How to Bake A Potato

There are several products on the market that assure wonderful crispy baked potato skins.

Yummy potato toppings that can make a baked baked a meal in itself is another reason to make them often.

The best potatoes for baking are russet potatoes though you can bake any potato you have on hand. You can buy large, single, baking potatoes in most stores and markets or you can purchase a bag of any size russets. Here's a thought....if you love crispy baked potato skins, you get more of that if you eat several small baked potatoes!

Here is how to bake a potato in a conventional oven:

• Pre-heat your oven to 350°F. Place the oven rack close to the middle of the oven.
• Scrub the baking potatoes thoroughly....remember that you will want to eat the skins.
• Pat the potatoes dry with paper towels, then prick 8 - 10 times with a fork to allow moisture to escape during baking.
• Place a small amount of olive oil or vegetable oil in a bowl and roll each potato in the oil to lightly coat the skins.
• Sprinkle the oiled skin of each potato with salt (we prefer sea salt) and place the potatoes directly on the oven rack.
• Place a baking sheet on a lower oven rack to catch drips.
• Bake potatoes for one hour or until skins are crisp and the flesh is tender.
• Serve with your favorite baked potato toppings.

**Note: wrapping a baking potato in aluminum foil will result in a "steamed potato" rather than the crispy-skinned baked potato that many of us prefer.

If you need to make baked potatoes fast, the microwave oven is the way to go. You won't have the crispy skins that you will get with oven baked potatoes, however you can have the fluffly, tender, baked potato taste of the potato itself. Here are the simple steps for how to bake a potato in the microwave.

• Scrub the potato skins and prick 8 - 10 time with the a fork. Place the potatoes on a plate.
• Microwave the potatoes on full power for 5 minutes. Turn over, and continue to bake them for 5 more minutes. (oven powers and times vary, so adjust for your microwave).
• When the baked potatoes are tender when pricked with a fork, remove them from the microwave.

***Tip:

Cut the baked potatoes in half lengthwise, mash the insides with a fork, top with a small amount of cheese and return to the microwave for about a minute to melt the cheese.

Enjoy this video tutorial on how to bake a potato.

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