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Mix and match baked potato toppings for the best easy dinner: a Loaded Baked Potato! It’s customizable to any diet and eater.

It can be hard to find a dinner idea that works for everyone, and here’s one we fall back on time and time again: the Loaded Baked Potato! Mix and match any variety of baked potato toppings and you’ve got a delicious dinner that works for almost any diet. We recently did this when we were feeding a crowd (my family in town for a visit) and everyone loved it! There are endless ideas for customizing the meal and it lets every eater get creative. Here’s how to make a loaded baked potato bar and some great topping ideas.

The type of potatoes to use

The best potatoes for a baked potato? Russet potatoes or sweet potatoes. Russet potatoes are the type you’ll generally find for a baked potato. They’re called starchy potatoes and come out with a fluffy texture when baked. Contrast that with waxy potatoes like Yukon gold, red potatoes, or fingerling potatoes: these are best for roasting and mashing.

Sweet potatoes are also a great choice! They have slightly more fiber and different vitamins, as well as a beautifully sweet flavor. Interestingly, they’re very similar in nutrition to the russet potato. (Read more about the nutritional differences at Sweet Potato vs White Potato.)

Loaded baked potato cooking methods

There are several ways to make a baked potato! Cook the potato, then load it up with the toppings. Here are our top methods for baking a potato, with a few alternative ideas:

Classic: Make a classic whole baked potato! Rub the skin with olive oil and prick it with a fork. Place it right on the oven grates (no foil) and bake 20 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Then flip and bake 25 minutes more until fork tender (keep baking up to 15 minutes more until tender, depending on the size).
Quick baked method: Make a quick baked potato! Cut the potatoes in half and rub with olive oil prick with a fork. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 450 degrees for 25 to 35 minutes, until tender. Mash the tops lightly with a fork before serving.
Grilled: Go to grilled baked potato for instructions.
Sweet potato: Make a baked sweet potato instead! Go to stuffed sweet potato for stuffing ideas.

Baked potato toppings

Got your baked potato cooked? Let’s load it up! Here’s where it gets fun and creative. There are two methods for making loaded baked potatoes: you can lay out all the toppings and let the eaters choose, or make up just the ingredients for one of the flavor combinations below. Here are some of our favorite baked potato toppings:

Classic: Sour cream, high quality cheddar, chives, optional bacon
Mexican: Pico de gallo, corn, black beans, guacamole, cheese, sour cream, cilantro
Lox: Smoked salmon, chives, cream cheese
Chili: Chili, cheddar cheese, green onion, sour cream
Broccoli Cheddar: Sauteed broccoli, sour cream, cheddar cheese or Vegan Queso
Nacho: Vegan Taco Meat or taco meat, canned refried beans, cheddar cheese, Nacho Cheese or Vegan Nacho Cheese, salsa, sliced green onions, chopped lettuce, pickled jalapenos, crushed tortilla chips
Ranch: Sauteed Vegetables, Homemade Ranch Dressing (or Vegan Ranch), chickpeas or shredded chicken, chopped chives
Fajita: Fajita veggies, refried beans or pinto beans, sour cream, shredded cheese

Options for every diet!

The best part about a loaded baked potato bar? There are options for many diets! A loaded baked potato is naturally gluten free. Depending on the toppings, it also works for vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian and omnivore diets.

Of the toppings above, we highly recommend the Vegan Queso as a cheesy vegan topping. The Walnut Taco Meat is also a stellar meat substitute.

How to serve a loaded baked potato

Ready to eat? Here’s how to serve a loaded baked potato: make a baked potato bar!

Set out the toppings in bowls as a baked potato bar. It’s fun to lay them out in small bowls and allow the eaters to top the potatoes at the table (or at an island or table if you’re serving a crowd).
Accessorize with a green salad. Cut the starchiness with a fresh green salad, like this Arugula Salad, Simple Spring Mix Salad, Kale Salad, Tossed Salad, or Mexican Salad.

More healthy dinner ideas

Looking for more easy healthy dinner ideas? Here are some of our top choices:

Make easy salmon or shrimp, like Pesto Salmon or Easy Pesto Shrimp
Try an easy bowl, like Easy Rice Bowl, Quick Burrito Bowl, Shrimp Bowl or Simple Salmon Bowl
Bake it on a sheet pan, like Easy Sheet Pan Dinner, Salmon and Asparagus, or Sheet Pan Sweet Potato Tacos
Go for quick pasta, like Easy Tortelloni or Tortellini Skillet

This loaded baked potato toppings recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, and gluten-free.