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I may have already mentioned this, but the highlight of my year every year has also been cancelled for 2020. Literally the last thing I was looking forward to this year, The Big E, has now been cancelled thanks to coronavirus. Maybe I’ll see ya in 2021, tasty foods. Can we all just agree to forget 2020 ever happened? Has ANYTHING good happened this year? I went on some cool trips in the first few months of the year, but after that this year has really gone down the toilet. I knew that my quality of life would decline significantly when I turned 30, but I really didn’t expect it to be this dramatic.

Anyway, back to fair food, since that’s one thing that will continue to bring everyone joy as 2020 continues on with its misery. There are so many delicious foods to eat at The Big E, but the line for the Maine baked potatoes is definitely one of the longest. My mom always makes fun of me for waiting in line for something as simple as a baked potato, but I’ll never change. Potatoes are the perfect food. People love them some carbs, me included. If you’ve been a longtime reader of my blog you know that I love potatoes more than the average human. I get a Maine baked potato every year at the fair and this year will be no different, other than that I’ll just have to do it myself. No worries. It will end up being cheaper and healthier this way.

For this recipe I finished the potatoes off in the air fryer and I’m glad I did! I was left with a crispy flavorful skin that I ate right up. I always eat the skin of the potato when I make them at home anyway because I buy organic potatoes, but the air fryer added an extra layer of flavor and crunch that left me quite delighted.

One noticeable difference between my rendition of a loaded baked potato versus The Big E’s spud is that my potato features real cheese. The Maine baked potatoes have that questionable runny electric yellow cheese that may or may not even be real cheese (if I was a betting woman, I’d have to say not). Sure, it tastes good and all, but we can do better and feed our families healthier when we make these ourselves. I chose organic shredded mild cheddar, but feel free to use whatever cheese you like, or none at all! Are you shocked to even be seeing dairy in this recipe? Some of you probably are. I know that Mike was downright delighted when I fed him a baked potato that had real cheese AND sour cream on it. But you really can’t have a loaded baked potato bar without the basics, am I right? You have to please all involved parties, especially during a do-it-yourself carnival food celebration.

One last thing you can do to up the ante and increase the nutrition factor of these potatoes is to add on extras like chili or grilled chicken. I had some grilled chicken leftover in my fridge so I put it out with my baked potato bar and that was a big hit. When I say it was a big hit I mean it was a big hit among myself, because I don’t have a big family that I fed all these carbs to. Seriously. I made this recipe on one of my furlough days a few weeks back. It was just me and I loved every second of it. But really. Chicken or chili will transform this recipe from a side dish into a meal if you happen to have those things on hand. Just saying!

My perfect baked potato includes a big old pat of Kerrygold salted butter (it has to be Kerrygold; no other butter will do), organic cheddar cheese, ButcherBox bacon, chopped chives, and a sprinkle of sea salt. What about you? Go get you some carbs!

thehungryhungryhiker

Loaded Baked Potato Bar

A step-by-step guide to making the crispiest, healthiest, most flavorful baked potatoes in the comfort of your own kitchen.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • ½ lb bacon, cut into lardons check labels for Whole30
  • 4 Russet potatoes, medium scrubbed clean and dried completely
  • 1 tbsp avocado oil
  • pinch sea salt plus more for serving
  • 4 tbsp butter omit or sub ghee for Whole30, I used Kerrygold salted butter
  • ¾ cup shredded cheese of choice I used organic cheddar, omit for Whole30
  • ½ cup sour cream omit for Whole30
  • ¼ cup green onions or chives, minced

Equipment

  • Air fryer

Method
 

  1. Brown the bacon using your preferred method. I like using saute mode on my Instantpot because it cooks the fastest with the easiest cleanup. You could also brown the bacon on the stove in a cast iron skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally until browned. When the bacon is done cooking, remove from pot and place on a paper towel lined plate until ready to use.
  2. While the bacon cooks, start the potatoes. Poke each potato all over 15-20 times with a paring knife and place on a plate, spaced apart. Microwave for 6-8 minutes and remove from microwave when the potatoes are just starting to soften. When cool enough to handle, distribute 1 tbsp avocado oil evenly over the potatoes and rub in with your hands. Sprinkle the potatoes with sea salt and rub in.
  3. Place potatoes in the air fryer basket, spaced apart. Air fry at 400° F for 10-15 minutes until skin is crisped and potato is very soft.
  4. Time for toppings! Cut each potato open using the paring knife along the long edge and squeeze the potato inward to create a little boat. I like to put the ingredients that will melt (butter or ghee and cheese if using) in the potato first, followed by the bacon, sour cream (if using), a sprinkle of chives, and a sprinkle of sea salt. Serve hot and dig in!