Taco Baked Potatoes

The fluffy baked potatoes in this recipes are topped with taco meat and all sorts of delicious toppings - sour cream, green onion, tomatoes and crunchy, cheesy tortilla chips. This would be a perfect dinner for a party.

Taco Baked Potatoes - it's a combination of two really great dinners in one extra delicious and fun meal. This would be perfect as a simple family weeknight meal but is perfect for a party where there are lots of people getting together. Since everyone can customize their baked potatoes with whatever toppings they like, it's a practical approach for a meal with lots of people and it's a form of entertainment too.

The fluffy potatoes are topped with taco seasoned ground beef. You can also use any other ground meat, such as ground turkey, chicken, pork, lamb, etc. If you have any leftover Chili, it would be even better, don't you think? You can get as creative as you want with the toppings - everything you love on tacos and backed potatoes works really well. My favorite toppings are grated cheese (OF COURSE), tomatoes, green onions, sour cream and crushed up cheese tortilla chips. You can also use avocados, shredded lettuce, sautéed mushrooms, bacon, cheese sauce, sliced olives, etc. 
Ingredients:

6-8 baking potatoes

3 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

salt, ground black pepper

½ lb ground beef

1 onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 ½ - 2 Tablespoons seasonings (chile powder, ancho chile powder, cumin, onion salt, dry herb mixture)

¾ - 1 cup tomato salsa or tomato sauce

1 Tablespoon tomato paste, optional

Toppings:

grated cheese

chopped tomatoes

sour cream

crushed cheese tortilla chips

fresh herbs - cilantro, green onion

Instructions:

How To Bake Potatoes in the Oven

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Wash the potatoes, scrubbing well. Poke each potato with a paring knife, about 3-4 holes per side. Drizzle about 1 ½ Tablespoons of oil on the potatoes, rubbing the oil all over the potatoes. Sprinkle salt liberally over each potato. Place a rack on top of a baking sheet and place the potatoes on the rack.

Rubbing the potatoes with oil, giving it a coat of salt and baking them on a rack helps to give the potato a nice and crisp skin. I love this method. I make baked potatoes like this all the time and then just load it up with all kinds of toppings or just a pat of butter, whatever my mood may be.

Bake the potatoes for about an hour, turning the potatoes over halfway through. It may take a little less time or more time, depending on the size of your potatoes.

Making the Taco Meat

Meanwhile, in a skillet add 1 Tablespoon of oil and cook the onion, seasoning with salt and ground black pepper, over medium heat, until tender. Add the garlic cloves and cook for another 30 seconds. Add the ground beef, season with a bunch of your favorite seasoning and spices. I used cumin, chili powder, ancho chile powder, onion salt from Trader Joe's, my favorite chicken seasoning that I use for everything. You can also use a packet of Taco seasoning, if you use it, instead of the combination of spices.

Cook the beef until it is no longer pink. Add the tomato salsa or tomato sauce and the tomato paste. Mix to combine and cook for another 3-5 minutes.

Assembling the Taco Baked Potatoes

When the potatoes are baked, take them out of the oven. Make an X in the top of each potato with a fork and fluff up the potatoes. You can add a bit of butter to the potatoes and season with salt and ground black pepper. Scoop the meat mixture on top of the potatoes, then top with cheese. If you want, you can return it to the oven to melt the cheese.

Topping Ideas:

I highly recommend making a Queso Cheese Sauce  - I have a really delicious and easy recipe- and pour it on top of the taco meat instead of using grated cheese. It is SO good. I promise it is so worth it.

Top the tacos with tomatoes, fresh herbs, sour cream and crushed up tortilla chips. You can also serve it with chopped avocados, shredded lettuce, sliced olives, sautéed mushrooms and any other taco toppings that you like.

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