Turn Your Baked Potato Into A Meal With These 10 Toppings

Inexpensive and hardy, potatoes are often the side-kick to a great meal, but add a few toppings and you can turn your baked potato into a complete, delicious meal that's ready in just a few minutes.

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Mix crème fraîche with dill and lemon juice. Layer some smoked salmon, capers, and onions and top with a bit of the herbed crème fraiche on a slightly-cooled baked potato.

See more of our smoked salmon recipes here.

The classic combination of cheese, sour cream, bacon, and broccoli will bring you back to your youth.

See more of our baked potato recipes here.

Similar to a chili cheese dog, the chili-topped potato becomes a complete, hearty, and, most excitingly, cheap meal. Don't forget the diced raw onions, sour cream, and shredded cheese.

See more of our chili recipes here.

Turn a glum potato into a fiesta. Top a baked potato with diced avocados, beans, salsa, and some cilantro for a guilt-free meal. Add sour cream and shredded cheese to make it indulgent.

See some truly authentic Mexican dishes here.

This classic Italian-American combination is normally stuffed into a sandwich, but works just as well on top of a potato. Sauté thinly sliced spicy Italian sausage and peppers until the peppers are slightly crispy; serve hot on a baked potato.

Find a recipe for the traditional sausage and pepper sandwich here.

Mushrooms make for a good substitute for meat. Toss a variety of chopped mushrooms (white button, shiitake, and hen-of-the-wood) with salt, pepper, olive oil, and a bit of sherry. Place the mushrooms on a baking sheet and roast while the potato bakes. Top the baked potato with the roasted mushrooms and some baby arugula.

Find out some other ways to lighten up meaty meals.

Scoop out center of a baked potato and mix part of the scooped potato filling with superfoods like quinoa, spinach, and cauliflower.

Find more superfoods to pair with potatoes here.

Top your baked potato with a fried egg or scoop out a hole in the potato and bake an egg right on there (just like you would an avocado). The addition of an egg or two turns this into filling meal that takes all of 4 seconds to prep.

Find our best egg recipes here.

Cottage cheese is way more delicious than it sounds, plus it's a good non-meat source of protein. Scoop out the flesh of a baked potato and mix with a few spoonfuls of cottage cheese. Put everything back into the potato skins and bake until slightly browned on top.

Find more ways to use cottage cheese here.

Scoop out the center of a baked sweet potato and mix in a bit of butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Top with mini marshmallows and place under the broiler until melted and golden brown on top.

Find a traditional sweet potato pie recipe here.