Fully Loaded Baked Potatoes With Mushroom "Bacon" & Garlicky Greek Yogurt Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Bake

by: Ella Quittner

January30,2019

3.6

10 Ratings

  • Prep time 15 minutes
  • Cook time 1 hour 40 minutes
  • Makes 4 potato halves

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Author Notes

I grew up in a household that couldn't make up its mind on the topic of potatoes. My father was a sweet potato man, through and through. Meanwhile, my mother swore by the starchy, non-sweet varieties. This formula works on regular old white potatoes, and sweeter varieties alike—my favorite version of the latter is with Murasaki sweet potatoes. Or, if you're anything like my parents, you can use one of each. —Ella Quittner

  • Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients
  • 2 medium-sized Russet potatoes, scrubbed and dried but unpeeled or Murasaki (Japanese) sweet potatoes
  • 1 tablespoonavocado oil (or any high–heat friendly neutral oil), plus 1/4 cup
  • 1/2 teaspoonkosher salt, plus 1 teaspoon, plus 1/2 teaspoon, plus more as needed
  • 1/4 teaspoonfreshly cracked black pepper, plus 1/2 teaspoon, plus more as needed
  • 1 1/2 cupsGreek yogurt (I like full-fat)
  • 1 tablespoonplus 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more as needed
  • 2 teaspoonsmicroplaned (or finely grated) garlic
  • 1 cupfinely chopped scallion (green and light green parts only), divided into 3/4 cup and 1/4 cup
  • 1/2 cupgrated Parmesan, plus 3 tablespoons
  • 2 1/2 cupssliced Portobello mushrooms, in 2-inch pieces roughly 1/8-inch thick
  • 1/4 teaspoonCayenne pepper
Directions
  1. Heat oven to 475°F. Poke potatoes all over with a fork. Rub the skins with 1 tablespoon oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place on a parchment-lined baking tray and bake for 45 to 50 minutes (for sweet potatoes, check after 40 minutes), until skins are crispy and you can insert a knife into the center with very little resistance beyond the skin. You can do this a few hours in advance, and just let them sit out at room temperature until you’re ready to proceed.
  2. While the potatoes are baking, prepare the garlicky Greek yogurt and the mushroom bacon. For the yogurt, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together Greek yogurt with 1 teaspoon salt, lemon juice, and garlic. Taste, and adjust seasoning accordingly with more salt and/or lemon juice. Reserve 1/4 cup of the garlicky Greek yogurt for garnish—leave the rest in the large mixing bowl for use when the potatoes come out of the oven.
  3. Prep the mushroom bacon. On a rimmed sheet pan, toss the mushrooms with 1/4 cup oil (they’ll absorb it). Sprinkle over the mushrooms: 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper. Toss until evenly coated. Spread out so they’re not touching one another, otherwise, they’ll steam.
  4. Once the potatoes are ready to come out, remove from oven and turn the oven temperature down to 375°F. After 10 minutes or so, add the sheet pan of mushrooms. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes in total, flipping once midway through, until they’re crispy and browned with just the slightest spot of chewiness remaining in the center. (You’re going to end up adding the potatoes back into the oven with the mushrooms, too, so leave them shelf space.)
  5. Let the potatoes cool a couple minutes, until you can handle them. Cut each in half lengthwise, and scoop out most of the softened flesh, leaving about 1/4-inch around the inner peels, and transfer to the large mixing bowl of garlicky Greek yogurt. (Note: if you're using one sweet and one savory potato, do this step in separate bowls to keep them separate with half of the other ingredients, each.) Leave the potato skins on the cooking sheet. Add 3/4 cup chopped scallions and 1/2 cup Parmesan to the bowl. Mix the potato flesh with the yogurt, scallions, and Parmesan until everything is smooth and combined. Taste and add additional salt, if needed to make the flavors pop. Spoon the mashed potato mixture back into the potato skins, sprinkle the tops with remaining Parmesan, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes (along with the mushroom bacon), until cheese on top of potatoes is fully melted and bubbling.
  6. The potatoes and mushroom bacon should finish cooking around roughly the same time. Remove each from oven when done. For the best mix of final textures, put the potatoes under the broiler for 1 minute, until the cheese is dotted with brown spots. To serve, top each potato half with a generous dollop of reserved garlicky Greek yogurt, some of the mushroom bacon (break it up with your hands if the pieces are too large), and a sprinkling of chopped scallion.

Tags:

  • American
  • Parmesan
  • Sweet Potato/Yam
  • Yogurt
  • Cheese
  • Mushroom
  • Potato
  • Weeknight Cooking
  • Bake
  • Sunday Dinner
  • Super Bowl
  • Weekend Cooking

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6 Reviews

Vicky M. December 6, 2019

I thought this was tasty, a little too much work though. I will however save this method of cooking mushrooms to taste like bacon, that worked well and I enjoyed the texture.

Patricia S. February 17, 2019

I am fascinated by this mushroom "bacon." As a lover of mushrooms, I can't wait to try it!

Ella Q. February 17, 2019

Thanks for the note! I hope you enjoy it.

Nancy February 7, 2019

As some of the comments in the Hotline suggest, the title is confusing,
And the picture looked like bacon.
For those of us who don't eat bacon or meat, in future, please use typography to help us identify the good imposter (mushroom-bacon, "mushroom bacon").
And/or flag it in the headnote and tags (that is, add a vegetarian tag).

Ella Q. February 7, 2019

Hi Nancy!

Thanks for your feedback—I've added quotation marks around "bacon" in the recipe title to help clarify. The recipe is already tagged as vegetarian, so it should pop up if you search our recipe index for "baked potato" and select for vegetarian recipes using the "Special Consideration" filter on the left-hand side of the window. I hope this helps, and thanks again for reaching out :)

Ella

Nancy February 7, 2019

Ella - good on the air-quotes bacon in title. Maybe the recipe comes up in a search after 2 terms, including vegetarian.
What I meant by tag is the stuff the recipe writer adds at the bottom of the recipe. This one has "american" for cuisine, various ingredients and occasions (sunday dinner, back to school) to no "vegetarian."

Fully Loaded Baked Potatoes With Mushroom "Bacon" & Garlicky Greek Yogurt Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

What to put on baked potato instead of butter or sour cream? ›

Try low fat or no fat yogurt rather than regular sour cream. Try whipped butter or a spray or fat free spread, or drizzle on some olive oil. Fresh herbs, added to a low fat Ranch dressing can perk up that potato without all the added fat or calories. One of my favorites is just to add fresh salsa.

How to make Paula Deen's baked potatoes? ›

Rub the skin with vegetable oil. Sprinkle with salt. Pierce the skin of the potato in several places with the tines of a fork. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the sides are soft when pressed.

How does Wendys bake their potatoes? ›

Wendy's baked potatoes are wrapped in foil and baked in a convection oven for one hour. These logistics present challenges that other chains, besides the occasional Arby's, have opted out of. Wendy's is the only fast food restaurant to offer a baked potato nationwide.

Should potatoes be soaked before baking? ›

Soaking potatoes in water helps remove excess starch. Excess starch can inhibit the potatoes from cooking evenly as well as creating a gummy or sticky texture on the outside of your potatoes. Cold water is used because hot water would react with the starch activating it, making it harder to separate from the potatoes.

Is it better to bake with sour cream or yogurt? ›

Make a straight substitution — If you want to create healthier baked goods or just want a simple substitution, use an equal amount of yogurt in place of the sour cream. Whole milk yogurt works best and brings a big reduction in fat, plus more protein and calcium.

Why do baked potatoes taste better in restaurants? ›

The olive oil helps the seasonings adhere to the surface of the potato. To save time, restaurants often apply the oil with a spray bottle. Thanks to their naturally high starch content, which creates a plush texture under heat, Russet potatoes make a good fit for baking.

Is it better to bake potatoes covered or uncovered? ›

Is it faster to bake a potato in foil? Technically, it could decrease the cook time a little bit, but it's not worth it. Trust us! Wrapping potatoes in foil produces a soggy potato because the foil holds in moisture and steams the potato.

Why do restaurants bake potatoes in foil? ›

Some say wrapping baked potatoes in aluminum foil helps them cook faster (aluminum conducts heat, then traps it), and it does keep them hot for longer once they come out of the oven, which is why we think restaurants use this method. Wrapping potatoes will also give you a softer, steamed skin, if that's what you like.

How do most restaurants bake potatoes? ›

Cook at 425 to 450 F for almost an hour

In order to achieve restaurant potato perfection, cooking your spuds in the oven is still the number one option. So, once you have prepped your taters for your preheated kitchen range, it is time to pop them in.

What is the seasoning on Wendy's potatoes? ›

Natural-cut, skin-on potatoes cooked to perfection and seasoned with cracked black pepper and garlic powder.

Is Wendy's baked potato healthier than fries? ›

Coming in at 270 calories, zero fat, and seven grams of fiber (via Wendy's), a Wendy's baked potato is a great choice for those looking to skip the fries and make a meal out of their potatoes. Not to mention, these oven baked potatoes are an excellent source of iron, potassium, and protein (via Taste of Home)!

Why does Wendy's sell baked potato? ›

They started as "health food"

"In the mid-to-late '80s, almost everyone in the industry was playing around with healthy options in their menus, so Wendy's was actually probably a little ahead of the game with the potato," Estrada adds. The "basic" baked potato at Wendy's, free of toppings, is 270 calories.

Why should a potato be scrubbed before baking? ›

To help prevent foodborne illness caused by harmful residue, it's vital that you clean potatoes, even if you plan on peeling them. When leaving the skin on—like for a baked potato—it's important to properly clean potatoes even if you don't plan on eating the skin.

Why do you dry potatoes before baking? ›

But you need to dry the spuds well after the bath. Excess moisture on the skin can seep into the potato during baking and cause soggy skins. Do be sure to prick a few holes into the skin, too. While the potato is unlikely to explode in the oven, no one is here to take risks with dinner.

Should I wash my potatoes before cooking or preparing? ›

"Potatoes are firmly in the buried-in-soil category, so they'll need a thorough wash before cooking," says Catt Fields White, chef and the founder of San Diego Markets and The Farmers Market Pros. "In addition to good and bad bacteria, pesticides can linger in the soil and those need to go."

What to put on potatoes other than sour cream? ›

In the US, common toppings include:
  1. sour cream.
  2. chopped chives (or chopped green onions, in a pinch)
  3. butter.
  4. bacon bits.
  5. salt and pepper.
Sep 5, 2023

What is the best substitute for butter on baked potatoes? ›

WHAT ARE BUTTER ALTERNATIVES FOR BAKING?
  • MARGARINE. Margarine is a fat that is made mostly from vegetable oil that's flavored to taste like butter. ...
  • SHORTENING. Shortening is 100% fat, made from hydrogenated vegetable oils. ...
  • OLIVE OIL & VEGETABLE OIL. ...
  • COCONUT OIL. ...
  • PUMPKIN PURÉE. ...
  • APPLESAUCE. ...
  • GREEK YOGURT. ...
  • BANANAS.

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