The Ultimate Volcano Potato needs to be on every potato lovers bucket list! With baked potato toppings like these, it's a flavor explosion in every bite!
The Ultimate Volcano Potatoes are fabulous! Who doesn't love a potato that looks like this? They are as delicious as they look.
We do not always include cooked bacon, sausage or ham and you really do not have to, these potatoes are yummy either way! Pick your favorite potato toppings and you are on your way to creating your perfect Volcano Potato!
What is a Volcano Potato?
Basically, a Volcano Potato is a stuffed potato, full of all of your favorite baked potato toppings. Wrapped in bacon, coated in barbecue sauce, with a creamy "lava" drizzled on top of some baked cheese, green onions and bacon! Potatoes don't get better than this!
Ingredients for a Volcano Potato
- Idaho or Russet Potatoes
- bacon
- shredded cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- sour cream or a sour cream flavor based dip
- barbecue sauce
- hot sauce
- onion
- butter
- cream or milk
- salt
- pepper
- toothpicks
How do you make a Volcano Potato?
Bake your Potatoes.
Place potatoes on the prepared baking sheet. Using a brush add barbecue sauce to each bacon slice, on the sides of the potato. Bake.
In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream, barbecue sauce and hot sauce, if using, until well combined and chill in the refrigerator until serving.
Wrap each raw slice of bacon around the potato, starting at the bottom, using toothpicks to secure the start and end of each piece as it overlaps.
Remove potatoes from the oven when done and allow them to cool until you are able to handle them, usually 5-10 minutes. Do not turn your oven off yet.
Cut a slice off the top of the potato, just above the bacon. Using a spoon carefully scoop out the pulp inside the potato, as deep and as close as you can to the inside edge.
Place pulp in a medium sized mixing bowl with ¼ cup butter. The butter will melt as the scoops of potato pulp land on it in the mixing bowl. If the potato breaks a little while scraping the inside that is ok. The bacon will keep the potato secure.
Add diced onions, sour cream, meat and cheeses to the potato pulp. Blend, ideally with a handheld mixer, until contents are smooth.
Dump contents into a re-sealable bag and press into one corner. Cut corner off with scissors, about a 1 inch long cut. Try not to make the hole too big. Squeeze contents back inside the potato. Try to fill the potato up with as much of the potato mixture as possible.
Potatoes will pile up on top and overflow and that is ok. Press shredded cheese on top and place potatoes back in the oven to bake or broil until cheese is brown and melted, a few minutes.
Remove potatoes from oven and drizzle sour cream mixture on top and even drip down the sides if desired! Top with green onions and serve immediately! There you have it! The Ultimate Volcano Potato!
This recipe for The Ultimate Volcano Potato is a definite keeper! The flavors are divine! They are worth the effort! These potatoes are perfect for any and every occasion!
For other super delicious ideas of what to create with a russet potato, check out that link. The options are endless and the world is your oyster!
The Ultimate Volcano Potato Video
This recipe must be on every potato lover's bucket list! The Ultimate Volcano Potato is as good as it looks! Have a look at our video!
Other Great Potato Recipes
We are definitely a potato family as you can see from all of these recipes!
The Ultimate Volcano Potato
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4-5 large Idaho or Russet potatoes
- 12 (3 per potato) bacon slice
- 2 cups cheese shredded (more or less to taste)
- ¼ -½ cup Parmesan cheese grated or shredded (more or less to taste)
- 1 cup sour cream or flavored sour cream based dip more or less to taste
- ½ cup bacon cooked, crumbled, or, ham, chopped, or ground sausage, cooked more or less to taste, if desired
- hot sauce - to taste optional
- ¼ cup onion diced
- ¼ cup butter more or less to taste
- barbecue sauce
- ¼ cup green onions thinly sliced, for garnish if desired
- salt - to taste
- pepper - to taste
- toothpicks
- cooking spray
- ¼ cup cream or milk, if needed
Instructions
- Get out and measure your ingredients.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with tinfoil coated in cooking spray. Wash and dry potatoes. Use a fork to poke several holes all over the potato to allow steam to escape while baking.
- Cut a slice off of the fattest end of the potato so that you can stand each potato up on a flat surface easily, without wobbling.
- Cover or coat with olive oil and
- Sprinkle with salt and some pepper. Stand potatoes up. Bake for 50 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.
- In the meantime, using a small bowl, whisk together sour cream, 2 tablespoons of barbecue sauce (or more or less to taste) and hot sauce (if using) until well combined.
- Once blended, chill in the refrigerator until serving. We prefer to purchase a sour cream based flavored dip and add barbecue sauce or just skip this step and just use store bought. It is totally up to you. Prepare and refrigerate until needed.
- Remove potatoes from the oven when done and allow them to cool until you are able to handle them, usually 5-10 minutes. Do not turn your oven off yet. Slice top off each potato.
- Using a spoon or melon baller carefully scoop out the pulp inside the potato, as deep and as close as you can to the inside edge.
- Place pulp in a medium sized mixing bowl with ¼ cup butter. The butter will melt as the scoops of potato pulp land on it in the mixing bowl. If the potato breaks a little while scraping the inside that is ok. The bacon will keep the potato secure.
- Add cooked, crisp and crumbled bacon.
- Add diced onions, sour cream, meat and cheeses to the potato pulp.
- Blend, ideally with a handheld mixer, until contents are smooth. Taste the potato mixture as you go and adjust amounts and ingredients to taste.
- Dump contents into a re-sealable bag.
- Press potato mixture into one corner.
- Cut corner off with scissors, about a 1 inch long cut. Try not to make the hole too big. Squeeze contents back inside the potato. Try to fill the potato up with as much of the potato mixture as possible.
- Potatoes will pile up on top and overflow and that is ok.
- Wrap each raw slice of bacon around the potato, starting at the bottom, using toothpicks to secure the start and end of each piece as it overlaps.
- Shove toothpicks in your potato about ½ inch deep.
- You should be using 2-3 slices of bacon per potato.
- Return potatoes to prepared sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
- Using a brush add barbecue sauce to each bacon slice, on the sides of the potato. Be generous with the barbecue sauce. Bake for 10 minutes in the oven or until bacon is cooked. Baste the potatoes again with the barbecue sauce while baking. You will be glad you did later!
- Preheat the broiler on high. Press shredded cheese on top of each potato and place potatoes back in the oven to bake or broil until cheese is brown and melted, a few minutes.
- Remove potatoes from oven and drizzle sour cream mixture on top and even drip down the sides if desired! Top with green onions.
- Serve immediately. Enjoy every bite!
Irene R says
You have the best recipes! Always look forward to seeing your creations. You are an inspiration to the cooks in the family kitchen. Thank you so much.
Karin and Ken says
You’re too kind! As always you’re most welcome! I try my best. Enjoy your day. Karin
Judi says
I added fried bulk sweet Italian sausage to the filling. I used sliced pork side. After frying the pork side a little, I let it sit in Sweet Baby Ray's honey BBQ. Wrapped potatoes, cooked, added a bit more BBQ sauce. These additions added to your recipe made for an entire meal. Thank you!!!!
Karin and Ken says
That sounds absolutely wonderful. I’m going to try that myself. Thank you! All the best. Karin
Anonymous says
Made this for my fiancé and he loved it!
Karin and Ken says
Happy to hear it. Thank you for letting me know. All the best. Karin
Sydney says
What an awesome way to make food fun. My kids love help make these. They are a hit at every party as well. Your right about the BBQ sauce on the bacon. Delicious 😋
Karin and Ken says
Glad you enjoyed them! We love them too. All the best. Karin
Landon says
BAM! These are the best way to make potatoes. It's so fun. I cant get enough of your recipes on here. They are always so fun and easy. I'm making these on the weekend for my in-laws and I'm pretty excited to be doing it again. Thanks 😊
Karin and Ken says
You made my day! Thank you for letting me know. All the best. Karin
Anonymous says
Can I make these ahead of time
Then freeze them
Karin and Ken says
Unfortunately I have not had great success freezing these potatoes. It’s the potato texture with cheese that is the problem. It’s okay and doable. They just don’t taste as good. These potatoes fresh are amazing. If it’s possible for you to make them earlier in the day that will work and hopefully an option. I wish I had better news. I hope I’ve helped a little. Take care and all the best. Karin
Cindy Gischel says
Karin, your volcano potatoe is the winner to me ! I love this recipe, thank you so very much! I will be sharing yours! Can't wait to make for hubby for dinner. Thanks again! Happy New Years Eve!! Be safe!
Karin and Ken says
I can't thank you enough for taking the time to comment. You made my day! We LOVE these potatoes too. Take care of you too in this crazy time. Be well. Karin
Anonymous says
Very good. I'm just working on the presentation now. Lol
Karin and Ken says
I hope your potatoes turned out beautifully! No matter what I hope they tasted great! All the best. Karin
Winnie says
I'm really impressed with this recipe. My potatoes didn't look as pretty as yours but they tasted great and I thank you. Anyway keep up the excellent work,Love your site.
Karin and Ken says
Mine don't always look perfect either but they ALWAYS taste amazing. In my opinion that is the most important part! Thank you for taking the time to let me know. All the best. Karin
Jess says
Wonderful addition to any meal any day of the week. I make this recipe for myslef and family at least twice a week. I usually make a few extra for lunches, this way I can also savour these tasty tater creations at work, thank you for sharing this devine recipe, I'm hooked 😉
Karin and Ken says
Thank you for taking the time to let me know! We love these potatoes too! Take care and enjoy your day! Karin
Jess says
Made these for myself and my family. What a hit!! Making these for the second time in a week, delicious and easy to follow recipie. Thank you for sharing this recipie.
Karin and Ken says
As always you are most welcome! So happy to hear you enjoyed these potatoes as much as we do! Hopefully you find some other recipes on this site that you enjoy just as much! All the best. Karin
Chris says
I think I need some help. This looked wonderful and seemed easy enough for me. I used large Potatoes wrapped in Bacon and basted at start and about every 10-15 min as well. After 70 min the Bacon was burnt on the outside and Potatoes still hard.
Ended up taking bacon off and microwaving potato to get chewy then mixed with filling that would have gone inside. All in all was very tasty, but ugly.
Any ideas on the potatoes cooking? I usually microwave or BBQ potatoes and that has worked so far.
Karin and Ken says
Sorry for my late reply. Dealing with my knee surgery has been difficult. The only thing I can think of is your potatoes were just too big. The word large is very subjective. Your potatoes needed a much longer cooking time. Either microwave the plain potatoes first for ten to fifteen minutes or so and then slice the end off and wrap them in bacon. This will reduce the baking time needed to cook the potatoes. I’m sorry they didn’t work out the first time but please try them again. They are delicious! Hopefully they will be beautiful on your second try! Please let me know how it goes. I would love to hear. Hope this helps. Take care. All the best. Karin
Anonymous says
Try forking the potatoes and baking em for 25ish minutes first, before bacon wrapping them. The heat of the potato should make easy work on wrapping and they will be softened a bit so the bacon doesn't burn
Karin and Ken says
Thank you for taking the time to comment. I’m going to try that myself! All the best. Karin
Tammy says
I think these sound great. I wanted to make them for a baby shower. Can I make them to the refilled stage and top with cheese and refrigerate till next day then bake till heated thru? Need to make 30 and want as little prep for the food the day of. Thanks
Karin and Ken says
I have actually done that myself! Well, with 12 potatoes and it worked beautifully. Prepare potatoes until you are going to sprinkle on the cheese at the end. When they are totally cool, cover and refrigerate. When ready to use preheat your oven to 325 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour. Shove a toothpick into the side for a moment or two and feel if it is hot. Sprinkle cheese on top and Broil until cheese is melted and a little brown. I also saved some barbecue sauce from the night before to paint on the bacon one more time. Just because! Actually the truth is I placed the potatoes close together and I figured adding a bit more sauce would make them look better. The reality was the extra sauce made the bacon taste even better! And they looked fabulous too! We love this recipe and would love to hear what you thought after you make them! Regardless take care and all the best. Karin
Lynn casey says
What kind and size of potatoes do you use in this recipe. A regular Idaho potatoe ?
When you say sour cream based dip you mean like onion dip? Anxious to try these.
Karin and Ken says
You can use any size you like but we always go for the larger Idaho potato! As for the dip, you can use any flavor as long as the dip has a sour cream base to it. We usually use an onion dip because we enjoy that flavor most. The same dip that we also use for chips and vegetables! We really enjoy this recipe. Please let me know what you think after you make it! Take care and all the best. Karin
Sav says
Currently translating it to Dutch, because if it taste good I'll be sharing it with everyone 😉
Gonna try it some time this week! I'll post another comment with my opinion.
I'm so excited to try it.
Karin and Ken says
So glad to hear you are going to try this recipe. We love it! Can't wait to hear what you think! Take care and all the best. Karin
Andrea says
Karen, I have tried about all these other different techniques for this and your recipe is by far thee Best one! absolutely delicious !!! Thank you for sharing. My boys love this <3
Karin and Ken says
Glad to hear you enjoyed our volcano potatoes! We love them. You made my day. Thank you for letting me know. All the best. Karin
Leeann Thompson says
Can't wait to make them they lol look AMAZING!!
Karin and Ken says
We think they taste amazing too! Let us know what you think when you make them! Take care and all the best. Karin
Maureen Wadsworth says
I can't wait to try this recipe. In your picture you have placed the potatoes in some kind of red sauce. What is this ?
Lady W from Toronto
Karin and Ken says
It is barbecue sauce. I apologize for not mentioning it in the post. Ken always eats these potatoes with a little on the side. I prefer just the sour cream based dip or sour cream. We think these potatoes are delicious. I hope you enjoy them! Take care and all the best. Karin
DIVER says
GREAT SPUDS - TO DIE FOR - THANK YOU !
Karin and Ken says
You are welcome! So glad to hear you enjoyed them. We think they are fabulous too! Thank you for letting us know. Take care and all the best. Karin
candace says
not the same...kitchendivas receipe is better...ijs...
Karin and Ken says
Thank you! I believe my version tastes better too! I am so glad you are enjoying this potato recipe! You made my day! Take care and all the best. Karin
Jason King says
Thanks for stealing my recipe.
Love how no credit was even given.
https://youtu.be/xL-bEpLHxgM
Karin and Ken says
No need to thank me for stealing your recipe because I did not. I have never seen or heard of your you tube channel. I have been making these potatoes long before your you tube post. Regardless, if you took a moment to read my recipe you would see how different they really are. I was unaware that you owned the name volcano potato and the concept, if that is what your concern is. I have left your comment with your link if anyone wants to check out your version of this potato. All the best. Karin
Karin and Ken says
Thank you for including me with all of those great recipes! All the best. Karin