If clouds from heaven could fall, they’d become baked potatoes – light, fluffy, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Topped with an incredible choice of toppings, they’re an excellent stand-alone dish for a snack or meal! But that’s not what they’re all good for.
Baked potatoes, when lightly seasoned and flavored, are a perfect side dish to proteins, such as beef, chicken, pork, and seafood. They take in the meat’s flavors and absorb whatever sauces and juices they have. Thus, if you’re making baked potatoes, check out for ideas on what to serve with baked potatoes!
1. Perfect Pot Roast
Pot roast is a dish made out of love, time, and effort; thus, it’s often reserved for family dinners and special occasions. So if you’re serving pot roast, you must go all in, including picking great side dishes. One of your choices for the latter should be baked potatoes because, like a perfect pot roast, its flavors and textures melt in your mouth, making the two an excellent match.
2. Pan-Seared Steak
Do you have a date tonight? Serving pan-seared steak makes a great impression, but that’s not the only thing that seals the deal. The whole affair – from sides to setup – gets your partner hooked, so make sure you plan everything right. To help you with that, don’t look for any other side dish – pick baked potatoes! It’s similar to the classic mashed but new in a way.
3. Baked BBQ Chicken Breast
Flavorful and saucy dishes, like this baked BBQ chicken breast, are a match made in heaven with baked potatoes. That’s because the latter sops up the delectable juices, which in the chicken BBQ’s case, is full of tanginess and caramelized sweetness. So if you’re heading to a cookout or hosting the family BBQ, save two recipes: one for your baked potatoes and one for this baked BBQ chicken breast.
4. Roasted Turkey Breast
Is Thanksgiving coming around the corner? Or are you just in the mood to stuff yourself with turkey? Either way, there’s no doubt that a delicious roasted turkey breast is an excellent alternative to a whole bird. It’s easier and more economical, but the familiar flavors and textures remain the same. Baked potatoes taste as good as other potato sides but are effortless to make.
5. Swedish Meatballs
Through the help of IKEA, Swedish meatballs have captured the tastes of many people worldwide with their flavorful meat, rich sauce, and versatility with side dishes. You can serve meatballs with mashed potatoes, lingonberries, and even cucumbers! But if you want to deviate a bit from tradition, why don’t you try swapping the mashed potatoes for baked ones? The latter would still do an excellent job of absorbing that gravy.
6. Pan Seared Salmon with Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce
Dense meat like pork or beef isn’t the only protein that is impeccable with baked potatoes. Fish, like salmon, also make a great pairing. With the two on a plate, you can keep your meal light, healthy, and filling. Moreover, this pan-seared salmon is served with a homemade lemon garlic butter sauce. Your baked potatoes can take on and absorb the sauce’s incredible juices and flavors.
7. Guacamol
You can also serve your baked potatoes as they are, without entree proteins, but topped with delicious treats, like sauces, cheeses, veggies, and even meat. One fantastic yet unique topping you can start with is guacamole, an avocado-based Mexican dip. It’s creamy, slightly tangy, healthy, and simple, made only from avocados, lime, garlic, and salt. You can add crushed tortilla chips to give your baked potato some crunch.
8. Homemade Salsa
Following the Mexican trend, you can swap the guacamole for this homemade salsa. It’s chunky and fresh, great for brightening your plain baked potato. Moreover, it’s full of acidic and spicy flavors from the tomatoes, lime, and peppers, such as jalapenos and green chilis. It’s not for those who don’t like tangy or spicy flavors, but if you want to transform your potatoes, this recipe is it!
9. Queso (Cheese Sauce)
Cheese is a classic topping for baked potatoes, but many prefer shredded ones. However, if you don’t like the shredded textures but adore the flavors, use queso or Mexican cheese sauce instead. It’s made from three kinds of cheese: smoked cheddar, sharp cheddar, and cream cheese. Then, after drizzling your potato with this creamy goodness, add a ton of bacon bits and scallions on top.
10. Chili
Imagine this: baked beans loaded with rich and hot chili, then topped with shredded cheese. Sounds like a godsent, right? If that has got you drooling already, you need to get up and make this chili recipe for spreading over your baked potatoes. It is the best chili for the job because it has everything you need: tomato sauce, delicious ground beef, and tender, creamy beans.
11. Homemade Alfredo Sauce
Do you find spicy toppings too intense for you? Then you can opt for this alfredo sauce instead. Yes, alfredo is not just for pasta; you can try it with potatoes. Its taste profile consists of creamy, cheesy, and buttery flavors that give your baked potatoes a luxurious feel. As a friendly tip, you can also top your alfredo sauce-loaded potatoes with broccoli and cheese for added flavors and textures.
12. Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken
You can top your baked potatoes with meat, preferably shredded ones, so it’s easier to munch on. Some classic options are taco meat or pulled pork, but you can try this recipe for shredded buffalo chicken. It uses a slow cooker or crockpot to ensure the chicken breasts come out with a pull-apart texture, red hot color, and buttery, spicy flavors. With this, there’s no need for another sauce!
