Loaded Baked Potatoes
Crisp-skinned baked potatoes piled with melted cheese, crispy bacon, soured cream and chives. Four servings in 1 hour 10 minutes.
Where This Goes Wrong
Bake unwrapped for crisp skins.
Open and fluff the flesh right away so steam escapes.
Keep the bacon crisp by adding it at the last moment.
How to Make Loaded Baked Potatoes
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Heat the oven to 200°C / 390°F (180°C / 355°F fan). Prick the potatoes, rub with the oil and half the salt and bake directly on the shelf for 1 hour until the skins are crisp.
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Split each potato along the top and open it. Fluff the flesh with a fork, add the butter and the remaining salt.
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Scatter with the cheese and return to the oven for 5 minutes to melt.
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Top with the bacon, soured cream and chives.
What's Going On Here
Salt and oil the skins, and bake the potatoes straight on the oven shelf. The skin dries and crisps, and the inside turns light and floury.
Pierce each potato with a fork a few times so steam can escape. A sealed potato can burst, and a pierced one cooks more evenly.
Once baked, split along the top and press the ends toward each other to open it. Fluff the inside with a fork and add a knob of butter. Salt the inside before the toppings; it is the only seasoning the potato gets.
Bacon is best cooked until properly crisp in a dry pan, then crumbled. Soft bacon on a soft potato is a monotone. Put the cheese on first so the heat of the potato melts it. A baked potato is the most flexible base for a meal, and the toppings can be altered to use what is in the fridge. Leftover chili, baked beans or tuna mayonnaise all stand in for the bacon and cheese.
Storage and Reheating
Keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat at 180°C for 20 minutes.
Serving Loaded Baked Potatoes
- Green salad
- Coleslaw
- Baked beans
- Sweetcorn
Common Questions About Loaded Baked Potatoes
How long does Loaded Baked Potatoes take to make?
About 1 hour 10 minutes in total — 10 minutes of preparation and 1 hour of cooking. The recipe serves 4.
What are the key tips for making Loaded Baked Potatoes?
Bake unwrapped for crisp skins. Open and fluff the flesh right away so steam escapes. Keep the bacon crisp by adding it at the last moment.
What should I serve with Loaded Baked Potatoes?
Green salad; Coleslaw; Baked beans; Sweetcorn.
How should Loaded Baked Potatoes be stored?
Keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat at 180°C for 20 minutes.
Is Loaded Baked Potatoes suitable for a special diet?
This recipe is no added sugar. Those labels are checked against the ingredient list, so a dish is only marked when nothing in it contradicts the claim.
How many calories are in Loaded Baked Potatoes?
About 562 kcal per serving, with 20 g protein, 53 g carbohydrate and 30 g fat. The figures are calculated from the ingredient list and are an estimate.
Nutrition per Serving
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.
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Written and tested by Turab
One person, one kitchen — no test kitchen, no team. How every recipe on this site is checked before it goes up.
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