Beef Up Your Baked Potatoes (Literally) And You'll Never Want The Side Dish Another Way - Tasting Table

"Baked potatoes are a popular side dish that can easily and effectively pair with a number of different entrées, including steak, chicken, fish, and others. But among the many different unexpected toppings to level up your baked potato, there are plenty of creative ingredients that can provide added protein to your potato. For instance, using beef as a topping can transform the typical side dish into an entrée all its own."

"One delicious method of adding meat to your baked potato is to prepare a beef stroganoff recipe. Using a baked potato in lieu of the standard egg noodles in a meaty, creamy, almost fancy beef stroganoff recipe gives the beef a starchy and carb-rich base that's somewhat self-contained. This also makes the dish slightly more portable and gives your baked potato a familiar taste of dairy-rich sour cream, albeit with a more beefy spin."

Baked potatoes pair well with steak, chicken, fish, and many toppings. Adding beef as a topping supplies extra protein and can convert a side into a filling entrée. Using beef stroganoff atop a baked potato replaces noodles, creating a starchy, self-contained base and delivering creamy, sour-cream–like richness with a beefy flavor; it also makes the meal more portable. Beefy English jacket potatoes can echo shepherd's or cottage pie, increasing heft and festivity. Any potato variety, including russet, Yukon gold, sweet potatoes, yams, or purple sweet potatoes, can accept beef toppings such as slow-cooker barbacoa. Hearty beef chili also bulks up a baked potato into a complete meal.

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