DIY loaded potatoes are perfect for entertaining a group of friends or for an easy birthday party. A Loaded Baked Potato Bar allows each person to top their potato the way they like it!
Make or buy pulled pork or taco meat with ground beef, offer a few toppings and you’ve got an easy meal that will please a variety of palates!
DIY Baked Potato Bar Ideas
Baked potatoes are a neutral flavored and filling base for a great meal. The options to customize and top potatoes with are endless. When my goal is to make a nice, easy meal that everyone will enjoy I often create a baked potato bar.
Most of the work can be done ahead of time which also makes entertaining a crowd easier. Slow cookers also take a lot of stress out of party preparations for me. Meat can be heated and kept warm and potatoes cook easily in a crock pot.
Potatoes can be poked, drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper and wrapped in foil a day ahead of time. Then bake in the oven at 400°F for 45 – 60 minutes. I prefer to make in the slow cooker on low for 4 to 6 hours. Cooking time varies greatly based on the size and age of my slow cookers.
I typically make Farm House Slow Cooker recipe or a Margarita Mix Pulled Pork but like to use the Instant Pot to make Best Pulled Pork on occasion. Pans of pre-cooked frozen pulled pork also reheat fantastically to save a little more time and effort.
Farmhouse Chili also makes a great potato topping and so does this Ground Pork Taco Meat or this Loaded Taco Meat.
Use several small bowls, preferably with libs and fill them with cheese, sour cream, bacon, chives, broccoli, black beans and corn. Using the lids made it easy to stack the toppings and store them in the refrigerator. I loved having little bowls with lids to make meal prep easier. I use a larger glass bowl or slow cooker to serve the pork.
The same toppings and ideas that work for a loaded baked potato bar can also work for a loaded taco bar or a loaded mashed potato bar.
Loaded Baked Potato Bar Toppings
- Shredded cheese
- Crumbled bacon
- Sour cream
- Green onion or chives
- Broccoli
- Shredded pork
- Barbecue sauce
- Black beans
- Corn
- Salsa
- Tortillas or taco shells for those who may not eat potatoes
Tips for Planning a Baked Potato Bar
- Plan foods that can be cooked and/or placed in individual dishes well before the party
- Keep cold foods in serving containers in the refrigerator until the party begins
- Use small containers with lids if possible as it makes preparation and clean-up so much easier
- Layout hot pads or tools that guests can use to unwrap and slice their baked potato without burning their hands
- Offer pulled pork or toppings that you have a bigger volume of first
- Offer toppings like green onions and bacon last because lesser amounts will be used to top off the potato
- Make sure to have enough spoons, tongs or other serving utensils to keep food containers separated
- Keep all of the topping options together so that guests can see all options before building their potato
- I like to put plates at the beginning of the line and napkins and silverware at the end of the line to keep hands as free as possible
DIY Taco Bar Option
Many of the same toppings that taste great on baked potatoes also taste great on tacos. To give guest yet another option offer flour tortillas that guests can fill.
Just another way to make it easier for everyone to enjoy their meal!
Dessert to Go With Baked Potato Bar
To keep with the theme of choosing your own topping an Easy Mini Cheesecake Dessert Bar works great!
To keep with the theme of fuss free and serve your self consider a cookie tray with classics like Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal and Chocolate Chip, Cowboy Cookie Bars and Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies.
Dirt Cake with Oreos, cream cheese, pudding and Cool Whip is so versatile and easy!
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Bars are our most popular dessert!
Our famous Chocolate Cake from a Box Mix is always a hit!
Providing options for guests takes the stress out of meal planning for me and makes the meal more enjoyable for guests. We’ve gotten several positive reviews about this idea and hope these tips help others too!
Other Leftover Pulled Pork Recipes:
Printable Loaded Baked Potato Bar Ingredients & Recipe
Loaded Baked Potato Bar
Ingredients
- 5 pounds baked potatoes
- 3-5 pounds pulled pork cooked
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 1/2 pound bacon cooked & crumbled
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup chives chopped
- 2 cups broccoli cooked
- 1 bottle bbq sauce
- 1 can black beans
- tortillas or taco shells optional
Instructions
- Wash potatoes, poke holes with a fork, drizzle with olive oil, then add a few shakes of Koshor salt and freshly ground pepper. Bake potatoes in the oven at 400°F for 45 minutes – 1 hour or cook in the slow cooker on low for 4 to 6 hours.
- Warm precooked pork OR cook and shred pulled pork.
- Wash and chop green onions or chives
- Steam broccoli.
- Cook black beans for 1 minute in the microwave
- Neatly arrange ingredients on the counter in a way that is easy for guests to serve themselves. Provide plates, napkins and forks. Enjoy 🙂
Notes
- Plan foods that can be cooked and/or placed in individual dishes well before the party
- Keep cold foods in serving containers in the refrigerator until the party begins
- Use small containers with lids if possible as it makes preparation and clean-up so much easier
- Layout hot pads or tools that guests can use to unwrap and slice their baked potato without burning their hands
- Offer pulled pork or toppings that you have a bigger volume of first
- Offer toppings like green onions and bacon last because lesser amounts will be used to top off the potato
- Make sure to have enough spoons, tongs or other serving utensils to keep food containers separated
- Keep all of the topping options together so that guests can see all options before building their potato
- I like to put plates at the beginning of the line and napkins and silverware at the end of the line to keep hands freer
Equipment
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Nutrition
Originally published on September 15, 2018 and updated on December 10, 2021.
This recipe was delicious and worked great for a gathering we had at our home. Definitely plan to make it again!
So glad it worked out well! Thanks for letting us know! Guests always love the variety.
Such a fun dinner idea! We love dinners we can customize so everyone can have what they like.