How To’sday: How to Bake a Potato
I write this post on behalf of the baked potato. Of that simple, humble item that too often only finds itself offered as a side dish on restaurant menus, sandwiched on the side-dish-health-o-meter between the french fries and the steamed broccoli. And most of us just take the plunge and go with the fries – or is that just me?
A couple months ago, while trying to develop some easy, fairly-healthy meal options that also allowed me to keep the oven on for an hour in an effort to ward off Midwestern winter, I made baked potatoes for dinner one night. Not as a side, but as the whole damn meal. And you know what? It was AMAZING. Why was this not part of my regular meal routine? It is now, by the way: I’ve repeated this tasty dinner several times since the inaugural attempt, and I’ve learned a lot about baking a delightful potato in the meantime.
Here’s how it’s done:
1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Scrub as many Russet potatoes as you want to bake and pat dry. Russets make the best baking potatoes because of their low moisture content. Those light and fluffy insides can’t be light and fluffy if they are full of water, like Yukon Gold or a red potato. Use yellow and red for mashed potatoes, use russets for baking and french fries.
Also, you may notice that I’m baking six potatoes, WAY more than two people need to eat for dinner. I’ve found that I love using leftover baked potatoes later in the week, either reheated just as they are, or chopped into coins and pan-fried (recipe coming later), or even cubed and transformed into home fries. It’s a great way to consolidate the work of multiple meals into one evening of cooking.
2. Pierce each potato with a fork 6-8 times to allow steam to escape as the potatoes bake.
3. Lightly rub all potatoes with olive oil, then sprinkle generously with flaky or coarse salt on all sides. This will help the jacket stay crispy and flavorful. We’re not going to wrap them in foil, as that would create a soft and soggy jacket.
4. Place potatoes directly on the oven rack. You can also place them on a baking sheet if you prefer, though you might lose some of the crunchiness of the skin on the bottom of the potato. I love that crunchiness, so I put them right on the racks.
5. Bake for 55-65 minutes. While the potatoes bake, you can prepare your toppings or any other components of dinner you have in mind. Or just sit on the couch and wait for them do finish, your call!
6. Remove potatoes from the oven. Potatoes should be somewhat springy when you squeeze them and a fork should pierce them without resistance. Larger potatoes or a large quantity of potatoes may take longer to bake.
7. Add toppings as you like, and enjoy! My favorite combo of late is thick-cut bacon, cheddar cheese, sour cream, and green onions. Chili is divine. I also love them with simply butter, salt, and pepper.
How do you dress up your potatoes?
