Winter Baked Potato Bar with Free Printable

host your next casual party with a baked potato bar with all the fixins’

Winter entertaining and family meals don’t have to be complicated. My favorite feed-a-crowd menu usually revolves around layers. One basic idea with many layers. Hopefully the flexibility will satisfy all the different tastes and special diets out there! Today I’m going to share the idea of an easy Winter Baked Potato Bar with a Free Printable for your buffet!

Today’s post is  part of our monthly Pinterest Challenge, dreamed up by Cindy at County Road 407. A group of creative bloggers all style around one inspirational Pinterest pic.  If you’re visiting from French Ethereal, I’m sure you’ll see Barb and I had the same idea!

For today’s Pinterest Challenge, we are creating around a soup bar, styled by Celebrations at Home. Chris planned her party with a couple types of soups and some yummy cheese tartines to accompany them. Definitely have a look; your mouth will be watering!

Winter Baked Potato Bar with Free Printable

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Before we start these Pinterest Challenges, I like to evaluate the inspirational pic, so we can replicate it, but give it our own twist. And FYI…I didn’t cook up the whole buffet for ya to see. I’m just giving you serving ideas here; I am not a food blogger. I’ll tell you what to include, but I’m not even gonna start cooking and taking a whole bunch of pics like those ladies do! I have much more fun styling the whole deal!

To Start the Winter Baked Potato Bar, Analyze the Pinterest Challenge Pic

Here’s what stuck out to me from our inspirational pic:

I love this tranquil, cozy look for wintertime entertaining! The only problem is I was lacking on quite a few fronts to recreate this look. No brick backdrop. No cool wood cutting boards (which I should have as a blogger;) And my white soup tureen is packed (cuz’ we were supposed to be moved by now).

Switching things up, I decided to do a Baked Potato Bar, which is a fun, fairly easy winter hosting idea. I also love the little pottery class 1970’s baked potatoes you can pick up fairly easily at thrift stores. These were made by Dee, Leome, and Sandy:) Ladies, if you’re out there; thanks for your artistry!

Baked Potato Bar Ingredient Ideas

You can have as many or as little ingredient options on your Baked Potato Bar as you have time for. Serve your options in the little vintage baked potatoes you can find thrifting. I’ve got these 3 to date. They’ll have sour cream, black olives and bacon bits to start. Here are some other options:

• chili (homemade or canned)
• cubed ham & turkey
• shredded beef
• steamed broccoli
• shredded cheese or cheese sauce
• bacon bits
• black olives or olive tapenade
• sour cream
• sunflower seeds
• french fried onions
• barbecue sauce
• hot sauce
• butter, salt and pepper
• seasoning salt

Set Up Your Baked Potato Bar

Just like our inspiration pic, I anchored the setting with a vintage gold frame. Then I created a “Baked Potato Bar” printable you can grab in my FREE Resource Library by becoming an Insider.

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The foil-covered baked potatoes can be offered in a simple wood bowl (or a white tureen). Leave the foil off if you like crunchy potato peels.

Elevate the silverware in a pedestal, like this vintage gold pottery piece I got on a recent estate sale haul {“Latest Vintage Finds and How to Refresh Them“}.

Create Different Levels

Buffet-style bars are much more appealing when you incorporate different levels. For baked potato-inspired texture, I used a vintage metal picnic basket and wood boxes like the Pinterest pic. Wood cutting boards are trending right now and are a great way to serve bread, crackers, cheese or fruit as an accompaniment.

Add Green Foliage for Winter Texture

Buffet-style eating is about more than just the food. You want to create a beautiful scene. For winter texture add evergreen placemats at the base, under your serving pieces. Also add a tall foliage element like I did with this simple tree. Fairy lights give nighttime sparkle.

Work in a few pinecones and a couple votive candles, and you’ve got a satisfying, pretty Baked Potato Bar for winter entertaining. It’s fairly easy to pull together and there will be lots of options for different dietary needs. I like to serve a fresh green salad with a light vinaigrette dressing as an accompaniment. You’ll have covered all the bases, then!

Have you ever served a buffet-style bar meal like this? I hope you enjoyed all the ideas and it gave you another option to serve at your next winter get-together. Warm, cozy food with lots of options should make everyone happy!

If you’re hopping in order, stop by Let’s Add Sprinkles; Katie’s got some great tips for creating a food or drink station. Thanks for visiting, and make sure you become an Insider HERE to access all my fun printables and stay creatively inspired! Hope this Winter Baked Potato Bar with Free Printable was just the idea you were needing!

Please Pin, Share, and Enjoy the Rest of the Inspiration!

December Pinterest Challenge: Buffet Bar Hosting