Onions Aren't The Only Veggies That Deserve The Benefits Of Bloomin'. Try Potatoes Instead

What makes Outback's Bloomin' Onion so delicious, you ask? Many customers chalk it up to the 17-spice seasoning in the breading, but we'd venture to say it's the dangerously poppable design of the bite-size onion pieces that make it irresistible. Before you make a beeline to the nearest steakhouse, know that you can get your fix at home — and you're not limited to onions. Behold: the bloomin' potato.

In creator Kyle Istook's viral video for bloomin' baked potatoes, he places cooked red potatoes on a cutting board. He presses them with an apple slicer to cut them into Bloomin' Onion-like pieces, but doesn't push the slicer all the way through to keep the potato intact. He then places the "potato blossoms" in a greased glass baking dish and prepares a filling of French onion soup mix, sour cream, butter, cream of mushroom soup, sharp cheddar pub cheese, and chicken broth. He then divides the mixture across the potatoes, bakes them, tops them with shredded cheddar, bacon bits, and dried chives, and bakes them again until the cheese melts.

This treatment is different from a Bloomin' Onion, as the potatoes are filled and baked instead of battered and fried. The key similarity is the construction, as both dishes can be easily shared by a group. "If this was cooler, you could just pluck a petal and just eat it like that," Istook said of its snackability.

The most essential quality of a bloomin' potato is that the pieces are attached. This makes bloomin' potatoes similar to hasselback potatoes, a Swedish creation of the 1950s where they're sliced into many small slivers but not through the base. This creates an accordion of pieces attached at the bottom, but still open at the top for seasoning.

To prepare them, you can use an apple slicer, like Istook, without pushing through the potato. Alternatively, you can use a knife, like we suggest for our homemade Outback Bloomin' Onion recipe. You can essentially cube the potato without separating the pieces by making numerous vertical and horizontal cuts, then baking them until the sections naturally separate (this is easier with larger potatoes, such as russets, versus Istook's red potatoes). Make fewer cuts for larger, more tender pieces or more cuts for smaller, crisper pieces. Whatever spud and method you use, consider placing chopsticks or wooden utensils on either side of the potato to keep your knife from cutting through.

For seasoning, you could go Istook's route of a creamy filling, or you can opt for seasoned melted butter instead. Use crushed red pepper flakes or hot sauce for heat, chopped garlic and herbs for aromatics, or whatever's in your spice cabinet. You can also top it like a loaded baked potato with sour cream, cheese, bacon, and scallions.