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There’s something about the sound of the words “loaded baked potato” that have always just tickled a chord inside of me. I’ve always been enamored by the taste and smell of a loaded baked potato as well as its ability to hit the spot and stick to your bones no matter the situation. Whenever I need to be reminded of the comfort of home, I feel I can do no wrong by whipping one up, especially on a cold day while enjoying a meal with loved ones.
Recently, after discovering a video shared to TikTok by Meals with Max of a Giant Roast Potato recipe, I realized it had been far too long since my last loaded potato experience. Max’s method for this giant roast potato involved skinning a massive spud before boiling it for 10 minutes and then tossing in an air fryer for a half an hour. As I watched the video, I was immediately impressed by the way his roasted potato turned out, especially once I realized he would be topping it with pigs in a blanket among other delicious ingredients.
Credit: Nathan Hutsenpiller
How to Make the Giant Roast Potato
For this recipe, you’ll want to do some prepping ahead of time to make things go a little smoother. I would start off by making the pigs in blankets. I used all-beef hot dogs for this part of the recipe and wrapped them in thinly sliced bacon. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes at 375°F and make sure to flip the dogs halfway through the cooking process. While the pigs get warm inside of their blankets, shred some cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, and then begin peeling the potatoes.
Add the potatoes to a pot of boiling water along with some fresh rosemary, thyme, a few whole cloves of garlic, and some salt. Allow the spuds to boil for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they are tender and can easily be poked with a fork. Drain the water from the pot, then give each potato a toss around the inside of the empty pot while the lid is on top to roughen up the edges.
At this point, your pigs in blankets should be finished, so go ahead and increase the temperature of the oven to 400°F and prepare a baking sheet for the potatoes. Cover the potatoes in olive oil and more salt, then bake for about half an hour, or until the outside of the spuds are a beautiful golden brown.
While the potatoes bake, grab a small pot and heat your favorite type of gravy in preparation for the final steps of the recipe. Once the spuds are golden brown, remove them from the oven and allow to cool slightly before slicing each in half lengthwise. Score the inside faces of the potatoes with a knife, then add butter, shredded cheeses, and some of the chopped-up pigs in blankets. Follow with a drizzle of honey, gravy, and a dash of salt and pepper on top. Serve while still warm and enjoy!
Credit: Nathan Hutsenpiller
My Honest Opinion of the Giant Roast Potato
I don’t say things like this often, but this might be the best loaded baked potato I have ever had. Of course, there are a few adjustments that could be made to cater this recipe directly to my personal tastes, however, I never would have thought to load my baked potato with pigs in a blanket, so I have to give Max the ultimate credit for that decision. I loved the golden brown color of the potatoes after removing them from the oven and their crisp outer edges were absolutely perfect within each bite.
As far as where this recipe might fall short, I seriously cannot think of any faults beyond ingredient preferences. Next time I will certainly use some type of sausage instead of hot dogs for the pigs in blankets, and I am also curious as to how other types of potatoes and gravy combinations would work out. And although this recipe didn’t call for it, I couldn’t help but think I was missing a dollop of sour cream and some chopped chives on top to round everything out perfectly.
Tips for Making the Giant Roast Potato
- Keep an eye on the oven. During the process of baking the pigs in blankets and potatoes, it is important to watch the oven to make sure nothing gets overcooked. The bacon will start to burn to a point of being too crispy if left for more than 20 to 25 minutes, and both will taste much better without that charred texture ruining each bite.
- Add your favorite toppings. This recipe is special in that there really is no wrong ingredient so long as you are experimenting within the boundaries of your own personal taste. However you prefer to dress your loaded baked potatoes will work perfectly for this recipe, so don’t be afraid to switch things up and call some audibles during the process.
- Use an air fryer or oven. Whether or not you have an air fryer, this recipe is still possible to make at home as long as you have a working oven. I personally did not have access to an air fryer, but found that my family’s convection oven worked perfectly while I was away from home and attempting to whip up this magical recipe.