The Italian-Style Baked Potato That Chefs Love

Despite the fact that they're one of the most popular comfort foods of all time, ordinary white potatoes don't have much flavor on their own. Rather, they're a vehicle for our favorite flavors, from the classic combo of butter and sour cream to spicy and smoky cowboy-style baked potatoes. It helps that this food is also a nutritional powerhouse, with around 1,000 milligrams of potassium and 26 milligrams of calcium per medium-sized potato. Even all that starch isn't necessarily a bad thing, as it helps us feel satiated and provides your brain with the glucose it needs to function.

That means when you pile on the toppings and go to town, you're not only satisfying your appetite but nourishing your body. In fact, it's totally okay to make a batch of perfectly baked potatoes in your air fryer as part of your meal prep — not only does eating reheated potatoes lower their place on the glycemic index, you can top them with anything you want to keep your meals interesting. We suggest leaning into Italian flavor profiles to give yourself a wide variety of options that are sure to be successful.

Piling your baked potato high with sweet sausage, pepperoni, mozzarella, and other Italian-style ingredients works because strong flavors are a match made in heaven with potatoes. Spicy oils, herb-rich marinara sauce, and stretchy cheese blend seamlessly with the fluffy, creamy interior of a baked potato. Think of it as a substitution for pasta or pizza crust, and choose your pairings accordingly.

Especially in America, the first thing many of us picture when thinking of Italian flavors is pizza, which is the perfect place to start when choosing ingredients to upgrade a basic baked potato. It's important to mash up all that gorgeous starch with a little fat to help the flavors soak in, so try using some herb-infused olive oil or a few teaspoons of good butter and flakey sea salt. Add a layer of warm pizza sauce (store bought is fine), shredded mozzarella cheese, and then pile on rendered sweet sausage, pepperoni, sauteed green bell peppers and mushrooms, or whatever pizza toppings you usually go for. Give everything a minute or two under the broiler to blend the toppings and dig in.

If you're looking for something a little more elevated, pesto and potatoes are one of the tastiest flavor combinations ever. Since pesto contains a high amount of fat already, stir some directly into the baked potato's flesh before adding a layer of shredded Parmesan or Asiago, along with some refreshing bruschetta. This is a slightly lighter, vegetarian-friendly take that's still satisfying and chock full of delicious flavor.

Though baked potatoes and seafood might sound like an odd combination, grilled shrimp with garlic butter to create a scampi-style potato might be your new favorite weeknight dinner. If shrimp aren't your thing, feel free to sub in grilled chicken and smother everything in rich Alfredo sauce for a super indulgent alternative.