Baked potatoes make a fantastic side dish for a variety of meals. They are versatile, budget-friendly, and delicious. However, while baked potatoes themselves have a lovely mild flavor, they benefit greatly when paired with the right toppings and sides that complement their taste and texture. There are so many delicious options for what to serve alongside baked potatoes to make a hearty, savory, and comforting meal.
In this article, we will explore different proteins, vegetables, condiments, and other sides that go excellently with baked potatoes. Whether you are whipping up a weeknight dinner or hosting a crowd, these tasty pairings will ensure your baked potatoes are elevated from a side dish to the star of the plate. Keep reading for mouthwatering recipe ideas, flavor combinations, and cooking tips.
Meat and Seafood
Baked potatoes make a satisfying accompaniment to a variety of meats and seafood. The starchy potato balances out the richness of the protein. Here are some delicious options:
Steak: A juicy steak is a classic pairing with loaded baked potatoes. The potatoes complement the savory umami flavor of the beef wonderfully. Bake your potatoes ahead of time, then grill up a mouthwatering ribeye, NY strip, or filet mignon to medium rare perfection. Top your spud with butter, sour cream, chives, and crispy bacon bits.
Roasted chicken: Fall-off-the-bone roasted chicken thighs or drumsticks pair perfectly with baked potatoes. The potatoes soak up all the mouthwatering juices from the chicken. Bake the potatoes first, then roast your chicken in the oven until golden brown and cooked through. Shred the chicken right on top of the potato and add your favorite toppings like shredded cheddar, salsa, or broccoli.
Braised short ribs: For an indulgent, hearty meal, serve tender braised short ribs over top of a loaded baked potato. The rich, beefy sauce soaks into the potato for amazing flavor. Cook your short ribs low and slow in a flavorful sauce until falling apart tender. Ladle the meat and sauce over your baked potato and garnish with fresh parsley.
Meatloaf: What better to serve alongside a slice of classic homemade meatloaf than a piping hot baked potato? The creamy potato perfectly balances the richness of the meatloaf. Make sure to top your loaded spud with a drizzle of meatloaf gravy for extra savoriness.
Pork chops: Bone-in pork chops and baked potatoes are a homestyle dinner classic. Bake your potatoes, then sear your chops until cooked through and juicy. The potatoes pair nicely with the slightly sweet flavor of the pork. Top your baked potato with sautéed apples for a hint of fruity flavor.
Fish: Baked potatoes are a quick and easy side to complement a variety of fish fillets or seafood. Top your potato with blackened salmon, breaded tilapia, grilled shrimp skewers, or flaky white fish. The potatoes provide a nice neutral base for the seafood flavors to shine. Add lemon wedges for a bright taste.
Sausage and peppers: For a casual weeknight meal idea, bake some russet potatoes and grill up Italian sausages with colorful peppers and onions. Slice the sausages and pile them high over top of the baked potatoes. Top with the veggie mixture, marinara sauce, and grated parmesan.
Vegetables
In addition to meat and seafood, baked potatoes pair wonderfully with all sorts of fresh, seasonal vegetables. This adds nutrition, color, and flavor variety to your meal. Some delicious veggie topper ideas include:
– Broccoli – steam florets until tender, chop and mix with shredded cheddar, bacon, and ranch dressing over baked potatoes
– Corn – grill corn on the cob brushed with olive oil, salt, and pepper to serve alongside baked potatoes
– Tomatoes – slice heirloom tomatoes and fresh mozzarella over potatoes, drizzle with balsamic glaze
– Roasted veggies – toss cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, carrots, etc in olive oil and roast, pile on top of potatoes
– Caramelized onions – slowly cook sliced onions until caramelized, serve over loaded baked potatoes
– Sautéed mushrooms – cook mushrooms in butter and garlic, serve over potatoes with Swiss cheese
– Chili – smother baked potatoes with hearty veggie chili and cheese for a satisfying meal
– Greek salad – top potatoes with chopped cucumber, tomato, olives, and feta cheese
Condiments and Sauces
While loaded baked potatoes are delicious on their own, condiments and sauces take them to the next level. Here are some scrumptious ideas for sauces to serve with baked potatoes:
Sour cream and chives – This is a classic creamy potato topping. The cool tang of the sour cream balances the starchy potato beautifully. Mix in fresh snipped chives for color and flavor.
Butter – A pat of creamy butter melting over a steaming hot baked potato is hard to beat. For next-level flavor, use flavored butter like garlic herb or honey cinnamon.
Cheese sauce – Blanket your baked potato in gooey, nacho-style cheese sauce. Feel free to add spices like jalapeños or chili powder.
Gravy – Beef or turkey gravy makes a delicious topping for baked potatoes served with roasted meat. The gravy seeps into all the nooks and crannies.
Guacamole – Cool, creamy guacamole provides fresh flavor atop a piping hot baked potato. Feel free to add hot sauce or salsa for a kick.
Pesto – For an Italian vibe, dollop pesto sauce over your loaded baked potato. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and diced tomatoes.
Hollandaise – Buttery, lemony hollandaise sauce is decadent drizzled over a baked potato. Salmon and steamed asparagus are great protein additions.
Queso – No loaded baked potato is complete without ooey-gooey melted queso cheese sauce! Feel free to add ground beef or chili.
More Hearty Side Dishes
In addition to piling your baked potatoes high with delicious toppings, serving them alongside other hearty side dishes rounds out the meal wonderfully. Some sides that pair nicely with baked potatoes include:
Bread – Warm bread is perfect for dipping in any delicious toppings and sauces leftover on your plate after devouring the loaded baked potato. French bread, rolls, or biscuits are all great options.
Salad – A fresh green salad balances the heaviness of loaded baked potatoes. An acidic vinaigrette provides brightness to complement the potatoes’ richness.
Vegetables – Roasted Brussels sprouts, grilled asparagus, or sautéed greens make excellent veggie sides. You can never go wrong with more vegetables!
Pasta salad – A scoop of pasta salad is a classic complement to baked potatoes. The starch-on-starch combo is comfort food bliss.
Soup – Pair your baked potatoes with a hearty soup like broccoli cheddar, potato, or chicken noodle. The soup helps moisten the potato.
Rice pilaf – Fluffy rice pilaf provides an additional carb component alongside baked potatoes. Season the rice with herbs and spices to complement the potato flavors.
Baked Potato Topping Combination Ideas
Now that we have covered a variety of proteins, veggies, sauces, and sides that pair deliciously with baked potatoes, let’s look at some delicious combinations to inspire your next meal:
BBQ baked potatoes – Top russet potatoes with pulled pork, baked beans, cheddar cheese, BBQ sauce, and crispy onions.
Greek baked potatoes – Top sliced russet potatoes with gyro meat, tzatziki sauce, feta cheese, red onion, tomato, and olive.
Chili potato boats – Cut potatoes in half lengthwise and top with hearty beef chili, cheddar cheese, and sour cream.
Caprese baked potatoes – Stuff small red potatoes with mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil. Drizzle with balsamic reduction.
Taco potatoes – Top russet potatoes with taco meat, pinto beans, salsa, guacamole, shredded lettuce, and cheese.
Broccoli cheese baked potatoes – Load russet potatoes with steamed broccoli, melted cheddar, bacon, and ranch dressing.
Potatoes Benedict – Split lengthwise russets and top with sautéed spinach, ham, poached eggs, and hollandaise sauce.
Chicken fajita potatoes – Load baked sweet potatoes with sautéed fajita chicken, peppers and onions, beans, guacamole, and cheese.
| Baked Potato Topping Combination | Ingredients |
|---|---|
| BBQ baked potatoes | Pulled pork, baked beans, cheddar cheese, BBQ sauce, crispy onions |
| Greek baked potatoes | Gyro meat, tzatziki sauce, feta cheese, red onion, tomato, olive |
| Chili potato boats | Beef chili, cheddar cheese, sour cream |
| Caprese baked potatoes | Mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, balsamic reduction |
| Taco potatoes | Taco meat, pinto beans, salsa, guacamole, lettuce, cheese |
| Broccoli cheese baked potatoes | Broccoli, cheddar cheese, bacon, ranch dressing |
| Potatoes Benedict | Sautéed spinach, ham, poached eggs, hollandaise sauce |
| Chicken fajita potatoes | Fajita chicken, peppers, onions, beans, guacamole, cheese |
Tips for Making the Best Baked Potatoes
Now that you are inspired to make delicious loaded baked potatoes for dinner, here are some tips for baking foolproof spuds every time:
– Choose starchy potatoes – Russet and Yukon gold potatoes have a fluffy, dry texture perfect for baking whole. Avoid waxy potatoes like red potatoes.
– Wash and dry thoroughly – Make sure potatoes are clean before baking to allow the skin to get crispy.
– Poke holes with a fork – Prick holes all over the potato before baking to allow steam to escape and prevent explosion.
– Rub with oil – Lightly coat potato skin with oil or butter to make the skin extra crispy.
– Sprinkle with salt – Salt brings out the potato flavor. You can skip this step if topping with a salty ingredient later.
– Bake at 425F – This high temp crisps the skin. Place directly on oven rack for even cooking.
– Cook for 1-1.5 hours – Bake large russet potatoes for at least an hour until fork tender all the way through.
– Rest before topping – Let potatoes stand 5 minutes after baking so insides can firm up to support tasty toppings.
Conclusion
Baked potatoes make for a hearty, comforting side dish perfect for pairing with an array of delicious toppings and sides. Beef, pork, chicken, fish and veggies all complement baked potatoes wonderfully. Load them up with cheese, chili, butter, gravy, guacamole or sour cream for flavorful meals the whole family will love. With the endless topping possibilities, you could enjoy baked potatoes every night of the week and never get bored! Experiment with your favorite ingredient combinations using the recommendations in this article for mouthwatering meal inspiration.