Serving up a sassy stuffed baked potato for dinner is a total mealtime win around here!
During Paul’s deployment stuffed potatoes were hands-down my go-to dinner.
I loved that I could load them up with everything I need to use up in the fridge and no matter how much cheese I put on the darn thing, I was still technically eating my vegetables. Adulting FTW!
5 Ways to Eat a Baked Potato for Dinner
First up is my GO-TO recipe for a speedy lunch or dinner. During my Paul’s first long-term deployment I was rolling deep in single-gal dinners and quite literally ate hundreds of these babies.
I’m happy to say that I still love them as fiercely now as I did back then. With so many combinations of ingredients its impossible to get bored.
And when I served these spuds to Paul post-deployment? He happily agreed they rock. Easy dinners for everyone!
1. Cheesy Vegetarian Loaded Baked Potatoes with Spinach and Mushrooms
These dinner-worthy baked potatoes are packed to the brim with the most decadent sauce and a whole lot of veggie deliciousness!
The veggie sauce poured over these roasted russets is power ballad worthy. I want to write sonnets devoted to this baked potato. Name a constellation after it. Or maybe just eat it forever.
2. Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
This is easily the most fun you’ll ever have with a sweet potato! Easy, cheesy, and insanely delicious, these gluten-free Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes make a fantastic lunch or dinner any day of the week!
I even have a vegetarian version featuring spicy buffalo chickpeas stuffed into a fluffy baked potato with #allthetoppings.
3. Samosa Stuffed Potatoes
Subbing a crispy baked potato skin for the traditional deep-fried pastry dough in samosas gives you all the flavor without the pesky added fat. Also? It’s freaking delicious!
4. Shrimp Stuffed Potatoes
Shrimp and grits may be all the rage but shrimp and fluffy russet potatoes? Another match made in foodie heaven! Perfectly seasoned seafood with a baked potato on the side is so last summer. Combine the two for an unconventional, and delicious, dinner.
5. Twice baked cauliflower and chive potatoes
These spuds combine fluffy whipped cauliflower with caramelized onion and roasted garlic to make a twice-baked potato you’ll feel good about eating!
What to eat with baked potatoes
Looking for a few more ideas for what to eat with baked potatoes? I’ve got you covered!
You can serve any of these up as a main course or as a side dish alongside your favorite meal. Pair them with a leafy green salad, a piping hot bowl of soup, or your favorite protein!
While steak and potatoes are the norm, they’re versatile enough to compliment your favorite chicken, fish, or pork dish as well. If you’re vegetarian, let extra veggies and some melty cheese in on the fun!
Baked Potato Inspo
Recently, Ariel Knutson of Buzzfeed wrote a fabulous little round-up of 23 Amazing Ways to Eat a Baked Potato for Dinner. I was beyond honored to be featured on Buzzfeed and squeal like a schoolgirl every time I stumble upon the post on a friend’s facebook or on Pinterest. It’s one of those rare “AHHHH! THAT’S ME!” moments that absolutely makes my day.
This morning a friend posted a link to the article and, after doing my OMG-SOMEONE-KNOWS-I-EXIST happy dance, I realized just how often I actually eat a baked potato for lunch or dinner. Writing this post was a must!
What’s your favorite way to eat a baked potato?
Are you team sweet potato or do you beeline for the starchy stuff? I’m an equal opportunist — I love them all!
Did you know you can also make your baked potatoes in the crockpot? I can’t wait to try Marjory’s Crock-Pot Baked Potatoes!
you’re a potato genius my friend.
Ahhh, I still need to try those nachos!! I made a savory sweet potato the other day and of course, thought of you instantly! I actually prefer them covered in Greek yogurt and nut butter, but hey, I’m always up for cleaning out the fridge…er, I mean, trying something different! 😉
I think the humble potato is overlooked. You can make some healthy and not to mention tasty recipes with a good old spud.
How does your food always look amazing!
I spend entirely too much time playing with it =) haha! It doesn’t hurt that veggies are goooooorgous! Thanks love!
This is genius- thanks for sharing! 🙂
i have been loving sweet potatoes…thanks for sharing these ideas- can’t wait to try!
Shrimp stuffed potatoes?!!! This is the combination! How come I’ve never thought of that? Thank you for brightening my day with all of those options! I think I’ll be living on potatoes for the next week 🙂
Ohmygosh you HAVE to try them! So so yummy! Thanks Greta!
Loveeee this post, thanks for the ideas!
The next time I am planning on eating a baked potato, i will refer myself back to this! I love the shrimp stuffed ones, they look gooooood 😀
Wow! Your blog is just what I need: Veggies made delicious! Don’t know if that makes sense, but I am very picky and it’s hard for me to eat more veggies, so seeing how awesome your recipes are is very encouraging. I just came across your blog today and I am definitely going to return =)
Thanks Shari!!!! I promise I’ll have you loving veggies in no time! <3 xoxo
So I think you’re kind of a culinary genius. That is all.
I flipping love you
I love your recipes! I am a huge fan of both potatoes but probably eat sweet potatoes more often, um like 4 times a week at least! Lately I like to slice em up and roast them and throw them on top of whatever else I am eating, be it something BBQ sauced, asian style or italian. And of course, nothing beats coated with some peanut butter…everything is better with peanut butter.
Thanks Meredith! Sweet Potatoes and PB are sooooo heavenly! I kind of want one now! =)
Great ideas! I’m trying to save money on groceries right now, and I think baked potatoes are a great inexpensive dinner option!
Happy to help darling! These are great for cleaning out your crisper too! xoxo
I love me some baked potatoes!!!
Believe it or not, I didn’t try a baked potato until I was 24!! What were my parents thinking?! And how did I survive after moving out without trying one?! lol Looking fwd to trying these!
Ahhh that’s nuts! I can say the same for beets, mustard, and squash! Hope you love the recipes!
I tried your Irish Nachos a couple of weeks ago and loved ’em. Can’t wait to give some of these other ideas a shot.
Ahhhh thanks!
I love those little fingerling potatoes that are around now, and little red potatoes. Bon appetite had a super easy awesome way to make the little red potatoes: boil whole until just just done, drain and dry well, flop into baking dish, and lightly squish with wooden spoon til the skins “pop” Drizzle with olive or coconut oil and a good bit of kosher salt, and bake for 15-20min at 450. The outside is crunchy salty and inside perfect soft texture- i then add my black beans/veggies /hummus ontop but theyre awesome plain too.
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YUM!
Love all options! I need to try those Irish Nachos!
Congrats girly! I’ve been wanting to make Irish nachos for awhile now, but I have to admit, I’m definitely not as creative with a spud as you are. 🙂
Thanks Sarah! And you are SO creative, you’re delusional!
I already ate dinner and you’re making me want to create any of these menus! Jeeeeez 😉
Those all look SO good! I need to make more potatoes for dinner.
We must be on the same wavelength – I just finished my lunch, which was of course, a baked potato with salsa, beans and avocado! LOVE potatoes in all forms – can’t wait to try the Samosa Stuffed potatoes!!
Yessss!!!! That sounds perfect!
I should really start making baked potatoes a meal more often. So many great combinations! It doesn’t really fall on this side of healthy, but I had a baked potato with pulled pork in it once. To. die. for.
Those Irish nachos look AMAZING!!!
When my dad was in the army and would be in the field for weeks at a time, my mom’s favorite dinner was rice and peas. I have a feeling that she probably justified it the same way you do your potatoes – technically, she was getting her veggies! Haha. Although these potatoes are a whole lot more balanced (and jazzy) than rice+peas.
Military wives make lots of justifications like that lol! My favorite is… I haven’t seen him in weeks so…. TIME FOR NEW SHOES! =) HAHA it’s the little things..
I want to eat all of those!!! The shrimp ones, seriously, I have to make those!
The shrimp potato and the Irish nachos have my mouth watering! Definitely going to have to try those!!
Yup those do look yummy, especially the shrimp potato, or the samosa potato, I love samosas, so yeah that is brilliant!! Now I need to go check out 23 more ways to eat a potato, lol.
Thanks for sharing Jen!!
Hugs, Bella 🙂
BellaBefore and After
All of those versions look fantastic! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Happy Blogging!
Happy Valley Chow
This is the best post ever… you got me so addicted to the black bean sweet potato version, I cannot wait to try all the others!!!
I’m glad I’ve made an addict out of you =) haha! Yes try them all!!!! <3
Ohh yummy…now I’m hungry for lunch and it’s only 9:45 am!