Baked Potatoes with Chili and Cheese American Style Recipe
This dish is inspired by American bars, where baked potatoes are often served with thick chili and lots of cheese. Here we make a simplified, quick version with ground beef, beans, and spices. The flavor is like a small portion of chili con carne baked into a potato – perfect for a hearty dinner or movie night.
Classic American-style loaded baked potatoes with chili and cheese bring together crispy-skinned potatoes, rich beef-and-bean chili, and a generous layer of melted cheese. It’s a complete, hearty meal in one, with contrasting textures and a cozy, bar-food vibe you can easily recreate at home.
Chef's tips
Use starchy or all-purpose potatoes so the inside becomes fluffy and absorbs the chili well. Make sure the chili is fairly thick; if it’s too runny, it will soak the potato and the plate. Taste and adjust the seasoning at the end—chili should be bold, slightly spicy, and well salted to balance the potato and dairy.
How to serve
Serve straight from the oven with extra chili on the side for those who want more. Put out small bowls of toppings such as extra grated cheese, sliced jalapeños, chopped cilantro, and lime wedges so everyone can customize their potato. A simple green salad or coleslaw makes a fresh contrast.
Ingredients
- potatoes - 4 piece
- beef ground - 300 g
- red beans canned - 200 g
- tomatoes canned - 400 g
- onion - 1 piece
- garlic - 2 cloves
- oil for frying - 2 tablespoons
- paprika ground, sweet or smoked - 1.5 teaspoons
- cumin ground - 0.5 teaspoons
- chili ground or flakes - 0.5 teaspoons
- yellow cheese grating cheese, e.g. cheddar - 120 g
- sour cream - 100 g
- chives fresh - 2 tablespoons
- salt - 1 teaspoon
- black pepper freshly ground - 0.5 teaspoons
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (top and bottom heat). Scrub the potatoes thoroughly, dry them, prick several times with a fork, and place on a baking tray.
- Bake the potatoes for about 45 minutes, until the skin is firm and slightly wrinkled and the inside is soft when pierced with a knife.
- While the potatoes are baking, peel the onion and dice it finely; finely chop the garlic.
- Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat, add the onion, and sauté for 4–5 minutes until softened and slightly translucent, without browning too much.
- Add the garlic and fry for about 30 seconds, until it becomes very fragrant.
- Add the ground beef, break it up with a spatula, and fry for 6–8 minutes until it turns completely brown with no raw bits remaining.
- Add the paprika, cumin, chili, salt, and pepper, stir, and fry for 1 more minute to warm up the spices.
- Add the canned tomatoes and drained beans, stir, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook over low heat for 10–15 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
- Grate the yellow cheese on a coarse grater and finely chop the chives.
- When the potatoes are soft, remove them from the oven, cut a cross lengthwise on each one without cutting all the way through, and gently squeeze the sides so the center opens up.
- Spoon a portion of hot chili into each potato, sprinkle with grated cheese, and return to the oven for 3–5 minutes, until the cheese melts.
- Serve the potatoes with a dollop of sour cream on top and sprinkled with chives.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
This is one of those dishes that feels like going out for bar food without leaving home. I like to make a bigger batch of chili and freeze portions, so on busy evenings all I need to do is bake the potatoes and assemble everything.
