Super Bowl Loaded Baked Potato Bar

It’s that time of year again!  It’s Super Bowl time!  And you know what that means?   Party time food!!  Do you know what’s on your game day menu yet?  

SuperBowl Sunday is America’s 2nd largest food consumption day with Thanksgiving getting the #1 spot. There are some years where I’m really on top of the food spread and plan everything out.  The year the illustrious Denver Broncos won Super Bowl 50, I even made a red lentil and carrot hummus to match their orange team color. This year, I’m not quite as organized with my game day menu strategy.  The answer to that is a loaded baked potato bar where all I have to do is put out simple, yet delicious toppings and the guests load up their potato however they want!

Are potatoes unhealthy?

Let’s get this out of the way early. No, potatoes are not evil and they’re not going to make you fat. Now, if you gorge on potatoes everyday, well, then that’s another story.  Or, if you load them up with tons of cheese, butter and sour cream, that may be an issue as well.  The portion size of the potato, as with anything else, is key.  Russet potatoes are the preferred potato for baking due to it’s fluffy flesh when baked.  Ideally, you want to choose a potato on the smaller side, around 5-6 ounces.  However, this can be challenging since it seems like most of the potatoes at the grocery store are more of a gargantuan size.

These potatoes in the picture below were the smallest russet potatoes I was able to find, measuring close to 4 inches long and weighing about 6 ounces.

Potatoes actually pack in a good amount of nutrition including fiber, vitamin B6, iron, potassium, magnesium, antioxidants and vitamin C.  In fact, potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin C and contain about 1/2 your daily value.  There’s even more potassium in a potato than in a banana.  Plus, potatoes are naturally low in sodium.

Have you heard of resistant starch?  Well, cooked potatoes have it when they’re cooled! Resistant starch is a type of starch that is resistant to digestion and acts like fiber.  It’s actually great for your gut and feeds the good bacteria in there.  So, if you cook the potatoes the day before, cool them down and then reheat before serving, you’ll be serving up some resistant starch!

What’s the best part of a baked potato bar?   The baked potato toppings of course!!

There are so many healthy and delicious baked potato topping ideas!!  This is the part that gets me excited!  Expand your mind and think of toppings other than shredded cheese, sour cream and butter.

Some of my favorite baked potato toppings are:

• Shredded rotisserie chicken or slow cooker salsa chicken
• Black beans, chickepeas or lentils:  try making spiced black beans by sauteeing  1 can of drained black beans, 1/4 tsp kosher salt and 1-1/2 teaspoons of smoked paprika in 1 teaspoon of oil. Cook until beans are coated and warmed.
• Chili
• Sauteed spinach or other leafy greens
• Sauteed mushrooms:  add some chopped fresh rosemary and garlic to make them super fragrant
• Caramelized onions:  recipe below
• Pickled red onions
• Blue cheese crumbles, feta cheese or queso fresco
• Red or green salsa
• Pesto
• Tahini
• Lemon Yogurt Sauce:  for 1/2 cup of sauce, mix 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (I prefer 2%) with 2 teaspoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon water, 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• Olives
• Chopped cilantro or basil
• Raw or toasted pepitas:  pepitas are green pumpkin seeds
• Hemp seeds, sunflower seeds or sesame seeds

How to bake potatoes

One of the healthiest ways to cook potatoes is to bake them.  You can cook potatoes and sweet potatoes in the microwave, but they don’t taste as good compared to cooking them old school in the oven.  I actually like The Kitchn’s method of just rubbing a little oil and salt on a washed and scrubbed potato that’s been poked with the tines of a fork a few times.  It is necessary to poke holes in a potato before baking so that it doesn’t burst in the oven.

Put the potatoes in a 425 degree F oven for around 45-60 minutes or until the potatoes are easily pierced with a paring knife. Pretty basic and standard method.  The amount of time it takes to bake the potatoes will depend on how large they are. A 6 ounce potato should take about 45 minutes.  I like this method rather than wrapping the potatoes in foil because there is less waste, the potatoes cook faster, and the skin is crispier and in my opinion, tastier.  When the potato is wrapped in foil, a softer skin is produced and I prefer my skin to be a little more on the crispy side.

The same process can be used to cook sweet potatoes, however they will probably cook a bit quicker.  For me, this is the perfect way to showcase potatoes and sweet potatoes.  The variety of toppings you can add is endless!  Whether you go with an ethnic theme such as a Mediterranean or Latin baked potato bar, I guarantee if you put the toppings out, guests will love creating their own masterpiece.  Bonus:  the leftover toppings end up being meal prepped items for you to add into other dishes for the rest of the week! 

What are your favorite baked potato and sweet potato toppings?  Let me know in the comments! 🙂

Perfect Caramelized Onions

Print Recipe

Caramelized onions are one of the simplest and most delicious condiments in the entire world! You want to cook the onions down until they are a dark, golden brown, without burning them. The longer the cook, the sweeter and softer they get!
Some websites say that you can’t make caramelized onions in a non stick pan. I disagree and always use a non stick pan.

• Author: TastyBalance Nutrition
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings 1x
• Category: Condiment

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1–1/2 pounds yellow onions, peeled, stem removed and thinly sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

1. In a 12 inch saute pan, heat the pan over medium heat. Once hot add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions.
2. Cook onions for 10 minutes, stirring halfway through.
3. Lower heat to low and put a lid on the pan, leaving it slightly ajar so that steam can escape. Cook for 60 minutes, or until onions are dark and golden brown, stirring about every 10 minutes. Be careful not let the onions burn.
4. Add the salt and stir to distribute.

Notes

Cool onions and use for many uses including topping baked potatoes, burgers, flatbread pizza, sandwiches and much more.

Keywords: caramelized, onions, condiment, baked potato topping