Loaded baked potatoes 3 ways

There’s something to be said for the humble baked potato. We find that it makes for a simple yet satisfying meal. One of the things we enjoy most about them is being able to choose toppings and flavours to suit our cravings. Not only are they fantastic on their own, but you can easily turn a baked potato into a hearty side dish with steak or chicken.

With this recipe, we’ve taken three options: German, Italian and Mexican. Try one or try them all!

The perfect jacket potato should be salty on the outside and white and fluffy on the inside. A lightly oiled potato rolled in sea salt will yield a crisp and crunchy skin.

Makes 6

Ingredients

• 6 large potatoes perfect for baking
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp sea salt

GERMAN TOPPINGS

• 225g corned beef, thinly sliced then roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup Thousand Island dressing
• 1 cup sauerkraut, drained
• 1 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded
• 2 tbsp green onions, thinly sliced

ITALIAN TOPPINGS

• 1 1/2 cups pesto
• 450g cherry tomatoes, sliced
• 170g mozzarella cheese, diced
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, slivered

MEXICAN TOPPINGS

• 340g Mexican chorizo, cooked (if you’re unable to find Mexican chorizo, use a spicy, hot Italian sausage)
• 1 1/2 cups Queso fresco (or use a paneer with extra salt or a mild feta i.e. French or Danish style)
• 1 cup coriander, chopped
• 1/2 cup white onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan-forced.
2. Lightly oil potatoes and rub all over with salt.
3. Pierce skin of each potato with a skewer or fork.
4. Wrap each potato in foil, place on oven tray, bake for 1 hour or until tender.
5. Top with one of the three toppings outlined above.