Loaded Breakfast Baked Potato

Whether you’re looking for a hearty weekend breakfast or a filling dinner option, these Loaded Breakfast Baked Potatoes fit the bill. Fluffy, buttery baked potatoes are flavored with bacon, Cheddar cheese and sour cream, studded with chives and topped with a protein-rich egg. Filling, satisfying and oh so comforting, this is the breakfast you didn’t know you needed—until now. Keep reading for our expert tips, including how to cut down on prep time.

Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen

These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too! 

• Poking the potatoes with a fork ensures that they do not explode. 
• If you enjoy crispy potato skins, oil and salt them before baking. Additionally, carefully slicing off a small sliver from the bottom of each potato before baking will help keep them upright when they are filled.
• We highly recommend using center-cut bacon, as it has the perfect amount of fat for achieving the crispest results.
• This recipe calls for shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, which you can grate yourself—or use pre-shredded cheese to save on prep time.

Nutrition Notes

• Potatoes are not just the vehicle that holds all the fillings, but they also come with their own set of health attributes. For starters, potatoes are a great source of potassium, which is necessary for healthy blood pressure, and vitamin C for a strong immune system. They also provide some fiber—and if you eat the skin, you’ll get even more fiber.
• Egg is the primary source of protein in this breakfast dish. Even though egg yolk contains saturated fat, it also contains monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats—plus antioxidants and B vitamins as well as choline, which is necessary for a healthy brain and nervous system. Egg yolks are also one of the few food sources of vitamin D, which is necessary for healthy bones and mood. And did you know at least one-third of the egg’s protein is in the yolk? It’s true!
• Cheddar cheese adds more protein to this potato, along with bone-strengthening calcium. Cheese contains probiotics, which are those gut-loving bacteria necessary for a healthy microbiome and overall health. And because bacteria need to eat to survive, they’ll nosh on the fiber in the potato.