The Perfect Baked Potato

I love a good baked potato.  Whether it’s a large russet or a vibrant sweet potato, if it’s baked, I’ll eat it. Baked potatoes are easy to make, pair nicely with just about any entrée, and have a pretty extensive toppings list. Although I am baked potato crazy now, this was not always the case. I struggled to get the right baking time and temperature. More times than not, my potatoes were still hard in the center and potato skin was soggy.

  Although baked potatoes are simple to make, there is an art to making an amazing potato. Dare I say, after years of epically failing, I have mastered that art. When the perfect baked potato comes to mind I of think of a nice crispy and salty skin with a fork-tender center. Here is how to achieve the baked potato of your dreams.

 Before cooking, make sure your potato has been scrubbed cleaned and dried. A wet potato can lead to soggy potatoes skins and we certainly don’t want that. Do not peel the potato. Using a fork or knife poke holes on each side of the potato. Don’t forget to poke the ends of the potato too. The holes keep your potato from exploding and helps the potato cook evenly. The holes do not have to be super deep but should pierce at least  ½ inch into the potato.

Next, pop your potato into a preheated oven of 425. Do not wrap your potato in foil, it locks in the moisture and your crispy potato skins will not be achieved. You can place each potato directly on the oven rack or on a thin baking sheet lined with foil. Let bake for 20-25 minutes. The first round of baking allows to potato skins to crisp up a bit before adding any of the butter or oil. Trust me, this added step is worth it!

 Remove potato from oven and brush with melted butter or oil. Sprinkle each potato with salt and pepper, then return to the oven. If you placed your potato directly on the rack for the first round, I would consider placing the potato on a thinly lined baking sheet at this point. The butter/oil and salt tend to drip off of the potato.For easy clean-up, the aluminum lined sheet may be the best bet. Allow the potato to bake for 40- 45 minutes or until the potato is fork-tender. Once removed from the oven, place a cut in the center of the potato, hold the potato from both ends, and squeeze the ends towards the center of the potato to loosen it up.  While the potato is still hot, add your desired toppings. See my favorite toppings below:

Baked Russet Potatoes

• Butter
• Sour Cream
• Shredded cheese
• Bacon bits
• Chives
• Chili
• Pulled pork
• Grilled Chicken
• Leftover Easy Flank Steak 

Sweet Potatoes 

• Butter
• Brown sugar
• Marshmallows (pop back in the oven for 5 minutes to melt the marshmallows; if I add marshmallows I do not add any brown sugar)

So good news, the perfect baked potato does exist. Try it for yourself and let me know what toppings you decided on!