Regular paint will scratch. There are "epoxy" coatings on the market like the one recommended above that are a good option.

also the Ardex concrete overlay can be done on the laminate.

I wouldn't spend any extra money on trying to fix it. Laminate countertops are not expensive - save your money until you can replace them with a laminate that you like.

It is a temporary hack that can ''get you by'' until you can do something else. Sorta like using duct tape and a bungee cord to hold the refrigerator closed. I'll do the job for a while.

You can get really nice laminate tops at a great price. Take some dimensions and get some local quotes. Painting doesn't seem very food safe? Having new ones made will probably be worth the investment and save you time and headache

Yeah laminate is inexpensive, find something you do like and have it installed.I know people paint countertops on this site and some swear by it but it sounds kinda like a bandaid of sorts

What did you decide to do? We are looking at painting our countertops since cannot afford new ones right now (put that money towards new appliances instead). I have been looking at epoxy type products instead of the Rustoleum & Giani products.

http://www.armorgarage.com/corekit.html 

https://armorpoxy.com/bath-and-kitchen/armorgranite/ 

HI Candice, I haven't done anything yet. Based on everyone's feedback I think I will wait and probably just try to replace it with a different laminate down the road. The house isn't really worth doing anything nicer and I'm a little nervous about trying to do the DIY treatments myself. Good luck with yours! Let me know how they turn out!