Baked Potato Sour Cream (Printable)

Fluffy baked potatoes topped with creamy sour cream and fresh chives, perfect as a simple side or light meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Potatoes

01 - 4 large russet potatoes

→ Toppings

02 - 1 cup sour cream
03 - 2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
04 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (optional)
05 - Salt, to taste
06 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# How to Make It:

01 - Heat the oven to 400°F.
02 - Scrub potatoes under running water and dry thoroughly.
03 - Pierce each potato several times with a fork.
04 - Place potatoes directly on the oven rack or on a baking tray and bake for 55 to 60 minutes until skins are crisp and a fork pierces easily.
05 - Remove potatoes from oven and let rest for 5 minutes.
06 - Slice each potato lengthwise without cutting through completely and gently squeeze to fluff the interior.
07 - Add butter if desired and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
08 - Spoon sour cream over each potato and sprinkle with chopped chives. Serve immediately.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It's foolproof—even if you've never cooked before, you'll nail this every single time
  • Those crispy skins and fluffy insides are restaurant-quality but take almost no skill
  • The sour cream and chives combination is pure magic, like a secret that makes everything taste better
02 -
  • Don't wrap your potatoes in foil—that traps moisture and gives you a steamed potato instead of a baked one. I made this mistake once and learned it the hard way.
  • The difference between a crispy-skinned potato and a bland one often comes down to salting the skin before baking. It's a small step that changes everything.
03 -
  • For maximum crispiness, choose potatoes that are roughly the same size so they bake evenly—this small attention to detail pays dividends
  • Fresh chives make all the difference in the final presentation; they're bright, they're elegant, and they're absolutely worth seeking out

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