What Goes Well With Baked Potatoes?

Tangy or spicy sauces balance the neutral, starchy flavor of baked potatoes. Strained yogurt, garlic sauce, and roasted peppers all work well. Since the potato itself is fairly plain, a more flavorful sauce or garnish helps balance the plate. Potato variety also matters: starchy varieties become fluffier when baked, while waxy varieties stay firmer and may be better sliced than scooped.

How Does the Sauce Change the Dish?
Garlicky yogurt sauce or butter sauce adds moisture to the potato's dry texture. For those who like heat, spicy pepper sauce also pairs well.

Cheese and Dairy Pairings
Grated kashar cheese melts over a hot potato and adds a creamy texture. Crumbled, lightly salted white cheese offers a similar balance.

How Should You Serve Baked Potatoes With Meat or Chicken?
Baked potatoes served with grilled chicken or red meat can soak up the main dish's sauce and round out the plate. Rather than adding another heavy sauce to the potato, share the sauce from the main dish.

Salad and Vegetable Pairings
A simple green salad balances the potato's starchy richness. Roasted peppers and tomatoes add color and a little acidity.

Which Spices Change the Potato's Flavor?
Thyme, rosemary, or red pepper flakes added before baking deepen the potato's otherwise mild flavor. In that case, choose a more neutral sauce, such as plain strained yogurt, since the spices already add plenty of flavor. With unseasoned potatoes, the sauce should bring more flavor. Adding hot sauce to potatoes already seasoned with cumin or red pepper flakes can make the dish too intense, so balance the spices and sauce.

Should You Serve It Alone or as a Side?
When a baked potato is the main dish, add more cheese, sauce, and garnishes to make it filling on its own. As a side dish, keep it simpler because the main dish provides much of the meal's substance. This is a practical guide to choosing how many toppings to add. Serving both styles at a large gathering is an easy way to suit different appetites.

Are Small and Large Potatoes Served Differently?
Small potatoes can be baked whole and served with sauce as a bite-sized appetizer. A large potato is usually split open and eaten with a spoon as a single serving. Size also affects how the sauce is served: drizzle it over small potatoes and spoon it inside a large potato. Small potatoes can also make a convenient snack at cocktail parties or other gatherings. To check whether a potato is cooked through, insert a fork into the center; this is a common method in home and restaurant kitchens.