Baked Stuffed Potatoes for dinner saves on the grocery budget and provides a delicious tasty favorite. Perfect for Meatless Monday.

If you are looking for a Meatless Meal idea, this is a good one. You can make baked stuffed potatoes using a plethora of different toppings and tailor each one to the varied tastes of all your family members.

Potatoes are one of the most versatile foods you can cook in your kitchen. There are an untold number of potato recipes, certainly something for everyone. In fact, I consider fresh potatoes to be a pantry staple.

Potatoes are great for meatless meals, lunch and for side dishes too.

Let’s begin this meatless meal with farm fresh Russet potatoes! Those make the best baked potatoes because of how big they get and the thickness of the skin will crisp just right when baked in the oven.

20 Baked Potato Topping Ideas

1. Butter
2. Sour Cream
3. Cheese
4. Steamed Broccoli
5. Mushrooms
6. Onions
7. Bacon
8. Crabmeat
9. Leftover meat such as shredded BBQ,, Chicken (shred it), Taco meat, Sloppy Joe
10. Sun dried tomatoes
11. Jalapenos
12. Avocado
13. Gravy
14. Guacamole
15. Spinach or Creamed Spinach
16. Black Beans and Corn
17. Steamed Carrots, Celery & Cauliflower
18. French Fried Onions
19. Steamed apples and onions
20. Chives

Vidalia onions are grown in Vidalia, Georgia. They have their own festival every year! How cool is that? Vidalia onions have a sweet flavor which was developed and cultivated in Georgia. They are Georgia’s official state vegetable. 

Also See these recipes showcasing onions: Not Quite Mississippi Crockpot Roast and Homemade Grilled Mushroom & Onion Burgers.

The Secret To Cooking Mushrooms and Onions

If you have ever been to the Fair anywhere, you have probably seen waterless cooking demonstrated in stainless steel cookware. While I do use one little pat of butter to cook my mushrooms and onions, it’s basically a waterless method by using the lid to help these vegetables create their own steam.

Step 1

Melt a pat of butter on medium heat in a large skillet. Add your cut onions to the skillet.

Step 2

Add your mushrooms, whole or cut into the skillet and sprinkle with seasonings. We love this McCormick Brown Sugar Bourbon seasoning. You can also add a dash of salt and pepper.

The secret

The trick is to remove the lid near the end of cook time and let the liquid evaporate. Then you can get that glazed, grilled taste we all love with sauteed mushrooms and onions. The butter adds a little flavor to the process. 

Three methods for cooking baked potatoes

Tips

• If you wash your potatoes well using a vegetable brush, you can eat the skin too. Potato skin is loaded with vitamins and fiber.
• Baking at a high temperature will get the potatoes done quicker.  Large potatoes can take an hour or more with this method depending on how big your potatoes are and how many you are cooking.

Bake Potatoes In The Oven

This is the best method in my humble opinion because the skin cooks slightly crisp and the meat of the potato gets nice and tender. See the recipe below for baking instructions.

Microwave Baked Potatoes

If you are in a hurry, this is the way to go but, the skin will not be crisp. Do not skip poking the holes in the potatoes!

1. Wash the skin well using a vegetable brush
2. Poke holes into the potato front and back using a fork
3. Place potatoes on a microwave safe dish
4. Microwave on high for 5 minutes then using tongs, turn the potato over and continue to microwave on high for 5 more minutes.
5. Use tongs to remove the potatoes as they will be very hot
6. Cook times may vary depending on how big  your potatoes are and how many you are cooking at one time.

Crockpot Baked Potatoes

Use the Crockpot if you need to have dinner cooking while you are at work. 

1. Wash and pat dry the potatoes
2. Poke a few times with the tines of a fork
3. OPTIONAL: Rub Olive oil and salt on the outside of the skin
4. Wrap each potato individually in aluminum foil.
5. Place into Crockpot
6. Cook on Low 8-10 hours. (Cook time depends on how many and how large the potatoes) Can be cooked on High for 4-6 hours.
7. Remove with tongs as potatoes are hot.

More Potato Recipes

• Best Homemade Mashed Potatoes
• Baked Sweet Potato Toppings Bar
• Classic Creamy Potato Salad Recipe
• Classic Homemade Hash Browns Easy Recipe
• Chili Cheese Tater Tots Recipe
• Homestyle Oven Baked French Fries
• Make The Best Ever Southern Candied Yams Recipe

Thank you for sharing!