (and we've never experienced a potato explosion!). If you're firmly team holes, though, it won't hurt anything to poke a few to give you peace of mind.

Can you overcook a baked potato? ›

Visual signs: The potato skin will start to wrinkle when over cooked. The potato, when wrapped in foil or placed on the bottom of a pan will have a dark brown spot on the bottom, a sure sign of over cooking. Foil traps the moisture in the potato causing the skin to be wet and the inside flavorless or gummy.

Our garlic smashed potatoes are a good place to start, but don't be limited by just melted butter, garlic, and thyme. Check out our Buffalo smashed potatoes, our brie smashed potatoes, and our chili oil smashed potatoes for inspo, then go wild. Spuds can truly do no wrong in our book.

Try these combos for the perfect upgraded baked potato: Broccoli Cheddar Baked Potato = Butter + Steamed Broccoli + Cheese Sauce + Shredded Cheddar + Sour Cream.

North America. Many restaurants serve baked potatoes with sides such as butter, sour cream, chives, shredded cheese, and bacon bits.