Loaded Baked Potatoes

I know that you all have either eaten or created your own loaded baked potato at some point in your life, but I decided to share this recipe since these potatoes have become an all time favorite dinner in our home. Plus I have a couple tricks up my sleeve that make them extra delicious.

The first trick – rub the potatoes in a bit of olive oil and kosher salt so the potato skin gets super crispy.

The second trick - as soon as they come out of the oven, pierce the potatoes with a fork in a cross shape. Press down on the four sections with index fingers and thumbs until the potato flesh is nicely exposed. If the potatoes are too hot, use a kitchen towel. Exposing the flesh quickly releases the heat and keeps the skin from getting soggy.

I don’t know why potato, cheese, bacon, sour cream and green onion are a perfectly magical combination, but they are. These make a super easy dinner (or side dish) and I just wanted to kind of remind you that this recipe is simple and darn good!

Loaded Baked Potatoes

Recipe by Liz Hughes - Virtually Homemade

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients

•  8 medium baking potatoes
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 8 slices bacon, cooked golden brown
• 4 green onions, sliced
• Sour cream

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Scrub potatoes clean and let dry. Rub potatoes with olive oil and kosher salt. Pierce each potato with a fork a few times. Set on a medium baking sheet and bake for 1 hour. The skin should be crispy and the the inside soft.
2. When potatoes have cooled slightly, take a fork and pierce the potatoes to form a cross (as in picture). Place your index fingers and thumbs in each of the four sections and push down until the flesh is exposed.
3. Evenly top each potato with cheese and bacon; return to the oven until cheese is completely melted. Sprinkle with green onions and a dollop of sour cream to taste.

Here are more potato recipes from some of my favorite food bloggers and Food Network:

Feed Me Phoebe: Mexican Sweet Potato Hash with Black Beans and Spinach
Creative Culinary: Smashed Potatoes with Lemon Garlic Scallions
Weelicious: Yukon Gold Potato Fans
Dishin & Dishes: Cottage Pie
The Mom 100: Potato, Leek and Dill Frittata with Crème Fraiche
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Mexican Style Potatoes with Chorizo
Red or Green: Spicy Sweet Potato Gratin
The Heritage Cook: Irish Hash Browns Eggs Benedict (Gluten-Free)
Elephants and the Coconut Trees: Crispy Pan-Fried Potatoes
Swing Eats: Healthier Twice Baked Potato Skins
Daisy at Home: Marriage Mashies
Taste with the Eyes: Baked Sweet Potato, Salted Caramel Puffed Rice Noodle Topping
The Wimpy Vegetarian: Spiralized Sweet Potatoes and Apples in Browned Butter
Virtually Homemade: Loaded Baked Potatoes
FN Dish: For the Love of Heavy Cream: 5 Scalloped Potato Recipes to Indulge In