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These high protein, healthy loaded baked potatoes are a delicious and easy to make lunch or dinner! Swap butter and sour cream with protein packed cottage cheese, veggies, and bacon for an effortless and satisfying meal.
If you love loaded potatoes, try my veggie fajita stuffed sweet potatoes!
This post and recipe have been updated since it was originally published on 8/10/2015
Why You’ll Love Healthy Loaded Baked Potatoes
High protein – Cottage cheese is a great low fat, high protein substitute for butter and sour cream. A 1/2 cup serving of cottage cheese generally has between 14-18 grams of protein.
Easy to make – There’s minimal prep when it comes to making these loaded baked potatoes. It does take a fair amount of time for them to bake, but that doesn’t require any work on your part.
Meal prep – The potatoes will keep for 3-4 days making them a good option for lunch or dinner. Simply reheat the potato and top it with the cottage cheese mixture. Dinner will be ready in about 5 minutes!
Ingredient Notes
Russet potatoes – Russet potatoes are best in my opinion for a classic baked potato. You could however use Yukon Gold potatoes. The baking time may be less.
Cottage cheese – Low fat or full fat cottage cheese can be used. I avoid fat-free because the flavor and texture aren’t as good. My favorite brand to use is Good Culture cottage cheese.
Cheese – I’ve made the loaded baked potatoes with cheddar, colby jack, and monterey jack cheese. Any hard cheese will work, use your favorite.
Red bell pepper – The sweetness of the red bell pepper pairs well with all the salty flavors. You can use any colored pepper.
Green onion – Green onion is nice for raw applications because the flavor isn’t as sharp or intense.
Smoked paprika, salt, and pepper – Smoked paprika adds a little smokey flavor that pairs well with the bacon. Don’t forget to salt the outside of the potato before baking it and adding a little to the filling to round out all the flavors.
Bacon – Regular bacon or turkey bacon can be used.
How to Make Cottage Cheese Baked Potatoes
Rub the potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle them with salt. Poke some holes in them and bake them in the oven until they’re fork tender.
Once baked, use a knife to cut a slit lengthwise down the top, without cutting all the way through the potato. Fluff the insides.
While the potatoes are baking, cook the bacon and make the cottage cheese topping.
Combine the cottage cheese, cheddar or colby jack cheese, bell pepper, green onions, salt, pepper, and paprika in a mixing bowl.
Top the warm baked potatoes with some of the cottage cheese mixture and serve.
Recipe Tip
Don’t skip the step of rubbing the potato skins with olive oil and seasoning them generously salt. Not only will skin get crisp, but it will taste good too!
Substitutions and Variations
- Omit the bacon to make the loaded potatoes vegetarian.
- Swap the bacon with a different protein. Leftover rotisserie chicken or even cooked ground beef are a great alternative and good sources of protein.
- Use different veggies. Shredded zucchini or carrots, chopped tomatoes, or corn would all work well.
- Use different dried spices. Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and chili powder would be delicious alternatives.
- Any type of hard cheese will work with these potatoes. Try using mozzarella, fontina, pepper jack, gouda, or gruyere.
Can You Cook Potatoes in the Microwave?
Yes. If you’re short on time you can cook the potatoes in the microwave instead of baking them. The skin won’t be as crisp, but they’ll be ready in a fraction of the time.
Pierce holes in the potatoes and rub them with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place the potatoes in a microwave safe dish and cook on full power for 5 minutes.
Flip the potatoes over, and microwave another 5 minutes. Check the potatoes and if they aren’t tender, flip again and continue to cook for another 5 minutes or until they’re fork tender.
Storage and Reheating
Storage – Store the baked potatoes and the cottage cheese topping in separate containers, this makes reheating easier.
The baked potatoes will keep for 3-4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator and the cottage cheese veggies mixture will keep for 4-5 days.
Reheating – You can reheat baked potatoes in the microwave or oven. If using the microwave, cover the potatoes with a damp paper towel and reheat for 1-2 minutes or until it’s hot. The paper towel will help retain the moisture.
You can also reheat baked potatoes in the oven. Preheat the oven to 350° F. and place the potatoes on a baking sheet or directly on the oven rack. Bake them for 15-20 minute or until they’re warmed through.
Top the reheated potatoes with the cottage cheese topping.
More Potato Recipes
Another great way to turn potatoes into a main dish is to make these Broccoli, Cheddar, Chicken Twice Baked Potatoes. This Potato Soup is another great option for dinner, served with a salad and some form of protein.
One of my favorite potato recipes to make for the holidays, especially Easter, is this Skinny Cheesy Potato Casserole. No one will suspect it’s been lightened up!
If you need quick and easy side dish to serve with dinner, these Parmesan Pesto Roasted Potatoes are the answer. And you can’t go wrong making these super Creamy Mashed Potatoes, total comfort food!
Did you make these healthy loaded baked potatoes? I’d love if you’d leave a recipe rating and review below.
Cottage Cheese Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 small russet potatoes, skin scrubbed clean
- 2 cups cottage cheese, low fat or full fat
- 1/2 cup shredded colby jack cheese
- 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 4 strips bacon, cooked and diced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425° F.
- Scrub the potatoes clean and dry them off. Pierce holes in the potatoes with a fork, then rub them with olive oil and generously sprinkle with kosher salt. Place them on the baking sheet and put them on the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until they're fork-tender.
- While the potatoes are baking, add all of the ingredients for the cottage cheese topping to a bowl and stir them together.
- When the potatoes are done baking, split them open lengthwise with a knife, fluff the insides and spoon the cottage cheese mixture on top of each one. I put approximately 1/2 cup on top of each potato.
Notes
- The bacon can be mixed in with the cottage cheese, or keep it separate so that it stays crispy.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’m loving this idea of using cottage cheese plus the cheddar cheese, plus bacon! Gaaah it all looks so tasty! The perfect side dish for these chilly nights we’re having!
Thanks so much Julia! They are a great healthy alternative to the traditional loaded potatoes, but every bit as good!
Baked potato is my favorite potato dish! I love that you used cottage cheese. I have a container to use and now I know what to do with it! Pinned!
Thanks Anna! Baked potatoes make such a great side dish or if they are done up like these loaded one, a main dish!
I actually don’t really like using sour cream with baked potatoes–it’s a little too rich for me–but I never thought to use cottage cheese instead! That sounds like a perfect substitute.
I’m with you on the sour cream. I think you would like the cottage cheese, it’s much more mild.
Danae! You need to take photos for a food magazine. SO GORGEOUS! What kind of camera and lens are you using?
Beth you are seriously the sweetest! My camera is nothing super fancy just a Canon Rebel and I use a 50mm lens.
This is calling my name for dinner! Looks like a filling feast to me! So pretty & colorful, too!
Thanks Patricia! :-)
Love the idea of using cottage cheese! So smart!
Thanks Dani!
The idea of using cottage cheese is ingenious! I love cottage cheese and need to make these for an easy dinner soon!
Thanks Meg! The cottage cheese is my favorite part, that and the fact that it takes no effort to make. :-)
I adore potatoes! But it’s been awhile since I had a loaded one – and your lighter version with cottage cheese and bacon sounds like it would hit the spot!
Thanks Shashi! The bacon and cottage cheese definitely hit the spot!
These are like the baked potatoes of my dreams!
They are pretty dreamy Kim! ;-)
I totally need this for lunch today… with extra bacon ;)
Extra bacon is essential, especially because I eat half of it before it makes it into the meal! ;-)