Your Baked Potato Needs A Sprinkle Of Celery Salt For An Aromatic Flavor Boost

A baked potato is the perfect canvas to get as creative with flavor as you want. Keep things classic with a dollop of sour cream and some chives. Or, load on the toppings with cheddar, bacon, mushrooms, and caramelized onions — the choice is entirely up to you. Anything from baked beans to braised beef, or even the remnants of last night's chicken korma can be used to top the tater. However, for times when you crave simplicity, we recommend a generous sprinkle of celery salt.

Celery salt is likely hiding somewhere in your spice cabinet right now, reserved for coleslaws and the occasional Bloody Mary. A combination of table salt and celery seeds or leaves, the sandy-looking seasoning is widely available, fairly inexpensive, and has an amazing shelf life. But those qualities don't represent its greatest feature. Unbeknownst to many, celery salt is also concentrated in flavor, making it the ultimate seasoning for the humble baked potato.

Perking up a mild-tasting potato with a hint of salinity, celery salt offers the same earthy and herby nuances as a fresh celery stalk, only magnified. Yet, beyond its grassiness, it also imparts a peppery flavor that beautifully contrasts its sweetly floral fragrance. With a profile so rich and varied, celery salt adds complexity to spuds in an effortless way. That said, there's zero shame if celery salt becomes your go-to baked potato topping.

Celery salt can be found in the spice aisle of your local grocery store, but you can just as easily make it from scratch by dehydrating some leftover celery leaves and mixing them together with salt. Plus, making celery salt at home allows you to customize the seasoning however you like. Work with dark celery leaves for bolder flavors, play with the salt to celery ratio, or even swap table salt for flaked sea salt or something funkier like smoked salt.

While we're fans of serving a baked potato with nothing but a pat of butter and a generous dusting of delicious celery salt, there's also room to experiment with other ingredients. Simply use the herby salt as a base for flavorful toppings such as crème fraîche or leafy herbs. Additionally, you can layer on any ingredients that would normally pair well with celery like tomatoes (think: chutney), garlic (confit), or corn (relish). Let your imagination run wild! Any way you choose to enjoy your baked potato, you'll quickly discover that as long as a fluffy baked spud has been liberally sprinkled in celery salt, you really can't go wrong.