Oven-Baked Potatoesposted in Vegetables and Beans, Soups, Salads, Sides and Sauces by Kathy MaisterPotatoes baked in the oven taste much better than potatoes baked in the microwave (video). From the oven they develop a sort of crispy skin with a really fluffy center. Today I am going to talk about the oven version. (Stay tuned for the microwave edition!)  The oven needs to be really hot, 400 degrees hot, when you stick the potatoes in it. So before we go any further, go turn the oven on to 400 degrees to preheat. (This could take up to 15 minutes.) All potatoes need to get washed first. A vegetable scrub brush works beautifully. Or you could just use your hands.  With a small sharp knife or a fork, puncture about 4 or 5 holes in the potato. If you don’t the potato may explode from the steam developing inside the potato! (Not a good thing!)  I then rub about 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil all over the potato.  You may be tempted to wrap a potato in tin foil. DON’T! You’ll end up with the potato getting steamed in the foil instead of just baked. You may as well just cook it in the microwave.  Place the potato directly on the oven rack. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, depending upon the size of the potato. Potatoes are as hard as a brick when they are raw. By the time it’s cooked you’ll be able to squeeze it. Test it to see if it is tender by inserting a knife into the potato. The knife should slide in easily.  Remove the potato from the oven with an oven mitt. (It drives me nuts when people on TV use a dish towel instead of pot holders! If the dish towel is at all wet, you’ll get burned! But, I digress.) You can just slice the top of an oven baked potato and give it a squeeze; it should be nice and fluffy.  Now it’s time to add your favorite topping. In addition to butter, sour cream and bacon, you could try cottage cheese, baked beans, chili or plain yogurt. What are your favorite toppings?  Enjoy!  Oven Baked Potatoes Ingredients: (4 Servings)
If you are new to startcooking, or are a regular visitor here, please consider subscribing for free. 21 commentsGale Quenneville | posted on Sep 24, 2006 Kathy, Just had a chance to check out your site and it's great.Great basic info for the new homemaker or an old timer like me. Looking forward to reading and learning more. Best of luck. Galexxxxnbsp; P.S. Have you learned to pump gas yet qqqqqqqqqqqq Kathy Maister | posted on Sep 24, 2006 Hi Gale, welcome to startcooking.com!xxxxnbsp; I hate to admit it, but no I still don’t do gas very well.xxxxnbsp; I have not owned a car in over 20 years.xxxxnbsp; Thankfully Hertz fills the tank before I begin any journey.xxxxnbsp; If a round trip takes more than a tank of gas, I take the train!xxxxnbsp; Curt McAdams | posted on Nov 8, 2007 I know this is an old post now, but I just stumbled on it. We have baked potatoes about once a week as a meal... My favorite to rub on the potatoes before cooking is brisket drippings from smoking brisket, or bacon grease if I'm out of brisket drippings. Kathy Maister | posted on Nov 9, 2007 WOW! Curt that sound soooooo good! I want to come to your house for dinner! :) Sherri | posted on Dec 21, 2007 I am new to this site, & I am a working mom who is returning to the kitchen! Thanks for the tip about not wrapping the potatoes in foil, I use to do that. Kathy Maister | posted on Dec 21, 2007 Welcome Sherri! They often use tine foil in restaurants! If I’m going to take the time to do it in the oven, I like the skin to get a bit crispy! Cheers! Stacy | posted on Jan 15, 2008 Thank you for all these wonderful ideas! I just love to cook but sometimes don't know how.......now I can continue on my baked potato journey! Jack Daman | posted on Jun 4, 2008 I am roasting a leg of lamb (325degrees) and baked potatoes (400 degrees). How do I handle the difference in temperatures? Jack Kathy Maister | posted on Jun 5, 2008 Hi Jack, how do you feel about Mashed Potatoes? Once meat is cooked, it should rest about 20 minutes before slicing into it. That still is not enough time to oven bake the potatoes. I would bake the potatoes in the microwave or choose another potato recipe. You could make baked stuffed potatoes in advance and finish cooking them while the meat is resting. I have not tried any of these 20 recipes at Epicurious but they look good! HAROLD LAKE | posted on Jul 12, 2008 Just learning to cook for myself (divorced)really needed the info. thanks Kathy Maister | posted on Jul 12, 2008 Good Luck Harold! Kelly | posted on Aug 18, 2008 I always do exactly what you said to do, but they still come out hard. What else should I do? Kathy Maister | posted on Aug 21, 2008 Hi Kelly, your oven may not be calibrated correctly. At the grocery store they sell thermometers that you place in the oven which will tell you if your oven is heating properly. They usually cost about $5. and are worth the investment. Ann | posted on Oct 21, 2008 We eat baked potatoes for dinner once every two weeks. We love to eat ours baked in the oven and topped with cooked veggies and cheese. My 3 kids love potato night (they are 12, 3 and 1). Every time I cook potatoes, I forget what the oven should be set at, so I often come to this page for a reminder. Thanks! Eric | posted on Oct 22, 2008 Potatoes... I think bread and potatoes are the two food items I eat the most. Great post! Kathy Maister | posted on Oct 22, 2008 Hi Ann, that sounds like great fun! Eric, I totally agree! (But I would also have to add ice-cream to the list!) BTW I went to a party recently where they had a "baked potato bar" for dinner. Everyone had a ball dressing their own baked potato with their favorite toppings! Mike | posted on Nov 10, 2008 Your recipe calls for salt. What for? Kathy Maister | posted on Nov 18, 2008 Hi Mike, The answer is...well that's just one giant mistake! It should say 4 teaspoons of oil (not 4 teaspoons of salt!) Many thanks for noticing!!! Cheers, mitch | posted on Nov 19, 2008 Is olive oil, corn oil, vegetable oil, bacon drippings or is any of those types of oil better than the other? Kathy Maister | posted on Nov 20, 2008 Hi Mitch, Olive oil. Post a Comment0 trackbacksTrackback URL:http://startcooking.com/trackback.php?id=56 |
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Marla Nesbitt-Laws | posted on Sep 12, 2006
I like to sprinkle grated chese on baked potato. For a low calorie meal at lunch or dinner, I put salsa on a baked potato or salsa and cheese. By the way, most of the nutrients in potatoes are in the skin which is delicious.