How to make a baked potato bar for a large group, including the best ways to prep the potatoes, a variety of fillings options and tons of topping ideas.
This is such a fun, versatile way to serve a crowd and allow everyone to make their favorite stuffed potato!
A baked potato bar just feels cozy and warm and homey to me. And it's sort of been a through line in my life.
As a kid, it meant stopping by Wendy's on the way home from swim practice. They used to have a baked potato bar where you could add all your favorite toppings and that was my favorite quick dinner.
As an adult, it means larger get togethers with friends or with family.
Having a make-your-own kind of assembly dinner works fantastic with large groups and when you have kids and adults of all ages with different tastes. Everyone can customize their own!
It can also be a great option for families with picky kids or when you just need to pull some things together and call it a meal.
Basically, it's always a good idea.
So let's dive into what you need to know to create a successful baked potato bar.
Potato Options
Here's some tips on the type and size of potatoes to use and how to get them cooked and ready for your potato bar.
Russet potatoes are classic for stuffing and my favorite option. You can use full size russets or get a bag of smaller russet potatoes, which allows people to use more than one and create a variety of combinations on their plate.
Sweet potatoes can also be a fun alternative to include as an option.
To make a large batch of potatoes, you can either choose from oven or slow cooker. (If you are making a smaller amount, you can do microwave baked potatoes to make them fast.)
Oven: This is ideal for making the most potatoes. You can fit 16-20 potatoes on two sheet pans. (Line with foil for easy clean up.) Scrub the potatoes, pierce them with a fork several times, rub with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place on the baking sheets and bake at 425 degrees F for 45-60 minutes, until tender.
Slow cooker: You should be able to fit 6-8 regular size potatoes in a standard 5-7 quart slow cooker. Scrub them, pierce them with a fork several times, rub with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place in the slow cooker. (You do not need to add water and you do not need to wrap them in foil.) Cook on high for 2.5-3 hours or on low for 6-7 hours. It will depend on the size of potatoes, but once they are fork tender, they are ready and you can switch the crock pot to warm.
Tip: You can also place the finished potatoes in a foil pan and keep it covered to keep them warm in advance of the party/gathering. (Or if you need to transport them to someone else's house.)
Now that the potatoes are ready, let's set up the bar so we can get them stuffed!
Potato Bar Fillings
Here are some favorite crowd-friendly options to set out so everyone can stuff their potato just like they want.
Chicken & Broccoli: A classic and a favorite. Cook the chicken, or use rotisserie chicken, and steam the broccoli. You can let everyone just add some shredded cheese on top or you can make a cheddar sauce to spoon over (I use this recipe from our favorite side dish of broccoli and cheese sauce).
Chili: Who doesn't love a chili stuffed potato? Use a beef, turkey, chicken or veggie chili - whatever you love - and just make sure it's nice and thick. Canned chili is more than acceptable in a pinch.
BBQ chicken or pork: Cooked, shredded, saucy and ready to stuff.
Sloppy Joe mixture: I personally always eat our turkey sloppy Joe's in a baked potato instead of in a sandwich. Way less messy! But it also makes a fun option for a potato bar.
Taco meat: Cook up some seasoned ground turkey or beef and use that as a stuffing mixture for your potatoes. Be sure to add black beans to the toppings bar.
Chicken hash or chicken and gravy: These are other great creamy, comforting fillings for a baked potato bar. Check out this quick chicken hash or quick chicken and gravy if you need specific recipes.
And hopefully it goes without saying, but setting up a toppings station is most of the fun of creating a baked potato bar.
Baked Potato Bar Toppings
Here are some ideas to get you started. Choose your favorites and just make sure to have a good variety for people to build their own potato creations.
- Shredded cheddar cheese (or mozzarella or Gruyere or other options/blends)
- Cream cheese (can be flavored)
- Cheese sauce
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt
- Snipped chives or sliced green onions
- Butter or compound/flavored butter
- Cooked, crumbled bacon
- Sliced avocado or guacamole
- Ranch dressing
- BBQ sauce
- Jalapeños
- Hot sauce or sriracha
Tip: If it's a group dinner situation, put a couple of people in charge of toppings and let them coordinate and bring the variety. Share the work!
Finally, I love hearing people's favorite combinations and unique ideas for fillings and toppings, so please leave a comment below if you have other ideas! We can all benefit!
Happy cooking and enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
Leave a Reply