How to Bake a Potato

Baked potatoes are a very popular side to any dinner and learning how to bake a potato is quite simple.  Baked potatoes have been made for centuries and have been popular all over the world.  So popular, in fact, that there are many different regional styles of baked potato. In the U.S., baked potatoes are usually served with sides such as butter, sour cream and chives and they can be eaten as a meal unto themselves.  In the U.K., baked potatoes are usually eaten as a snack or a side dish and they are often sold on the streets by vendors.  In Russia, the baked potato is not a traditional dish but, surprisingly, it has gained substantial popularity as a fast food item.  Baked potatoes go best with steaks, roasts or any other type of red meat dish.

The first step in preparing baked potatoes is finding the right type of potato.  There are different types of potatoes available and some are better for baking than others.  The best types of potatoes for baking are Russet potatoes and King Edward Potatoes.  Russet potatoes are your basic brown skinned potato and they tend to be long and oval shaped.  The King Edward potato tends to be more spherical and has white/yellow skin.  Both of these can be bought at any regular grocery store.

You need to make sure that the potatoes are cleaned and scrubbed before they are cooked so that no dirt that gets baked into them.  Baking the potato in aluminum foil helps to keep moisture in so that it ends up being softer and fluffier on the inside.  You can also make baked potatoes in a convection oven and conventional oven as well as a microwave. However, if you want the best results, it is recommended that you use an oven.

Baked Potato Recipe

The following is an easy to make baked potato recipe.

Serves 4

For this recipe you will need:

Step 1:

Preheat the oven to 350° and place the racks on the top and bottom thirds.  Clean the potatoes by scrubbing them. Otherwise, you will have dirt and residue on the skin when you eat it.  After you dry the potatoes, you will want to poke 8 to 12 holes in them with a fork so that they don’t burst when cooking.

Step 2:

Put the potatoes in a bowl and lightly sprinkle them with the canola oil.  Sprinkle the salt on them and, depending on your preference, you can either decide to wrap them in aluminum foil or just sit them in the oven as is.  Either way, place them in the oven on the top rack (right in the middle) and set a baking pan underneath to catch any dripping.

Step 3:

How to Bake Potatoe

How to Bake Potatoe

Let the potatoes bake for one hour or until the skin is crispy and the inside feels soft and fluffy.  Once the potatoes are done, you can cut them open with a knife or make a dotted line with a fork and press the ends together to get the potatoes to pop open.  Finally, you can add butter, sour cream or any other sides to your potato.

Baked Potato Casserole

Ingredients:

Step 1:

Preheat the oven to 400°.  Clean the potatoes to remove any grime and dirt and dry them off.  Poke holes in them with a toothpick or fork and bake them for 1 hour or until soft.  Remove them and set them aside until you can pick them up without burning yourself.

Step 2:

Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, scoop as much of the inside out as you possibly can with a spoon.  Place the soft potatoes in a bowl and add 8 tablespoons of butter, sour cream, heavy cream, salt and ground pepper and mix them until smooth.  Add the crumbled bacon, cubed cheddar, half the grated cheese, onions and eggs and blend until well mixed.

Step 3:

Take a 9 by 13 inch cooking pan and use the last tablespoon of butter to grease it.  Turn the oven temperature down to 375° and put the potato mixture in the greased pan. Put the remaining grated cheese on top.  Bake it for about 30 to 45 minutes or until golden brown on top to complete the baked potato casserole.

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