Baked Potato Toppings That Are Anything But Boring

There really is no bad way to eat a potato, and baked is no exception. While a plain baked potato cut open straight from the oven may have a craveable, fluffy interior, it isn't very flavorful on its own. Now, you can just top a perfectly prepared baked potato with butter, salt, and pepper and enjoy every creamy bite. After a while, though, you may dream of a more interesting baked potato and start wondering what other delicious toppings you can use to enhance your spuds. The good news is that there is no shortage of mouthwatering food items you can use to transform your basic baked potato from boring to blog-worthy.

Some of these suggested toppings can even elevate the baked potato from lowly side dish status to complete meal standing, since they're loaded with protein and other nutrients. You can also conveniently use up many different kinds of leftovers, such as meat and soups, by placing them on top of your baked potatoes. Not only will you end up with a delicious meal, but you'll also save money and reduce food waste in the process. Read on to find out how to upgrade your next baked potato from a supporting character to the star of the dinner show. 

Everyone has heard of "one-pot meals," but what about "one potato skin meals?" It all starts with one perfectly prepared baked potato, such as a Russet or a Yukon Gold — try Martha Stewart's trick for fluffy baked potatoes. Then top the tuber with a filling source of protein that transforms it from a side dish to a full meal. 

You can't beat topping a baked potato with crunchy, golden chicken tenders, and then finishing it off with a ladle or two of creamy gravy. The beauty of this meal is that it will work for either lunch or dinner, and you can make it using leftovers, frozen, or even items bought at your grocery store deli for convenience. 

After the potato is baked, just slice it open, add butter and cheese if you'd like, and place the chicken tenders right in the middle. You can use either homemade Southern-style white or brown gravy, or just pour it right over the spud from a jar if you're in a hurry. If you don't have chicken tenders on hand, nuggets will also work in a pinch, and may also appeal to your little ones even more. You can also tweak this recipe using meatless, plant-based chicken strips if you're looking for a vegan or vegetarian options. To add a bit of color to the bland-looking dish, sprinkle some chopped green onions over the top. 

Baked potatoes topped with taco fixings might just become your new favorite way to celebrate taco Tuesdays. Anything but boring, taco-topped potatoes hit every note just right — creamy, crunchy, spicy, savory, and even sweet, depending on what type of spuds you use. This is one recipe idea that will work with both white and sweet potatoes, making the meal easily customizable. Potatoes topped with taco fixings is also a fun party idea when you're looking for a casual food option that will appeal to guests of all ages. Set up a taco bar, but provide both baked white and sweet potatoes instead of hard shells and tortillas. 

When it comes to what kind of taco toppings will work here, the sky is the limit. Experiment with traditional ingredients such as seasoned ground beef, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, sliced black olives, chopped onions, and cheese. Other meat ideas include carne asada or fajita-style grilled steak or chicken strips. If you're a seafood lover, you may even consider using crispy golden fish sticks as a topping. 

Sour cream and guacamole will give the potato an irresistibly creamy texture, while hot sauce or salsa will bring a bit of heat to the taco party. Finish the potatoes with some cilantro for a pop of fresh green color. Taco-topped baked potatoes are also a delicious way to use up leftovers that you have sitting in your refrigerator. 

To experience authentic British cuisine from the comfort of your own home, try topping your baked potato with tangy baked beans and shredded cheese. These delectable baked potatoes — known as jacket potatoes in the United Kingdom – feature a crunchy exterior and a soft, fluffy interior, which is the perfect host for protein-packed beans. 

The secret to a perfect British-style jacket potato is to roast it for a long time, such as two hours at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, take it out of the oven, slice it open, and then return it to the heat for approximately 10 minutes. You could just stop with a dollop or two of butter, some flaky sea salt, and ground black pepper, but the other two ingredients send this basic potato to another level of deliciousness. 

For the filling, simply heat a can of high-quality baked beans in tomato sauce until it's simmering, since you want it hot enough to be able to melt the cheese. You can also kick up the flavor of the beans with a bit of Worcestershire sauce if you want some extra umami. Pour the heated beans liberally over the baked potato, allowing some to pool on the plate. Finish the potato with a generous sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese. Jacket potatoes are sometimes served with a side salad, or they're meal enough on their own. 

Who needs a boring bagel when you can pile smoked salmon high atop a creamy baked potato? This is another recipe that easily elevates a humble baked potato from a side dish to a dinner — or even breakfast or brunch. This dish is versatile because you can use a package of lox-style salmon, hot smoked salmon if you crave a bit of spice, or leftover smoked or grilled salmon, depending on what you have on hand. 

There's actually a difference between lox and smoked salmon, but either work well. The smokiness and saltiness of the fish perfectly complements the fluffy texture of the baked potato, and it is a tasty alternative to the more popular bacon.

Slice the potato open and then season it well with salt, pepper, and butter. Then top it with layers of smoked salmon, using as little or as much as you'd like. You can then either add a dollop or two of sour cream, or pour a creamy dill sauce over the top of the potato. If you want to go the lower-calorie route, try substituting Greek yogurt instead.  Finish the dish with sliced red onions, capers, and a sprinkling of fresh dill for extra flavor and color. 

The good news is that if you can't choose between a baked potato and a bowl of steamy, creamy clam chowder, you don't have to. The rich, delicious clam chowder makes a more flavorful, as well as more filling, substitute for the traditional baked potato toppings of butter and sour cream. There are no rules when it comes to this dish, meaning you can use either a microwave-heated can of store-bought clam chowder, or homemade soup, depending on what's available. 

Clam chowder-topped baked potatoes are a convenient and tasty way to use up extra soup instead of having toss or freeze it. When choosing the best type to top your potato with, just keep in mind that there is a big difference between Maine and Rhode Island versions of clam chowder. 

After you've baked your potato, slice it in half, and add a generous pat or two of butter for extra creaminess. Next, ladle the piping hot clam chowder over the top of the potato, allowing it to fill in every nook and cranny. Since the potato may absorb some of the chowder, you may have to add a second helping if you want the texture to still be soupy. Finish the potato with crispy crumbled bacon, some fresh parsley, and even some hot sauce for an extra kick. 

Before eating another boring baked potato for dinner, consider dressing it up with some flavorful French onion soup. To turn the typical side dish into a dinner, use large Russet potatoes with a hearty interior. If you plan to make these potatoes as an appetizer or party hors d'oeurves, you could use slightly smaller Yukon Gold or even fingerling potatoes instead. 

This dish works best when you bake the potatoes until their skins are crispy and the interior is fluffy. You can add even more flavor to the exterior of the potato by rubbing it with a bit of olive oil, and then adding a sprinkle of salt and pepper before the baking process. 

Whip up a batch of traditional French onion soup using either red or white wine or brandy for a robust flavor — or use store-bought or leftover soup. After pulling the potatoes out of the oven, slice them and then ladle the rich and flavorful soup over the tops. If you prefer a soupier texture, add a second ladle of the soup. Top with slices of Gruyère cheese, and then quickly broil the potatoes to achieve the classic brown and melty texture. You can also add mozzarella cheese to the French onion soup topping for an even more gooey and decadent experience. Finish with a sprinkle of fragrant parsley or sprigs of thyme as a garnish. 

Another mouthwatering way to add both interest and protein to your baked potato is by topping it with grilled steak and a zesty chimichurri sauce. The robust, smoky flavors will blend well with the creaminess of the potato, coming together to create a delicious dinner or hearty side dish. You can make all of the ingredients fresh, or create this flavorful dish using leftovers from the night before, including slices of grilled steak from a backyard barbecue and twice-baked potatoes.

Make sure you bake Russet potatoes that are substantial enough to hold the pieces of steak. If you're using leftovers, you can either heat the sliced steak before layering it onto the potato, or enjoy it chilled. Next, spoon a generous amount of chimichurri sauce over the top of the steak, allowing it to penetrate the fluffy potato interior. 

Chimichurri, which is a traditional Argentinian sauce made with olive oil, white wine vinegar, garlic, seasonings, and plenty of chopped parsley, will liven up the baked potato with a tongue-tingling tanginess. If you want to spice things up, you can finish the dish with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. 

What's better than waking up to a hearty plate of eggs, potatoes, and sausage or bacon (a key player in the classsic American breakfast) on a weekend morning? As a twist on a traditional breakfast favorite, consider swapping your hashbrowns for baked potatoes. Rather than having crispy fried potatoes on the side of your bacon and eggs, they can hold the ingredients like an edible bowl, giving you a bit of everything with each bite. 

The flavors of the earthy potato, savory egg and cheese, and smoky bacon or spicy sausage will all meld together in this easy-to-make dish. It's also easily customizable, so each family member can have their baked potato their own way.

You'll need to cut the baked potatoes in half, and crack one egg into each side. You may have to remove some of the potato's fluffy interior to make room for the toppings. Top the egg with anything you'd like, including crumbled, cooked bacon or sausage, or shredded cheese. Bake the stuffed potato halves in the oven until the eggs are cooked through and the cheese is melted. You can finish the dish off with diced tomatoes, chives, or green onions, as well as hot sauce for some heat. 

Another fast and delicious way to make a large baked potato a meal is by topping it with sliced pastrami. You can even take this tasty combination a step further by making it a Reuben-stuffed baked potato. Traditional Reuben sandwiches feature tangy sauerkraut, nutty Swiss cheese, and slices of flavorful pastrami piled high. 

If you don't have pastrami, which is a cured and smoked meat typically made from beef brisket, on hand, you can substitute slices of leftover corned beef. This baked potato recipe is especially convenient to make the day after a St. Patrick's Day corned beef and cabbage feast.

To assemble the baked potato, slice it down the middle and add butter, salt, and pepper to taste. Next, melt Swiss cheese over the top until it's gooey.  Lay the sliced pastrami on top, followed by a spoonful or two of zesty sauerkraut. Top everything with a liberal amount of Thousand Island dressing as the finishing touch. As another idea, you can scoop out the potato, mix it with chopped pastrami or corned beef, sauerkraut, and Swiss cheese, and place it all back into the skin. Bake the stuffed potato skins in the oven until the cheese is melty. 

An easy way to get your kids to eat vegetables is when they're stuffed inside a creamy, fluffy baked potato along with butter and even cheese if you'd like. Not only do roasted vegetables add plenty of fiber and nutrition to your boring baked potato, they also lend a lot of fresh flavor — and a pop of color — as well. Using roasted vegetables will give the dish a slightly smoky note that will meld beautifully with the potato. 

For perfect roasted vegetables, start with uniform chopping. You can either roast the vegetables in your oven for convenience, or on skewers over an open flame on your grill. This is another baked potato topping idea that makes great use of leftovers, too. 

After slicing the baked potato down the middle and mixing the fluffy interior with butter, salt, and pepper, scoop any type of warm roasted vegetables onto it. Some ideas include Brussels sprouts, onions, squash, eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, and carrots. This recipe will also work with baked sweet potatoes if that's what you have on hand. You can top the roasted veggies with sour cream, cheese, chopped fresh dill or parsley, or even crispy crumbled bacon. 

Instantly upgrade your blah baked potato by giving it a Mediterranean flair. Swap out the traditional butter and sour cream toppings for creamy, flavor-packed hummus, and you'll never consider a baked potato as boring again. 

Yes, hummus and a pita bread are a match made in heaven, but baked potatoes aren't far behind. What also makes this combination special is that while hummus may feel like an appetizer when just served with bread or vegetable sticks, it becomes meal-worthy when scooped onto a hot baked potato or sweet potato. 

Homemade hummus made with chickpeas, olive oil, tahini, and garlic is almost always better than the store-bought version, but it will work in a pinch — or try some pro tips for making the creamiest hummus at home.  When layering the ingredients onto the sliced baked potato, think of it as a piece of pita bread. Overstuff it with the smooth hummus, and then top with other Mediterranean-inspired goodies such as tzatziki sauce, crumbled feta cheese, pitted Greek olives, chickpeas, fresh herbs such as parsley and cilantro, and even grilled chicken. You also can't go wrong with garden-fresh ingredients, including diced tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, and shredded lettuce. 

Give a basic baked potato a fresh touch by topping it with tangy Caesar salad. The crunchy lettuce will contrast beautifully with the soft and fluffy potato interior, while the zesty dressing adds a pop of unexpected flavor. If you can't decide whether to serve a baked potato or a salad as a side dish or starter for your meal, you won't have to decide with this delicious duo. 

Prepare the salad by chopping up romaine lettuce and tossing it with a creamy dressing made with Dijon mustard, olive oil, anchovies, garlic, and an egg. To save time in the kitchen, you can use a pre-made salad. Slice the baked potato open, scoop out the inside, and then mix it up with butter, salt, pepper, and a bit of the Caesar dressing. Scoop the flavorful mixture back into the potato skin, and top with the tossed salad and shaved Parmesan cheese. 

If you crave more crunch, you can add croutons, too. Want to turn this scrumptious salad potato into a meal? Top it with a few strips of grilled chicken and call it lunch or dinner.