School has officially been in session for a month now. The daily grind and hungry kids can make for a very overwhelmed and exhausted parent come dinnertime. I am always trying to come up with easy dinners and delicious ways to use up leftovers. My Loaded Taco Baked Potatoes fit the bill. I typically make the baked potato dinner two nights after we have had ground beef tacos. I’ll make a double batch of ground beef taco meat and save half of it to reheat for our baked potato night. I’ll even prep extra toppings on taco night to save me time later in the week. 

If I plan well enough, I will throw the russet potatoes in the slow cooker the morning before dinner. If I forget, I sometimes like to use my Instant Pot to cook the potatoes. Both ways will save you time. Of course, you can always bake the potatoes in the oven, too. You can even cook a few extra baked potatoes to use as home fries for breakfast 1-2 days later. I love when I can cook a meal and turn it into another meal a few nights later. That’s the best way to maximize time and energy to get dinner (and breakfast) on the table.

If you have picky eaters, this is also a great way to get them involved in making their own plates. I lay out all the toppings and let my kids scoop what they want. My son typically only has taco meat and cheese with some sour cream but every now and then will surprise me and add a little salsa. My daughter on the other hand will add more sour cream and cheese than I would typically approve and all the veggies. Either way – they both get a delicious meal, one they both will enjoy. 

If you are looking for a fun way to switch up dinner or use up leftovers, I hope you will give my Loaded Taco Baked Potatoes a try!

Loaded Taco Baked Potatoes

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 60 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 4 russet potatoes, cooked
• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
• ¼-cup of water
• ¼-cup salted butter, divided
• ¼-cup sour cream, divided
• 1 cup cheese, divided
• 2 plum tomatoes, divided
• 2 avocados, divided
• 4 green onions, diced

Instructions

1. Scrub and pat dry the russet potatoes. Place on a baking sheet, spray with a little olive oil spray, and sprinkle a pinch of salt on top of each potato. Cook the baked potatoes in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 50 minutes to an hour. 
2. During the last 20 minutes while the potatoes cook, place the ground beef in a large skillet. Cook on medium heat, breaking up the beef with a wooden spoon until small, bite-size pieces are cooked and browned. Then, add in the taco seasoning and water. Mix well and remove from the heat.
3. Carefully open the hot cooked potatoes using the tines of a fork. Fluff and break up the inside of the potato with the fork. Then, add in the salted butter, sour cream, ground beef, shredded cheese, diced tomatoes and green onions. Place half an avocado on the side of each potato. Repeat until all potatoes are topped. Enjoy immediately.

Notes

• You can also use the slow cooker or Instant Pot to cook the potatoes.
• I like to use leftover ground taco meat to speed up the cooking process and make for an easier weeknight meal. 
• You can also use ground turkey in place of ground beef. 
• Additional topping ideas: salsa, diced avocado, olives, pickled jalapeños, shredded lettuce, guacamole, etc.