It's been years since I actually baked a potato. Since buying a microwave with handy-dandy cooking methods on it, I've used the "baked potato" feature that allows you to wash, stab and microwave potatos (or potatoes if you prefer), then wrap with foil for 5-10 minutes and voila! A microwaved (baked) potato. The big pro: Super fast - maybe 15 minutes from start to finish.
I was talking to Shane on Monday night and she said that she had eaten a bona fide baked potato. Apparently, she enjoys the crispiness of the skin and the texture of the enclosed potato that you can only achieve from actually baking the potato in an oven. Since it's been a little chilly here lately, I decided, what the heck, I should give it another try.
I used Shane's easy recipe...
Wash the potatos, stab them and bake for one hour at 400 F.
The results? Yummy, potatos that had much more flavor than the microwaved ones I've gotten accustomed to over the last eight years! She was absolutely right! The skin is crispy and yummy, the insides delish! I think what I enjoyed the most about it is the uniform texture on the inside of the potato. Microwaved potatos are sometimes not as soft in the middle, while at the same time sometimes a little overcooked near the skin. Also the "roasted" smell coming from the oven while they were cooking was yummy!
Verdict: I think I will switch to baking them in the oven when the weather permits! They were very tasty. I forgot how much I missed real baked potatos.
I also tried a recipe from Allrecipes. Preheat oven to 300 F, rub down potato with light amount of olive oil and sprinkle with desired amount of kosher salt. Do not wrap. Bake on the rack for 90 minutes! Perfecto!!
3 comments:
Ha! I didn't realize Shane was a she. I was thinking to myself when I read the game post "boy, Stephanie spends a lot of time with this Shane fellow!"
Yes, real baked potatoes are the way to go. I've never been able to stomach microwaved versions!
You should try twice baking them - takes a little more effort, but worth the trouble. Bake as you directed, then cut a hole in the top and pull out the insides. Mix in a bowl with cheddar cheese, sour cream, butter and bacon pieces and return to the empty shell of skin, top with more cheese and bake until bubbly. Yum!
Yummy Baked potatos, but I've got one way that's even better, baked potatos on the charcoal grill!
Take your potato rub it up good with your favorite mixture of spices and oil (to give the skin a nice flavor), wrap in aluminum foil and put it out on the grill (indirect cooking method) for about 45 minutes to an hour (depends on grill, a weber charcoal kettle is closer to 45 mintues). Makes for some very good potatos!
mmmm....
Both of those sound like excellent alternatives. I will give them a try!!
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