How to Make The Best Baked Potato

Make the perfect baked potato with ease! Fluffy on the inside with a perfectly crispy potato skin. Learn how to make a baked potato with a few minutes of prep and then just bake them!

Easy Baked Potato Recipe

If you are looking for the easiest way to make a baked potato this easy bakd potato recipe is it. With only 3 ingredients, about 5 minutes of prep and then bake time you will have amazing baked potatoes in no time.

When you are wanting a really easy side dish that you can just prep and be on your way this is it!

I am on the make everything easy train right now. We keep getting hit with snowstorms, which means shoveling and plowing have to get done on top of our already busy schedule. Anything that I can prep and toss in the oven is my go to.

I am not sure why it has taken me so long to share a baked potato recipe with you all. I make them all the time and for some reason totally spaced on getting a recipe up on the blog. Well, it is better late then never and here it is.

Baked Potato Toppings

There are lots of toppings that you can put on a baked potato. Once you have the baking down then they sky is the limit when it comes to customizing them. I always start with adding butter to the freshly baked potato after cutting it open and fluffing the inside, but from there it is game on!

• butter
• sour cream
• chives
• chili
• bacon

What To Serve with baked potatoes

When I make potatoes as a side dish I like to balance things out and have veggies as our other sides. There are times I will make baked mac and cheese, but that is not often as I prefer to have a balance of starch and veggies.

• Cheesy Brussel Sprouts with Bacon
• Parmesan Asparagus
• Whole Roasted Cauliflower
• Green beans with bacon
• Oven roasted carrots

Just about any main dish with meat goes well with potatoes but there are a few of our go to main dishes that we like to have potatoes with.

• Ham Steaks
• Pork Meatloaf
• Grilled Steaks With Blue Cheese Butter
• Tuna Cakes
• One Pan chicken and veggies
• Cheddar ranch chicken
• Steak Kabobs

Baked Potato as a main dish idea

If you want to have a baked potato as a main dish there are lots of ways to fancy it up and make it a hearty and filling meal. If want to make things even more fun, make a potato bar and put bowls with all the toppings out so everyone can customize theirs to how they want it. The kids love it when I do this and it is super easy to do.

• Broccoli and cheese potato. Fresh steamed or roasted broccoli and then topped with cheese.
• Loaded Baked Potato. Top with sour cream, cooked bacon and shredded cheese.
• Taco Stuffed potato. Loaded up with taco meat and taco toppings you love.
• BLT Potato. Cooked Bacon, Lettuce, tomato and ranch dressing.
• Chili and Cheese. Top with chili, shredded cheese and sour cream.
• Pizza Baked Potato. Topped with pizza sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese and your favorite pizza toppings.

Ingredients

• 4 medium potatoes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 1 teaspoon salt

How to Make a Baked Potato

Preheat oven to 400°F. 

Wash and dry your potatoes then pierce the skin multiple times with the ends of the fork 10 times per side.

Rub each potato with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. I find it easiest to use a silicone brush, but you can totally use your hands if you want to.

Bake the potatoes for about one hour until you can stick a fork in easily to the flesh of the potato.

Remove from oven and serve as desired.

Easy Potato Recipes

• Homemade potato chips
• Baked potato soup
• Classic potato Salad
• Easy mashed potatoes
• Garlic Parmesan Potato Chips
• Bacon Ranch Potato Salad