Making a baked potato is one of the easiest potato dishes, and it looks impressive when it’s all dressed up with garnishes. Use crispy bacon or pig candy, creamy dill sauce and chopped chives as part of a potato bar.
Just pop the potatoes in the oven, either alone or with another dish, and allow it to cook for one hour.
How Long to Bake a Potato?
Generally, you want to bake your potatoes for about an hour. If you are making something else in your oven, such as a casserole and you want your potatoes to be ready at the same time, you can easily just pop them into the oven with the other dish. Even if your other dish isn’t baking at 350 degrees, you will be able to tell when your potato is done baking by pricking it with a fork. If the fork easily pierces the skin of the potato and the insides feel soft, then it is finished baking.
Another way to tell that your potato is done cooking is by using an instant-read thermometer. When the insides of the baked potato reach 120 degrees, it is finished baking and you can remove it from the oven.
Can I Overbake a Baked Potato?
Yes, it is possible to overbake a baked potato. If the skin begins to look wrinkly, it is overcooked and will likely be a dry potato. Another sign of overcooking is that your potato will have dark spots on its bottom where it is resting. To avoid overcooking, keep an eye on your potato and check it regularly.
Can I Bake a Potato in Foil?
Technically, yes, you can bake a potato in foil. I have seen folks wrap their russet potatoes in foil and then pop them in the oven. However, I would not recommend this method of baking. The reason we prick the potatoes first is to allow steam to escape and by wrapping the potato in foil we will be trapping the steam. This will create a soggy potato skin and be undesirable to eat.
Toppings for a Baked Potato
The toppings for a baked potato are endless. The standard toppings are usually butter, sour cream and chives. If you want to add more to your baked potato, add in cheddar cheese, some diced red onion and candied bacon as well.
There are many different options for baked potatoes, as they are the perfect blank canvas for your favorite toppings. I’ve even been known to add my favorite barbecue sauce to my baked potatoes (Kinder’s BBQ sauce, for those wondering!).
Other Recipes you Might Like:
If you like this baked potato recipe, there are others that you will enjoy as well.
The Baked Potato
Course: UncategorizedCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy1
servings5
minutes40
minutes150
kcalIngredients
1 potato per person
butter
sour cream
chives
Directions
- Prep. Wash and scrub the potatoes under running water to remove any excess dirt from the skins. Prick the potatoes with a fork so that steam can be let out when they are being baked. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Bake. Bake the potatoes directly on the oven racks for about an hour. They are finished cooking when you can easily prick the skin with a fork. The potato is finished cooking when the insides feel soft.
- Rest. Remove from oven and allow to rest a few minutes- the insides will be very hot! Cut a slit down the middle and add garnishes such as sour cream, chives, bacon and cheese.
