Loaded Sheet Pan Baked Potatoes

Sheet pans are the sturdy workhorses of the kitchen and this loaded baked potato recipe takes full advantage of their versatility to get dinner on the table without a fuss. Cooking bacon alongside the potatoes means you can use the bacon fat to cook the onion and broccoli, adding a subtle smoky flavor to the whole dish. The addition of sharp Cheddar cheese, sour cream, and chives makes this feel like a twice-baked potato that’s ready in half the time. Be sure to find potatoes that are similar in size to each other so everything cooks evenly. 

Frequently Asked Questions

• Do you need to wrap potatoes in foil to bake them?

  Wrapping potatoes in foil helps them to produce steam and creates a softer baked potato. In this case, we opt for a crispier skin, so we skipped wrapping the potatoes in foil. 

• What temperature should you use to cook a baked potato?

  Potatoes bake easily at any temperature above 350°F, but the higher you go, the quicker they will cook. Because we are also baking bacon and broccoli in this recipe, baking everything at a high temperature of 400°F means everything can bake simultaneously and is ready at the same time without burning. 

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Pricking the potatoes with a fork is essential to making sure the steam doesn’t become trapped and make the potato explode.