Forget Sour Cream, Top Your Next Baked Potato With Avocado

A baked potato may be a little bland on its own, but it's an ideal vessel for an array of toppings. You can keep it simple with butter, add crunch with bacon, or elevate the dish with caviar. One common topping for a baked potato is sour cream, or crème fraîche if you're feeling fancy, because it's cool, creamy, and tangy. But if you want an alternative ingredient to add creaminess on top of your next baked potato, use avocado instead.

There are a few ways to use avocado as a topping for a baked potato. To match a similar creaminess of sour cream, smash the avocado or make Tasting Table's crave-worthy guacamole with diced tomatoes and onions for more flavor and texture. Diced avocado works if you prefer small chunks of the creamy fruit and sliced avocado is just right for when you want bigger pieces in each bite. Use any of these techniques with the fiber-rich ingredient to turn your baked potato from a boring side dish into a full meal or loaded snack that's also dairy free and vegan friendly. And in case you're wondering, avocado works equally well with baked sweet potatoes or the traditional Russet and Idaho varieties.

Avocado is such a delicious addition to a baked potato that you can serve it with just a sprinkle of salt and black pepper to bring out the intensity. But there are also so many other ingredients that pair well with avocado for more flavor. To lean into Mexican cuisine, which often uses avocados, add fresh cilantro, diced tomatoes or salsa, bell peppers, black beans, or ground meat seasoned with cayenne pepper, chili powder, cumin, or your favorite taco seasoning. For a unique and complete breakfast, serve the baked potato with sliced avocado, a runny egg, and crumbled bacon or sausage. Chopped scallions, shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese, and pickled jalapeños or red onion also pair well with the avocado.

And let's face it, avocado works as an alternative to sour cream, especially if you need to avoid dairy — but the two ingredients together also make a delicious pairing. Avocado and a dollop of sour cream will provide a double dose of creaminess plus a little tang. You can even combine the two with lime juice, salt, and black pepper to make an avocado sauce to slather on your baked potato.