Baked Potato Bar

Name: Baked Potato Bar
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 2 h 5 min
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 24 count Russet Potatoes, Scrubbed; 2 Cups Unsalted Butter, Softened; 16 Oz Shredded Sharp Cheddar; 2 Lb Thick-Cut Bacon, Cooked And Crumbled; 2 Cups Sour Cream; 6 bunches Green Onions, Sliced; 2 Lb Warm Chili Or Pulled Beef (optional)

Build-your-own spuds for the crew

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 125 min
Serves 8
Difficulty: medium

Build-your-own spuds for the crew. Sized for a full crew, with timing that still works when the kitchen gets interrupted.

Why crews like it: A hall pick for regular dinner nights — one line, real portions, no drama at the stove.

1296Cal

62gProtein

60gCarbs

90gFat

Ingredients

24 count Russet Potatoes, Scrubbed
2 Cups Unsalted Butter, Softened
16 Oz Shredded Sharp Cheddar
2 Lb Thick-Cut Bacon, Cooked And Crumbled
2 Cups Sour Cream
6 bunches Green Onions, Sliced
2 Lb Warm Chili Or Pulled Beef (optional)

Instructions

Scrub and poke potatoes: Scrub russet potatoes dry. Poke each potato 6–8 times with a fork so steam escapes. Rub skins with vegetable oil and coarse salt — this gives crackly jackets.
Bake until fork-tender: Bake directly on the oven rack at 400°F for 50–65 minutes until a skewer slides in with no resistance. Wrap finished potatoes in foil and hold at 200°F — do not stack hot potatoes or skins go soggy.
Prep the topping station: Line up butter, shredded cheddar, crumbled bacon, sour cream, and green onions in separate bowls with serving spoons. Keep warm toppings near the potatoes; keep sour cream cold on ice if service runs long.
Run the potato bar: Split hot potatoes with a cross-cut and fluff the insides with a fork. Crew builds their own: butter first, then cheddar so it melts, then bacon, sour cream, and green onions. Loaded Baked Potato Bar works best as a self-serve line down the counter.

Tonight's spread

Label every topping bowl — rookies grab faster when they can read the line.
Keep hot bases (potatoes, chips) in cambros at 200°F and cold toppings on ice if service runs long.
Put forks, napkins, and a trash can at the end of the bar — self-serve feeds get messy fast.
Line up Baked Potato Bar on the main counter with serving spoons — firefighters grab fast between calls.
Keep a backup tray warm in the oven at 200°F for late arrivals after a run.

Hall tips

Keep a backup tray warm in the oven for late calls — nothing worse than cold plates after a run.
Taste for salt at the end — hall palates run salty after long shifts.

Leftovers

Cool leftovers in shallow containers within two hours — deep pots stay hot too long.
Label trays with date and reheat to 165°F minimum before second shift.

Large cast iron skillet or Dutch oven
Large sheet trays
Instant-read thermometer
Aluminum foil