Four Ways To Make The Best Baked Potato
In my house growing up, the baked potato was always relegated to the role of side dish, usually topped with nothing more than butter and a pinch of salt. But I think the humble potato is up for the role of the main character on a dinner plate. Here are four ways to load up a potato with toppings to celebrate this terrific tuber, this sensational spud, the perfect potato...and delight your dinner guests with variety. (And if a potato is all you eat for a meal, we certainly won’t judge!)How do I make baked potatoes in the oven?
It’s good to have a go-to baked potato method, and here’s ours
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
- Scrub potatoes clean and pat dry.
- Prick potatoes all over with a fork.
- Rub outside with oil and sprinkle with salt.
If potatoes are large, set directly on oven rack and roast for 45 to 60 min., until a knife enters the potato cleanly without resistance.
If potatoes are smaller, set them on a sheet tray before roasting and flip halfway through cooking time.
From here, let potatoes cool enough to handle (about 5 min.), slice down the center, and garnish to your heart’s desire!
What can you put on top of a baked potato?
Potato combo 1: Elote Baked Potato
If you haven’t noticed, we at Savory Spice love elote, and especially love turning other foods into elote. For an elote baked potato, we whipped up a batch of our Mexican Street Corn Dip and used that as our main flavor component. Garnished with a little chopped cilantro and some tortilla strips, this potato reminds us of elote and our summer of Mexican Street Corn Seasoning.
Potato combo 2: The All-American
Inspired by the potato supporting actresses of dinner plates of our youths, we seasoned this potato with Black Label Reserve Smoked Salt & Pepper. This seasoning is the perfect blend of salt and pepper, and adds a deep smokiness that gave this potato the flavor of one that had sat in a smoker all day. We topped it with sour cream, cheddar cheese, and bacon for a classic American steak house vibe.
Potato combo 3: Umami Bomb
Our Good On You Vegan Chicken Salt is always a delight on french fries, so why not use it to dress up a baked potato? We halved some cherry tomatoes and seasoned them with Good On You, and garnished this simple but powerful combo with a little fresh parsley.
Potato combo 4: Alli-yum
Garlic and onions, also known as alliums, are a common flavor base for many dishes around the world, and go perfectly with the blank canvas of a potato. We seasoned our potato with Black Garlic Salt and added crispy onions and chopped scallions on top.
What food goes well with baked potatoes?
Ok, maybe you want more than just a baked potato. We won't judge. Here are a few favorites that are super with spuds.
Caribbean Curry Shrimp or Tequila Chile Lime Scallops: These seafood recipes walk the line between entree and baked potato topping. Serve on the side and swap out rice for a baked potato. Or, if you're feeling adventurous, you can even toss the shrimp or scallops right on top of the potato.
Seven Onion BBQ Meatloaf: Meat and potatoes is a classic combination. Just add a simple salad or green veggie and you've got the quintessential American dinner.
Shredded Barbecue Chicken or Smoked Pulled Pork: Again, this protein can pull double duty as main or extra potato topping. Double up on this recipe and you can serve it with baked potatoes one night and on buns for lunch or dinner the next day.
Creamy Vegan Tortilla Soup: Soup & potato is the new soup & salad. Perfect for a cold day, a hearty soup or stew is a great complement for a creamy baked potato.
If you'll excuse us, all this baked potato talk has made us hungry. You'll find us at the topping bar. Cheers!
Try any of our Best Sellers on your next baked potato or browse The Best Spices and Herbs For Seasoning Veggies. Share your spud-tastic creations on Instagram and tag us @savoryspiceshop.
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