The only thing better than a hot baked potato loaded with toppings is a whole spread of baked potatoes with toppings to choose from! This easy-to- prepare Baked Potato Bar is perfect for entertaining.
Hosting a party, or just looking for a new and exciting way to serve baked potatoes to your family?
Everyone is going to love this Baked Potato Bar! Guests can customize their own potatoes with a variety of toppings that are sure to satisfy.
We’ll start by baking up perfectly fluffy Russet potatoes with crispy skins. While those are in the oven, you can start preparing whatever loaded potato toppings you can think of!
I will, of course, give you some suggestions for the best potato bar toppings, but don’t let that stop you from getting creative. Baked potatoes are like a blank canvas, ready for anything.
Maybe today’s not the day to turn on the oven? It’s ok! You can make baked potatoes in the air fryer or baked potatoes on the grill instead.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Budget Friendly – Potatoes are an inexpensive way to fill up hungry bellies without breaking the bank. You can easily serve this baked potato bar to a crowd, and it will be much cheaper than ordering catering or even a pizza.
- Endlessly Customizable – You can start with the basics: sour cream, cheese, bacon bits, and then branch out into other more exciting potato toppings like broccoli and alfredo sauce, salsa and chili, or buffalo chicken. There really are no rules here!
- Delicious! Baked potatoes loaded with toppings are one of my favorite things. They’re warm, satisfying, and even better when I get to load them up with my ideal ingredients.
Need more delicious loaded potato recipes? Try my Baked Potato Skins, Twice Baked Potatoes, or easy, cheesy Twice Baked Potato Casserole next!
Baked Potato Bar Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this recipe:
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Russet Potatoes: In the US, these are really the best potatoes to use when making baked potatoes. In the UK, look for Maris Piper or King Edward Potatoes. What you’re looking for is a starchy or “floury” potato that will break down when cooking. Waxy potatoes do not make good bakers.
- Oil and Salt: Before baking the potatoes, we’ll scrub them well and then coat the skins with olive oil and flaky sea salt. This will make the skins extra delicious and totally edible.
- Butter: No matter which toppings you plan to add to your potatoes, the first thing you should do is add a pat of butter.
How To Make the Best Baked Potatoes
Tip!
Line your baking pan with parchment paper or aluminium foil to make clean-up super quick!
Tip!
Baked Potatoes are ready when you can easily pierce them with a fork. If you want to be very accurate, the internal temperature of a perfectly baked potato should read 210°F/99°C.
Classic Baked Potato Bar Toppings
Once you have these perfectly baked and prepared potatoes ready, it’s time to serve them while they’re hot, with a variety of toppings so that everyone can enjoy their favorite loaded potato.
I’ve stuck to some fairly traditional potato toppings today to make classic loaded potatoes, chili cheese potatoes, and broccoli and cheese potatoes:
- Shredded Cheese – Cheddar is classic, but other types of cheese are totally welcome here. Try Colby Jack, pepper jack, mozzarella, feta, or crumbled blue cheese too.
- Beef or Bean Chili
- Sour Cream, Fresh Jalapenos, and Salsa
- Crispy Bacon Bits – Cook fresh bacon until it’s crispy, then crumble it into bite-sized pieces.
- Green Onion, Red Onion and/or Chives
- Steamed Broccoli and Alfredo Sauce
Unusual Baked Potato Toppings
You can also get more creative with these non-traditional baked potato topping combinations for your potato bar:
- Fajita – Sliced Avocado or Guacamole with black beans, and grilled peppers and onions
- Italian Inspired (and vegetarian) – Homemade Pesto, sauteed mushrooms, and roasted tomatoes
- Buffalo – Buffalo Chicken and Ranch Dressing
- Reuben – Sauerkraut, Corned Beef, and Swiss Cheese
- Pizza – Marinara sauce, mozzarella, and pepperoni
- BBQ – Pulled pork, BBQ sauce, caramelized onions, and cheddar cheese
Storing Tips
Leftover baked potatoes can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
To reheat baked potatoes, bake them at 350°F/180°C for 15-20 minutes or until heated through.
What To Serve With a Baked Potato Bar
If your baked potato toppings include meat and vegetables, this potato bar can stand on its own as a full meal! Serve it with a healthy salad:
And a tasty dessert:
Recipe FAQs
How do you keep baked potatoes Warm?
You can make your potatoes ahead of time and keep them warm until your guests arrive or it’s time for dinner. My favorite way to do this is to place the hot potatoes in a slow cooker on the “warm” setting.
How Many potatoes per person for a baked potato bar?
I suggest one large baked potato per person, with a few extras, in case anyone would like to have a second helping. If many of your guests are children, you may want to include some potatoes cut in half for smaller servings.
How much of each topping do I need?
It’s hard to say for sure! The amount of each topping needed will depend on how many toppings you’re offering on your baked potato bar and how many people you’re serving.
I suggest having about a cup of any sauces and shredded cheese available, and at least a half cup of toppings like bacon pieces, chopped onion, and other smaller things.
Should I wrap baked potatoes in foil?
Nope! I find that they cook perfectly without any aluminum foil wrapping in the oven, so long as they are coated with olive oil.
More Tasty Potato Recipes
Enjoy eating and serving this fun and simple Loaded Baked Potato Bar at your next party or big family dinner! Be sure to Pin the recipe so that you can find it later, too.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Baked Potato Bar
Equipment
- sheet pan
- Lage Platter
Ingredients
- 6-8 Russet potatoes scrubbed clean and dried with paper towels
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
- Kosher salt to taste
- 6-8 tablespoons (80 g) unsalted butter 1 tablespoon per potato
Topping Ideas:
- Shredded Cheese
- Crispy Bacon
- Sliced green onions
- Chives
- Sour Cream
- Butter
- Diced red onions
- Jalapenos
- Salsa or pico de gallo
- Black beans
- Chili
- Steamed Broccoli
- Cheese sauce or alfredo sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven on to 430°F (220°C) and line a baking tray with parchment paper or foil.
- Using a fork, poke holes all around each potato, about 6-8 times. This lets steam escape during baking.
- Drizzle olive oil over the potatoes, and rub each potato making sure they are all nicely coated. Then sprinkle them with kosher salt.
- Place the potatoes on your prepared tray and put them in the oven. Bake for 50-60 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when they’re soft inside (a fork can easily poke through). An internal temperature of 210°F means they’re perfectly baked.
- Take the potatoes out of the oven and allow to cool slightly. Then, carefully slice each potato lengthwise but not all the way through. Top each potato with a 1 tablespoon piece of butter.
- Serve with Toppings: Serve the potatoes on a large board with all the toppings around them. Let everyone build their own perfect baked potato.
Notes:
- Toppings: The amount of each topping needed will depend on how many toppings you’re offering on your baked potato bar and how many people you’re serving. I suggest having about a cup of any sauces and cheese available, and at least a half cup of toppings like bacon pieces, chopped onion, and other smaller things.
- Nutrition: The nutrition information offered here is for just the baked potatoes, as it will vary wildly depending on the toppings added to each potato.
- Potato Choices: In the UK, use Maris Piper or King Edward Potatoes. Anywhere else, choose a large, starchy potato for baking rather than a waxy one.
- Baked Potatoes are ready when you can easily pierce them with a fork. If you want to be very accurate, the internal temperature of a perfectly baked potato should read 210°F/99°C.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
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