Recipe: Celebrating Loaded Baked Potato Month

May is National Loaded Potato Month! How do you load your Wisconsin Potato? Hasselback, baked, as a salad, nachos, tacos, dips, smashed, in a casserole; the possibilities are endless!

On Friday, WPVGA Dietitian Sarah Agena showed Sunrise 7 how to make Loaded Baked Potato Dip with Chives.

Ingredients

Loaded Potato Dip

1 large Russet potatoes* rinsed and cleaned

4 slices thick-cut bacon sliced into 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 cup sour cream room temperature

1/2 cup cream cheese room temperature

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

2-3 Tbsp milk or cream

1/4 Red onion finely minced

1-2 cloves garlic finely minced

1 tsp Garlic powder

1/2 tsp Smoked paprika

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp kosher salt

pinch freshly ground black pepper

10 Chives thinly sliced

3-4 sprigs curly parsley, leaves only finely chopped

Baked Steak Fries

2 large large russet potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch thick fries

Sea salt for finishing

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 450°F.

Rub your potato with a teaspoon or two of olive or vegetable oil, wrap it in foil, and bake for 30-45 minutes, until tender. Alternatively, you can peel and boil your potato in salted water for 15-20 minutes, until tender. Set aside.

In a medium-sized pan, cook your bacon over medium-high heat, stirring often, until crispy. Use a slotted spoon to place the bacon on a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Reserve 2 Tablespoons of bacon fat and discard the rest.

In a medium-sized bowl, mash your cooked and peeled potato, then combine your sour cream, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, milk, minced onion, minced garlic, garlic powder, paprika, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.

Mix until smooth, and then fold in your chives, parsley, and cooked bacon.

Garnish with any additional chives, parsley, red onion, or bacon, if you like, and serve with your steak fries. You can also serve this with carrots, celery, radishes, or even potato chips!

Baked Steak Fries

Get your steak fries baking while you finish the rest of the dip.

Peel and cut your potatoes into 1-inch thick fries (you want them to be sturdy enough to dip.)

Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment, and toss the potatoes in the 2 tablespoons of reserved bacon fat.

Place in a 450°F oven for 10 minutes, then flip them over, and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, until golden and crispy.

Finish with a quick sprinkle of sea salt and set aside.