Give Baked Potatoes A 10-Out-Of-10 Flavor And Texture Upgrade With One Crunchy Seasoning

Freshly baked spuds are the perfect food to accommodate all your favorite toppings and spices. While lemon pepper is one way to give baked potatoes a flavor boost, there's another well-rounded seasoning blend that lends potatoes savory taste and a good amount of crunch: everything bagel seasoning. This mixture typically features white and black sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried and minced garlic and onion, and flaky salt.

Among the many ingredients you can use to upgrade baked potatoes, everything bagel seasoning's unique mix of flavors complements the neutral, earthy flavor of a baked potato. The easiest way to add this aromatic blend to your next round of baked potatoes is to sprinkle some right on top before serving. While your potatoes are still hot, add a few pats of butter plus a solid shake of everything bagel seasoning. From there, you can add even more flavor to your potatoes with a variety of additional extras like shredded cheese, chopped green onions, crumbled bacon, and sour cream. You can also add this seasoning to your potatoes before baking to give them an extra toasty flavor, but there are a few things you should know first.

Since everything bagel seasoning contains seeds and dried vegetables, this spice blend has a tendency to burn in the oven. However, there are still a few strategic ways you can incorporate this seasoning during the cooking process. You just need to minimize the time this added seasoning is exposed to high heat. Consider first baking your potatoes at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 to 40 minutes with only a little added oil. Then, to ensure your baked potatoes have crispy, flavorful skin, rub them with beef tallow or more oil before you roll them in everything bagel seasoning. All you need to do is pop them back in the oven for an additional 15 minutes until tender.

Or, instead of baking whole potatoes, you can peel and slice them into thick rounds before roasting. Right before they're finished cooking, brush each round with melted butter, sprinkle on some everything bagel seasoning, and roast for an additional 5 to 8 minutes.

Another creative way of preparing baked potatoes with everything bagel seasoning is to bake smaller, halved potatoes in a blend of melted butter, everything bagel seasoning, and grated Parmesan cheese. Simply bake your halved, scored red potatoes cut-side down in this flavorful combination of ingredients. The added seasoning toasts in the butter and adheres directly to your potatoes during cooking.