Nothing speaks comfort food quite like a loaded baked potato. Taking advantage of the workhorse staple of every kitchen - the sturdy sheet pan - this recipe presents an all-inclusive, flavorsome, easy to make baked potato dinner.

The central ingredient remains the unpretentious potato, cooked with bacon to fortify the smoky flavor throughout the dish. To ramp up the gastronomic experience, a generous usage of cheddar cheese, sour cream, and chives ensures the sensation of a twice-baked potato, but saving you valuable time. For a balanced cooking, the recipe advises the use of similarly sized potatoes.

While some recipes recommend using aluminum foil to quicken the baking process by trapping the steam inside and softening the potato, this recipe chooses to steer clear. Opting instead for crispier skins, the potatoes are baked directly on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Any temperature beyond 350°F is optimal for baking potatoes. This recipe suggests a temperature of 400°F to simultaneously cook bacon, broccoli, and the potatoes, with identical cooking times and temperatures, ensuring everything is prepared together.

To supercharge its flavors, diced russet potatoes are anointed with olive oil, followed by a liberal dash of kosher salt, and partnered with bacon and broccoli on the baking sheet. The crux lies in pricking the potatoes, allowing the steam to escape, and averting a baking disaster caused by exploding potatoes.

The key elements of the recipe: 4 russet potatoes, a tablespoon of olive oil, kosher salt, thick-cut bacon, broccoli florets, red onion wedges, unsalted butter, black pepper, shredded Cheddar cheese, sour cream and fresh chives, are prepared as per the recipe’s guidelines. After baking to perfection, the potatoes are sliced, the flesh scooped out and mixed with other ingredients, and then packed back in their skins for a final round of broiling.

Adorned with a sprinkle of cheese, then broiled to melt and brown the cheese, and finally crowned with sour cream, chives, and remaining bacon. Seizing the versatility of sheet pans, this fully loaded baked potato recipe serves as a quick, stress-free route to a delicious, satisfying dinner.