Baked Potato Bar

This simple Baked Potato Bar combines crispy and fluffy baked potatoes with all your favorite toppings and a hot bowl of chili in the center. It’s the ultimate cozy meal for any casual party! You can serve it on a big board, or on the counter! Everyone loves to add their favorite toppings!

If you’re stuck for ideas on what to serve your family or friends, I have you covered. Turning budget-friendly baked potatoes into an entire meal has never been easier or more fun! Just assemble your favorite toppings in the center of a large board with the baked potatoes surrounding them and watch as everyone builds their own potato. I made this board about 5 years ago – but take the same toppings and just set it out on the counter for the best Potato Bar. It’s fun for any dinner or party. We love this kind of entertaining for Game Day (hello Super Bowl Sunday!)

Remember to use my method of baking the potato, so the skin is slightly crisp and salty, with fluffy, buttery insides. Absolute perfection!

What is a baked potato bar?

This baked potato bar is no different from the old-fashioned baked potato bars that our Mom’s made. You can rely on inexpensive ingredients to assemble this interactive meal, allowing you to satisfy a hungry crowd and get dinner served with little effort. You’ll also spend minimal time cleaning up once the meal is done – what a win!

I’ve included recipes for toppings that you can make from scratch, or you can enjoy the convenience of using store-bought canned chili, dips, and other ready-to-serve toppings. 

Ingredients needed to make this baked potato bar

• Large Russet potatoes – Check out our Baked Russet Potatoes recipe to learn the exact steps for perfectly crispy and tender baked potatoes. 
• Chili – Use canned chili heated up or make it from scratch by following this Easy Homemade Chili Recipe. 
• Chili toppings – I like to serve these hot baked potatoes alongside delicious chili toppings, such as crispy chopped bacon, sour cream, guacamole, Pico de gallo, blue cheese crumbles, grated cheese, chopped Black Forest ham, Cranberry Jalapeno Dip (or a cream cheese dip), Trader Joe’s compound butter (roasted garlic and herb butter and black truffle butter), and tortilla chips. 

How do you make a baked potato bar? 

Bake the potatoes and prepare the toppings:

1. Bake the potatoes and set them aside.
2. Heat the canned chili and keep it warm until serving. 
3. Prepare all the toppings: chop the bacon and ham, grate the cheese, and have ready the sour cream, guacamole, Pico de Gallo, blue cheese crumbles, compound butters, and Cranberry Jalapeno Dip in individual serving bowls.

Assemble the baked potato bar:

1. On a large prepared board or platter, in the center, leave a space to add the bowl of the hot chili, right before serving.
2. Place the chili toppings in small bowls and arrange around the chili bowl area.
3. Arrange the hot potatoes around the outer edge of the board.
4. Fill any open gaps with tortilla chips.
5. Another option is to just set all the toppings out on the counter to create an organized potato bar!

Slice the potatoes and serve:

1. Just before serving, slice each potato open (to make adding toppings easier).
2. Place the hot bowl of chili in the reserved center space.
3. Invite family and friends to customize their potatoes and enjoy!

Serving

I love this DIY baked potato bar as each loaded baked potato is satisfying enough to be enjoyed as a wholesome meal as is.  Serve it on a board, large tray, or on the countertop (or your bar!)

That said, if you’re still curious about what to serve with baked potato bar, I highly recommend pairing these loaded potatoes with grilled chicken thighs, 4-Ingredient Instant Pot Chuck Roast, Bacon Wrapped Meat Loaf, or this Perfect Grilled Steak for a protein boost.  

A side of Mango Cucumber Summer Slaw or Sweet Asian Slaw with Apple and Corn offer delicious crunch and vibrant fresh flavors. 

Since this recipe is all about sharing, ask your friends to bring a giant salad and a dessert. Or, if you have a minute, pop my Zucchini Banana Cake with Maple Frosting in the oven! 

Sandy’s tips and substitutions:

• Storage: Store leftover baked potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. Thaw and reheat, covered with foil, in a 350°F oven for 20-30 minutes, or until heated through.
• Make ahead: The potatoes can be par-baked the day before and stored in an airtight container in the fridge, ready to be baked for a significantly shorter time just before serving. Homemade chili can also be made the day before if you prefer this over the canned variety. Keep the other fresh toppings for assembling just before serving for the best flavor and texture.  
• Reuse leftovers: Mash any leftover baked potatoes to make delicious potato pancakes or fritters for breakfast alongside scrambled egg and crispy bacon! They’re also ideal for making Shepherd’s pie. 
• Prepare the potatoes: Make sure to scrub the Russet potatoes under water to remove any dirt or debris from the skin. Pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel and poke holes all over the skin to allow steam to easily escape while they cook. 

• Choose uniform-sized potatoes: Since this baked potato bar is very straightforward, you want to focus more attention on the visual presentation. Uniform-sized potatoes will not only cook evenly at the same rate, but they also look great on the assembled board or platter alongside the baked potato bar toppings!
• For crispy skin: Coat the washed and dried potatoes with olive oil and a pinch of salt to create that delicious contrast of crispy potato skin with a fluffy center. 
• How to keep the food warm: Assemble the board or plate with all the toppings without the baked potatoes and canned chili. Just before serving, add the hot potatoes directly from the oven and the heated chili. Let each guest slice their own potato before stuffing to keep them nice and hot!

Variations:

• Alternative cooking method: Reduce the cooking time by about 15 minutes by cooking the potatoes in an air fryer. Follow my Baked Potato Recipe in Air Fryer for the exact steps and tips. 
• Instead of garlic butter and truffle butter – set out a block of Boursin cheese. It’s easy, delish, and full of flavor.
• For “light” toppings (for the month of January?), set out our 2-ingredients Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip.
• More topping ideas: Easily switch up your baked potato bar toppings with a choice of cooked broccoli or other roasted veggies, Ranch dressing, barbecue sauce, cornbread, ground beef, Baked Beans with Ground Turkey, your favorite pizza toppings (meats, pizza sauce, and cheese), Cream Cheese Pepper Jelly Dip, or olives. The options to customize these toppings are endless!
• Arranging the food: We’ve used a large round board (anything between 20-inch round and 26-inch round will work) with a small 1-2 inch lip (or raised edge) so the food doesn’t fall off. You can use whatever works for you and even arrange the food differently with the potatoes placed on a large serving plate in the center of the board, and the toppings surrounding it–right on the counter.

If you’re a sweet potato lover, grab all the info for this Epic Sweet Potato Dinner Board. You won’t regret it!

More baked potato recipes you may want to try:

• Baked Russet Potatoes
• Baked Potato Recipe in Air Fryer
• Savory Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
• Easy Pesto Baked Potatoes Recipe
• Cottage Pie Baked Potato

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Baked Potato Bar

Sandy Coughlin

Have fun assembling this cozy Baked Potato Bar where everyone gets to build their own potato. It features crispy and fluffy baked potatoes, a hot bowl of chili, and delicious toppings for a casual party!

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 1 hour hr

Total Time: 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Yield: 12

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Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• 12 large Russet potatoes, baked
• 2 14 oz cans chili and beans, heated up
• 12 pieces bacon, chopped
• Sour cream
• Guacamole
• Pico de gallo
• Blue cheese crumbles
• 2 cups grated Mexican cheese
• Garlic spread
• Black truffle butter
• Black Forest ham, chopped
• Cranberry Jalapeno Dip, or a cream cheese dip
• 1 bag tortilla chips

Instructions

 

• Bake the potatoes and set aside.
• On a large prepared board, in the center, leave a space to add the bowl of the hot chili, right before serving.
• Place the chili toppings in small bowls and arrange around the chili bowl area.
• Arrange the hot potatoes around the outside of the board.
• Right before serving, slice each potato (to make easy for adding toppings). Add the hot bowl of chili to the center. Fill in the open areas with chips!
• Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Sandy’s TIPS:

• Storage: Store leftover baked potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. Thaw and reheat, covered with foil, in a 350°F oven for 20-30 minutes, or until heated through.
• Make ahead: The potatoes can be par-baked the day before and stored in an airtight container in the fridge, ready to be baked for a significantly shorter time just before serving. Homemade chili can also be made the day before if you prefer this over the canned variety. Keep the other fresh toppings for assembling just before serving for the best flavor and texture. 
• Alternative cooking method: Reduce the cooking time by about 15 minutes by cooking the potatoes in an air fryer. Follow my Baked Potato Recipe in Air Fryer for the exact steps and tips. 
• For “light” toppings (for the month of January?), set out our 2-ingredients Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip.
• Instead of Garlic spread or Black Truffle Butter – use Boursin Cheese (it’s soft and delish with lots of flavor)

Cuisine: American

Course: Main Course

Calories: 338kcal, Carbohydrates: 39g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.03g, Cholesterol: 33mg, Sodium: 281mg, Potassium: 947mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 200IU, Vitamin C: 12mg, Calcium: 162mg, Iron: 2mg

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