These Spinach-&-Feta Loaded Potatoes Are the Comfort Food Dinner I Can't Stop Making

I didn’t grow up on potatoes. Coming from a Chinese household, we primarily ate one of two carbs at dinner: rice or noodles. So when I started my first professional cooking job at Town Hall Grill in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, at 19, it was the first time I had ever made mashed potatoes from scratch. While they were tasty, I still didn’t get the hype behind potatoes. Then, one day, the chef made twice-baked potatoes and my mind was forever changed. 

If you’ve not had twice-baked potatoes, they’re essentially the fried rice of the potato world. You take day-old mashed potatoes, which are already loaded with butter, milk and salt, and add sour cream, shredded Cheddar cheese, scallions and bacon. Then, depending on how you are going to serve them, you can shove the mixture back into the halved potato shells (if you still have them) or into a baking dish. Either way, the mixture is typically topped with more cheese and bacon and baked again (hence the name). They’re as decadent and delicious as they sound, but they aren’t exactly the lightest side dish.

So, I took to the kitchen and made a version of twice-baked potatoes that were just as delicious but a little bit more nutritious. And the recipe that emerged was Spanakopita Loaded Potatoes. 

I decided to start with baked potatoes (if you’re short on time, you can even microwave or air-fry the potatoes) so I could stuff the shells once I scooped out the flesh. Then I loosely based the seasoning on the flavors of Greek spanakopita, incorporating spinach, onion, garlic, feta cheese and oregano along with cream cheese to the filling, though you could also use dill instead of or in addition to the oregano. The I spooned the filling back into the shells, topped them with more cheese (always more cheese!) and baked them again. 

These loaded baked potatoes are just one way you can bump up the veggies in your favorite comfort food. And I’ll take any opportunity I have to add in greens when I’m cooking. The health benefits of dark leafy greens, like kale, spinach, chard and collards, abound. Not only are they packed with vitamins A, C, E and K, they could help you lower your risk of getting type 2 diabetes, maintain your cognitive function as you age and fend off cancer. Plus, you’ll get a boost of fiber, which is a nutrient most of us don’t eat enough of. I managed to get 1½ pounds of collards into Spicy Meatloaf, a pound of chard into Ham & Cheese Stuffed Shells, 8 cups of kale into Vegetarian White Bean Pot Pie with Chive Biscuits and 10 cups of spinach into Spinach Tuna Noodle Casserole! 

I like to make these Spanakopita Loaded Potatoes ahead of time for a dinner party. I assemble them through Step 5 and refrigerate them until I'm ready to bake them. They're delicious alongside roast chicken or fish, though these loaded potatoes are hearty enough to be a vegetarian main. If you’re short on time, you can even skip the step of loading them back into the potato shells and simply press the filling in an 8-inch-square casserole dish before baking to make it even easier.

You can also use this recipe as inspiration and switch up the flavor profile. Don’t have spinach? Try chard, kale or chopped broccoli. No feta cheese? This is also delicious with other flavorful cheeses, such as Gruyère, Cheddar or smoked Gouda. No oregano? Try thyme, rosemary or basil. If you don’t have cream cheese, sour cream or strained yogurt work too. You can even stir in some bacon, chickpeas or cooked chicken for an extra boost of protein. I’ve even used sweet potatoes instead of russets. This recipe is really flexible, so you can use whatever you have in the fridge or whatever you think your family will enjoy. The time I made these loaded potatoes with broccoli, sharp Cheddar cheese, thyme and chicken might have been my toddlers' favorite. Though when I asked my husband, he said he likes the original recipe the best.