Crisp-skinned golden baked potatoes piled with a hearty, spiced beef-and-bean chili, melted sharp cheddar, and classic cool toppings for a build-your-own comfort-food meal.
A Sunday-Style Chili Cheese Potato Bar
Crisp-skinned Yukon Golds topped with a smoky, beef-and-bean chili and melty cheddar make an easy, crowd-pleasing build-your-own dinner.
This is the kind of recipe that solves indecision and feeds a hungry room: hearty, customizable, and impossibly comfortable. Bake the potatoes until their skins are crisp and the interiors are pillowy, simmer a robust spiced beef-and-bean chili on the stovetop, and let everyone finish their own with cool, crunchy, and tangy toppings. It’s a relaxed centerpiece for weeknights, potlucks, or a no-fuss Sunday supper.
Yukon Gold potatoes are the quiet star here. Rubbing them with oil and salt gives you that satisfying crackle of skin while the flesh inside stays creamy and buttery—perfect for heaping with chili. They’re easier to pierce and fluff than a Russet, and their subtle sweetness pairs beautifully with the savory, spiced meat.
The chili is all about layers of flavor: softened onion and garlic, browned ground beef with just enough fat left for richness, then toasted spices—chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika—plus a hit of tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, beef broth, Worcestershire, and kidney beans. Let it simmer until thick and deeply flavored; it can cook while the potatoes roast or be made a day ahead (it actually tastes better the next day).
Set out bowls of sharp cheddar, sour cream, chopped scallions, pickled jalapeños or sliced fresh ones, crunchy fried onions or tortilla chips, and a wedge of lime for brightness. Guests can tailor their plates—extra chili, extra cheese, extra heat—and you get a satisfying, hands-off meal with minimal cleanup and maximum comfort.
Ingredients
How to Make Golden Chili Cheese Baked Potato Bar
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Scrub the Yukon Gold potatoes, pat dry, prick each a few times with a fork, and rub them with 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp kosher salt; place on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until tender when pierced, about 50–60 minutes.
- While the potatoes bake, heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced yellow onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes, then stir in minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the ground beef to the skillet and break it up with a spoon; cook until no pink remains, about 6–8 minutes. If there is excess fat you can drain off most but leave about 1 tbsp for flavor.
- Stir in chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, dried oregano, and black pepper and cook 1–2 minutes to toast the spices. Add tomato paste and cook 1 minute, then pour in crushed tomatoes, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce and the drained kidney beans.
- Bring the chili to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook uncovered 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens slightly; taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- Grate the sharp cheddar while the chili finishes. When potatoes are done, remove from oven, slice each lengthwise, and fluff the insides with a fork; add about 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter to each and season to taste.
- To assemble, spoon a generous ladle of chili onto each potato, sprinkle each with about 1.5 oz (roughly 1/3 cup) shredded cheddar, and return to the oven or under a hot broiler 2–3 minutes until the cheese melts and bubbles.
- Top each potato with a dollop of sour cream and a scattering of sliced green onions. Serve immediately as a build-your-own baked potato bar with any additional toppings you like.
Recipe Card
Golden Chili Cheese Baked Potato Bar
Crisp-skinned golden baked potatoes piled with a hearty, spiced beef-and-bean chili, melted sharp cheddar, and classic cool toppings for a build-your-own comfort-food meal.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 1 hr
- Servings
- 4
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Scrub the Yukon Gold potatoes, pat dry, prick each a few times with a fork, and rub them with 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp kosher salt; place on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until tender when pierced, about 50–60 minutes.
- While the potatoes bake, heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced yellow onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes, then stir in minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the ground beef to the skillet and break it up with a spoon; cook until no pink remains, about 6–8 minutes. If there is excess fat you can drain off most but leave about 1 tbsp for flavor.
- Stir in chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, dried oregano, and black pepper and cook 1–2 minutes to toast the spices. Add tomato paste and cook 1 minute, then pour in crushed tomatoes, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce and the drained kidney beans.
- Bring the chili to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook uncovered 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens slightly; taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- Grate the sharp cheddar while the chili finishes. When potatoes are done, remove from oven, slice each lengthwise, and fluff the insides with a fork; add about 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter to each and season to taste.
- To assemble, spoon a generous ladle of chili onto each potato, sprinkle each with about 1.5 oz (roughly 1/3 cup) shredded cheddar, and return to the oven or under a hot broiler 2–3 minutes until the cheese melts and bubbles.
- Top each potato with a dollop of sour cream and a scattering of sliced green onions. Serve immediately as a build-your-own baked potato bar with any additional toppings you like.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates
- 75
- Saturated Fat
- 22
- Sodium
- 1100
- Fiber
- 10
- Unsaturated Fat
- 29
- Protein
- 44
- Fat
- 52
- Cholesterol
- 160
- Trans Fat
- 0.5
- Calories
- 950
- Sugar
- 8