A baked potato bar with all the toppings is customizable, simple and delicious
Column and photos by Ali Carter, Wisconsin Potato Growers Auxiliary
After a full week of cooking only for myself and my husband, Mike, last-minute plans were made to spend an evening with two of our sons and a couple of our friends, enjoying dinner together at our home.
A lack of motivation to make the drive to the store for an in-depth grocery shopping trip, and a desire to continue with the easy meals we’ve been enjoying lately, I settled on putting together a baked potato bar to round out our meal of steaks and salad.
After all, who doesn’t love a good baked potato?
Prepare your potato toppings earlier in the day and place them in the fridge until you are ready to set out the meal and eat. This allowed me to escape the kitchen and spend time with my loved ones on the back patio while Mike manned the grill and cooked our steaks nearby.
To keep things super simple, you can make your baked potatoes on the grill as well!
Wash the potatoes and pierce each one several times with a fork before rubbing lightly with olive oil and then giving them all a generous sprinkle of salt.
Place the potatoes on the hottest part of the grill, close the lid and allow them to cook for about 45 minutes to an hour.
When it’s time to eat, simply arrange the baked potatoes and the toppings onto a large serving tray, or food board, and allow your family and friends to serve themselves and customize their potatoes with their favorite toppings.
Potato Topping Ideas
- Diced onions
- Chives
- Pickled jalapenos
- Shredded cheese
- Cheese sauce
- Salsa
- Broccoli
- Sliced radishes
- Crumbled, cooked bacon
- Black beans
- Chili
- Sour cream
- Butter
Enjoy!
