Baked Potato Bar

I love bar parties. I joked the other day that I'm going to host a different bar party every month - chili bar, ice cream sundae bar, taco bar...you get the idea.

One of my favorites to date?

The baked potato bar.

I like this concept for so many reasons.

1. Prepping baked potatoes is so easy!

Here's what you need to know - put them in the crockpot! Seriously - this is so easy that I do it almost once a week for dinner - even when it's just the two of us. Simply wash the potatoes, poke them with a fork a few times, and roll them in foil.

Then drop them in the slow-cooker on low - the more potatoes you have, the longer you want them in there. For the party, I did a 6-quart slow-cooker filled to the brim for about 10 hours and the potatoes were perfect. If you're doing less, or if you're using sweet potatoes (yum!), it takes a little less time - somewhere between 6 - 8 hours.

2. Gluten-free, dairy-free, meat-free without any hassle

I don't know about you, but it seems that every time I try to make a menu for a party there is at least one guest with some dietary restrictions. This setup caters to some of the most common dietary concerns without adding any extra work on your end. Also, the food is just as filling for everyone - no one has to go hungry when they have so many choices.

Potatoes by themselves are gluten-free, dairy-free and vegetarian / vegan, but here are some topping options for each of those diet types.

Gluten Free

Baked potato topped with bacon, shredded cheddar, sour cream and green onion.

Dairy Free

Baked potato topped with taco meat, black beans, corn and pico-de-gallo / salsa.

Vegetarian

Sweet potato topped with steamed asparagus and/or broccoli, feta cheese, chopped scallions and fresh ground black pepper. (Eliminate the feta for a vegan option).

3. The options are endless

No matter how picky your eaters are, or how hungry they come, everyone can customize their meal to fit exactly what they want. And, they can come back for seconds and eat a completely different meal!

Here are the toppings I used for my potato bar:

Jalapenos

Salsa

Sour Cream

Black Olives

Feta Cheese

Bacon Crumbles

Green Onions

BBQ Pulled Pork

Taco Ground Turkey

Black Beans

Beef Chili with Beans

Shredded Cheddar Cheese

There are so many choices for toppings - go crazy!

After discovering how easy it is to make these suckers in the crockpot, we eat baked potatoes a lot in our house. My current favorite is a sweet potato topped with butter, a touch of maple syrup and some walnuts.

I'd love to hear what combinations you come up with! Enjoy!