Baked Potato Dip

A quick and easy loaded Baked Potato Dip. Imagine: all the fillings you’d load into a baked potato, channeled into a fun dip that you can scoop up with chips, veggies, or pretzels. What’s not to love?!

Try some other favorite appetizers like this Cheese Ball Recipe or 7-Layer Bean Dip.

Baked Potato Dip

Even with my handy shortcut of making a baked potato in half the time it usually takes, baked potatoes still take a good amount of time to prepare.

But this dip? This dip can satisfy your cravings for a fully loaded baked potato in a fraction of the time! This Baked Potato Dip is incredibly addictive, it’s loaded with flavor and it’s a hit whenever I serve it at a party or gathering — people are always asking for the recipe. 

Recipe shortcuts

As I mentioned, this dip is meant to be quick and easy, and here are some of the ways to make it as easy as possible.

• Ranch seasoning mix: Instead of calling out a long list of spices, we use a packet instead. I highly recommend Hidden Valley® Ranch seasoning packets; in my experience they have the best flavor (not sponsored).
• Pre-cooked bacon: To save loads of time, use pre-cooked bacon in this dip. Alternatively, you can bake the bacon which is a lot less messy.
• Use a food processor to grate the cheese: We love freshly grated cheese, but it can be time consuming to grate. If you have a food processor, use the grater attachment to grate up a block in no time at all.

QUICK TIP

Don’t prepare the ranch seasoning packet according to the directions; just use the straight powder for this recipe!

Baked Potato Dip tips

• Soften the cream cheese. The cream cheese needs to be sufficiently softened to mix well with the other ingredients. To soften it quickly, place unwrapped cream cheese block on a microwave safe plate. Microwave for 15 to 20 seconds, remove it from the microwave, flip it over, and microwave for another 10 seconds if needed.
• Adjust the jalapeño. If you aren’t a fan of spicy flavors, either omit or reduce the amount of jalapeños added. And if you love heat, feel free to increase the amount.
• Serve with a knife by the side. Baked Potato Dip is thick and potato chips can break easily, so a knife helps scoop the dip onto the chip.
• Use an electric hand mixer for easy mixing and to ensure an even texture throughout. That said, this can also be mixed by hand. Make sure the cream cheese has been thoroughly softened and mix with a wooden spoon until everything is smooth and thoroughly combined.
• Note that this dip is fairly salty. Between the ranch dip, bacon, and potato chips there is a good amount of salt. If you are sensitive to salt, I would recommend this Pistachio-Crusted Cheese Ball instead.

Baked Potato Dip storage

Baked Potato Dip is a great candidate to make in advance. As it sits in the fridge, the flavors intensify and the dip becomes even more flavorful. I like making it at least an hour before serving. That said, it is great right away too.

Because of all the dairy in this recipe, Baked Potato Dip shouldn’t sit out of the fridge longer than 2 hours. And it doesn’t freeze and thaw well, either.

More easy appetizers

• Italian tomato Bruschetta
• Spicy Baked Chicken Taquitos
• French Dip Sliders with an au jus sauce
• Ham and Cheese Sliders with poppy seed topping
• Pigs in a Blanket with “everything bagel” seasoning

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Loaded Baked Potato Dip

5 from 4 votes

- Review this recipe

A quick and easy loaded Baked Potato Dip. Imagine: all the fillings you'd load into a baked potato, channeled into a fun dip that you can scoop up with potato chips, veggies, or pretzels. What's not to love?!

SAVE TO RECIPE BOX

Print Recipe

Loaded Baked Potato Dip

5 from 4 votes

- Review this recipe

SAVE TO RECIPE BOX

Print Recipe

A quick and easy loaded Baked Potato Dip. Imagine: all the fillings you'd load into a baked potato, channeled into a fun dip that you can scoop up with potato chips, veggies, or pretzels. What's not to love?!

Course Appetizer, Dip, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword baked potato dip

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Chilling Time (Optional) 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings 8 -10 appetizer servings

Calories 306kcal

Author Chelsea Lords

Cost $4.25

Ingredients

• ▢ 5 strips center-cut bacon (or already cooked bacon for quick prep time!)
• ▢ 1 small jalapeño pepper finely chopped, optional
• ▢ 1 package (8 ounces) full-fat cream cheese
• ▢ 1 cup (240g) sour cream
• ▢ 1 package (1 ounce) ranch seasoning and dressing mix, dry (do not prepare)
• ▢ 1 and 1/2 cups (137g) extra sharp Cheddar cheese, freshly grated
• ▢ 1/4 cup (9g) green onions thinly sliced
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper

What to dip in it:

• ▢ Thick potato chips with ridges and/or pretzel crisps
• ▢ Celery sticks

Instructions

• BACON: In a skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon strips until crispy. Alternatively, use pre-cooked bacon and follow package directions to heat. Another option is to bake the bacon. Drain bacon on a paper towel-lined plate and dab off any additional grease. Coarsely chop and set aside.
• JALAPENO: Remove the seeds and finely chop the jalapeño.
• CREAM CHEESE: If cream cheese isn't already softened, place unwrapped cream cheese block on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave for 15 to 20 seconds and then remove, flip it over and microwave for another 10 seconds if needed.
• BEAT: Using an electric hand mixer, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Mix in the sour cream and the DRY ranch mix (do not prepare the mix.) Gently stir in the grated Cheddar cheese, green onions, diced jalapeño, and freshly cracked pepper. You can also stir in the bacon here (it will soften) or top the dip with it if you'd like it to remain crisp.
• CHILL: If you have time, chill the dip for an hour or so before serving. It's great right away and even better after being chilled.
• SERVE: Place dip in a bowl and serve with your favorite sturdy potato chips. Serve dip with a table knife by the side; since the dip is thick and breaks the chips easily, it's easier to scoop from the bowl with a knife. Pretzel crisps and celery sticks are also great in this dip.
• STORAGE: Refrigerate any leftovers, tightly covered, for up to 1 week. This dip shouldn't stand at room temperature for more than 2 hours because of all the dairy in it.

Recipe Notes

This dip is fairly salty. Between the ranch dip, bacon, and potato chips, there is a good amount of salt -- just a heads up if you are sensitive to salt or watching sodium intake.

Nutrition information is calculated for the dip only. Potato chips, pretzels or other dippers are not included in the numbers.

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 306kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 849mg | Potassium: 203mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 740IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 450mg | Iron: 0.3mg

We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.

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