Best Ideas for Baked Potato Toppings
There’s something wholesomely delicious about a baked potato. Maybe it’s how filling the starchy spud is, or maybe it’s the fact that a baked potato can become the canvas for any toppings you desire. It’s a versatile dish, suitable for a snack or a meal, but it all depends on what you put on top.
If you’ve been in a spud rut lately, you might need a little inspiration. Check out the guide below for some of the best ideas for baked potato toppings, and get ready to serve baked potatoes everyone in the family will enjoy!
Best Baked Potato Toppings
Almost everyone is a potato fan, but everyone also has unique tastes. If you were to put together a baked potato bar for a meal, you’d want to offer something that will please every palate. Even if you pick one filling to offer, you still need something flavorful and satisfying. Consider a combination of these options for your baked potato bar toppings or to jazz up your usual side dish.
1. Crumbled Sausage
Whether you pair this topping with cheese or leave it plain, crumbled sausage is a delicious pairing with a baked potato. Choose Premio products for a range of delicious sausage options, including:
- Chicken sausage: For a light option with 60% less fat than USDA data for beef and pork sausage, use Premio Chicken Sausage. Find healthy chicken sausage from Premio in various delicious flavors that will pair perfectly with a baked potato. Sweet Italian with kale adds color and vegetables to your plain spud, and Italian with Romano and Parmesan cheeses and garlic packs plenty of flavor.
- Italian sausage: We’ve mentioned different recipes to try our Italian sausage in, but you can’t go wrong with a baked potato and a crumbled sausage topping. Our assortment of Italian sausages includes sweet, mild and hot options, so you can cook up something for everyone.
- World flavors: Add something from locations all over the world with Premio World Flavor Sausages. Andouille sausage adds a smoked flavor with Cajun seasoning, and bratwurst provides a unique Old World taste to your baked potato dishes.
2. Classic Toppings
Sometimes the best baked potato toppings are the classics. So if you’re making a baked potato bar for your family, you should definitely include these favorites:
- Butter
- Sour cream
- Salt
- Pepper
Want to add a pop of color, flavor and texture? Sprinkle on chopped scallions, small sprigs of dill and shredded cheese — cheddar is a favorite.
Mix and match those classic potato toppings, along with any extras you’d like, to create your perfect baked potato.
3. Taco Fillings
Kick your baked potatoes up a notch with savory and spicy toppings. Take inspiration from tacos and include these ingredients:
- Taco seasonings
- Black beans
- Salsa
- Monterey jack and cheddar cheese
- Crema or sour cream
- Ground taco beef
- Shredded taco chicken
These potato toppings create a unique take on the usual Taco Tuesday meal. And with those and so many other topping ideas, everyone at the table can create a potato taco they’re sure to enjoy.
4. Italian Toppings
If you’re looking for unique baked potato toppings, look for worldly inspiration. Go Italian-inspired with options like:
- Pesto: This green sauce adds an herby freshness to your baked potato. Either buy a jar or make your own with a combination of basil, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil and grated Parmesan cheese. Blend the ingredients in a food processor, season with salt and pepper to taste and top your baked potato.
- Tomato sauce: Create a unique alternative to pasta with a red sauce baked potato. Pour on some of your favorite sauce and combine it with other Italian-inspired toppings.
- Cheese: Ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan are the big three for popular Italian cheeses. Any one of those, or a combination, would add a creamy richness to your usual baked potato.
- Meat: Cook and crumble your favorite meatball recipe or Premio Sweet Italian Sausage Meat for flavorful potato toppings. Pair the meat with cheese and sauce, like cheese sauce, tomato sauce or even ranch dressing, for the ultimate baked potato.
5. Chili
Chili is another entrant into classic potato toppings. Ingredients like ground beef, onions, diced tomatoes and beans combine with other delicious components to make a dish that’s great on its own. But when you top a baked potato with chili, you create an even more filling and tasty meal.
Craving an even more flavorful chili? Add some sausage meat. Remove the casings from Premio Chorizo Sausage links to give a full-bodied flavor and a kick of heat to your chili baked potato topping.
6. BLT
Take your BLT from bread to a baked potato with this topping idea. The salty, savory components of a BLT pair well with a potato. And you can add extras you may not have considered for this sandwich before. Try these baked potato toppings for a BLT-inspired meal or side:
- Ranch
- Chopped bacon or bacon bits
- Chopped tomatoes
- Chives
- Shredded lettuce
If you’re worried the heat from the baked potato will wilt the lettuce, feel free to serve a BLT potato without the “L” and go with a side salad instead.
7. Bagel-Inspired Fillings
Need baked potato topping ideas without the meat? Turn your spud into an everything bagel. Mix cream cheese with everything bagel seasoning and smear it on your baked potato for a flavorful filling suitable for a side. If you can’t find premade everything bagel seasoning, create your own with these ingredients:
- Poppy seeds
- Sesame seeds
- Dried minced onion or onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Salt
8. Broccoli Cheddar
Potatoes and cheese are a perfect pairing, but if you want to sneak in some vegetables, add a little broccoli. Cheddar and broccoli go great together, so this is sure to make a delicious addition to your plain baked spud.
Steam and chop broccoli florets into manageable pieces and combine with cheddar cheese sauce, shredded cheese or both. You’ll be left with a gooey, cheesy potato that has a pop of green — perfect for introducing your kids to new foods like broccoli.
9. Fried Egg
For a baked potato that takes inspiration from breakfast, top yours with a fried egg. You can eat this as a meal or side any time of day. Just cook an egg to your preferred doneness, split open a baked potato and top it with the egg. Enhance the flavor with additional toppings like:
- Your favorite hot sauce.
- Chopped bacon or ham.
- Crumbled or sliced Premio Breakfast Sausage.
- Chopped chives or scallions.
- Your favorite shredded cheese.
10. Buffalo Chicken
Add a bit of heat to your meal or side with buffalo chicken baked potato toppings. Grill some chicken, and then shred it and toss it in your favorite buffalo or hot sauce.
You could even make prep easy and shred a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken and toss it in the sauce. No matter how you prepare it, spicy chicken with blue cheese dressing, blue cheese crumbles or ranch dressing turns any plain baked potato into a mouthwatering dish.
Make Delicious Meals and Sides With Premio Sausage
When you’re ready to try the best ideas for baked potato toppings, look no further than Premio Foods. For over 40 years, we’ve been creating fine Italian sausage, and we continue that passionate tradition today, now making a wide array of delicious sausage products. Pick up Premio sausage to share our commitment to quality with your family.
Browse our products and find Premio in a store near you today!
