This Meaty Topping Makes Baked Potatoes More Than A Side Dish

An oven-baked potato is a timeless dish that's as affordable and easy to make as it is satisfying, versatile, and delicious. To prepare a high-quality baked potato, all you have to do is pop a fork-pierced spud in the oven and bake until it's crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Of course, that's only if you're making a no-frills version. Luckily, there are a million and one ways to jazz up a baked potato to please your taste buds, and one of the choicest roasted spud upgrades transforms the humble tuber into a full-fledged meal teeming with flavor.

Without proper fixings, a baked potato is nothing more than a side dish. However, with the help of succulent, savory pulled pork, you can imbue your spuds with the comforts of this Southern slow-cooked entree. Pulled pork is made by slow-cooking pork shoulder for hours until it's tender enough for shredding. Although this juicy, melt-in-your-mouth barbecue bounty is commonly enjoyed as a sandwich centerpiece, it's a surprisingly easy way to up your baked potato game. Baked potatoes benefit from flavor-packed pick-me-ups that add depth and dimension to the humble dish. Pulled pork is typically made with spices, herbs, and sauces that will soak into the potato when used as a topping. Plus, its hearty, meaty, and tender consistency diversifies the texture of baked potatoes for a more dynamic eating experience. Pulled pork also flaunts a cool 33 grams of protein per cup, turning your baked potato into a more well-rounded meal that leaves you completely satisfied.

You're already doing yourself a favor by adding pulled pork to a plain baked potato, but why stop there? There are plenty of complementary baked potato ingredients worth introducing as accents to your pulled pork masterpiece.

To tastefully embellish a pulled pork baked potato, look to other classic barbecue foods that won't feel completely out of place. Lighten up the robustness of pulled pork with a trim of creamy, garden-fresh goodness by adding a forkful of coleslaw to the dish. For a simpler selection, freshly cut or pickled jalapeños provide a delicately spicy crunch that will fire up the tuber with an added dimension of flavor. Sweet corn is never a bad idea, either. And don't forget a crispy fried onion garnish.

Classic baked potato toppings also pair nicely with pulled pork, so don't hesitate to load up on familiar fixings. A dollop of sour cream or shredded cheese lends another layer of richness to the dish, while a flurry of green onions brings vegetal allium flair. Dare we suggest indulging in some pork-ception with a sprinkle of ultra-crunchy bacon bits for a double dose of pig? Whether you keep it simple or dress it up in hearty toppings, don't waste your time making another boring baked potato. Fire up the crock pot and the oven, and get ready to enjoy the pulled pork potato dish of your wildest dreams.