I Tried the Loaded Baked Potato Grilled Cheese Recipe and I’ll Never Make One Without the Other Again

I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve found myself having an “aha!” moment in my life, and to be honest, most of those moments have definitely involved food. I can remember back when I was around 7 years old and my uncle put me on to the fact that you could microwave eggs. As a little kid who couldn’t reach high — let alone use the stovetop on my own — I was now able to make an egg sandwich with just a microwave and a toaster without the help of anyone else. What a dream!

Thankfully as an adult, I’ve graduated beyond microwaving eggs, and I’d like to think I have much higher standards for creativity in the kitchen. As content creator Jonathan Melendez took to his Instagram account to show off his recipe for a Loaded Baked Potato Grilled Cheese, I felt the need to test out my own creativity and recreate his masterpiece.

So, if you’ve ever wanted to combine a loaded baked potato with a grilled cheese sandwich, stop what you’re doing right now, because this so-called “snack” is a showstopper.  

Get the recipe: Baked Potato Grilled Cheese

Jonathan’s recipe makes enough to serve four, so feel free to cut the recipe in half — or even in quarters — to suit your needs. I made enough for my roommate and myself with just one potato and by cutting the rest of the recipe in half.

To get started, you will need an already baked potato (cut into 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick slices) and some crispy bacon. Once ready, take a small bowl and combine a cup of sour cream with 2 cloves of grated garlic, a tablespoon of chopped chives, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix until combined and set aside.

Top one slice of sourdough bread with shredded cheddar cheese, bacon, and potato slices. Season with salt and pepper and a bit of chopped chives, then sprinkle on some more cheese, and top with the other slice of sourdough.  

Spread butter on one side and on a hot skillet, place butter side down. Spread butter on the other slice (now facing up) and cook both sides until golden brown and the cheese inside is fully melted. Once finished, cut in half and spread the two pieces apart for the melted cheese money shot. Share with your friends and don’t forget to pair with the sour cream sauce from before and enjoy!  

Jon Jon is a national treasure and exactly the person I will be looking to in the future for something new and fun to make. The fact that he calls this recipe a “snack” is hilarious because I ate it like a snack, and I couldn’t stop until I was stuffed, so there’s that.

If the words cheesy, crunchy, potatoes, and bacon make your tastebuds tingle, then this is the recipe for you. From now on, I see no point in making just a loaded baked potato or just a grilled cheese sandwich. It’s as if the combination of these two foods has upgraded them to an upper echelon of food, and in my mind, they will forever be one.  

1. The more cheese, the better. For this recipe, the more cheese you use, the better this sandwich is going to be. It’s a scientific fact that cheese equals happiness (I read that somewhere), so don’t be afraid to push the limit for science.  
2. Sourdough is king. French bread or sourdough are both perfect for this recipe. I opted for sourdough though and the crunch was amazing — as was the way it soaked up the butter in all of its nooks and crannies.  
3. It’s just better when it’s thicker. While the recipe does not specify, a thick-sliced strip of bacon makes all the difference on this sandwich. Spring for the thick-cut bacon when you’re at the market and thank me later.