Baked potatoes are simple to prepare yet extremely versatile and nutritious. They can be served as an accompaniment, or with a filling as a complete meal.
Select even-shaped potatoes and scrub. They can be baked in the oven, Microwave or a combination of both.
Oven Method
Bake the potatoes in a pre-heated oven at 200°C for 1¼ -1½ hours until tender. Metal skewers pushed through the potatoes will reduce the cooking time by up to a quarter (for oven baking only).
Microwave Method
Scrub the potatoes, then dry and prick each one several times with a fork. Cook one potato (225g/8oz) for 6 minutes on full power (800W), turn half way through cooking. Allow to stand for 1 – 2 minutes before serving. If cooking more than one potato at a time you need to increase the cooking time accordingly.
Combination Method
If really short of time, par cook the baking potatoes in the microwave then finish in the oven at 200°C, Gas Mark 6 to crisp the skins.
You can rub a little oil & rock salt into the skins before baking to make them extra crispy. If you are baking the potatoes for a big crowd, increase the temperature to 220°C. When they are cooked, make a crosswise slit in the top of each potato and squeeze gently to open out the cross.
Serving Suggestions
- My father liked nothing better than a knob or butter set to melt on his baked potato.
- A dish of soured cream mixed with a few drops of lemon juice and chopped chives allows everyone to help themselves.
- Top with cheese and place under a preheated grill for 3-4 minutes or until melted and lightly golden
For a tasty supper dish try one of the following accompanied with a side salad.
Leek & Cheddar
1 tbsp olive oil
200g leeks, sliced
2 tbsp mayonnaise
Salt and pepper
Dash Worcestershire sauce
50g Cheddar cheese, grated
Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the leeks for 3-4 minutes. Cut the potatoes in half lengthways, scoop out most of the cooked flesh and mix with the leeks, mayonnaise and seasoning and Worcestershire sauce. Place back in the potato jackets.
Salsa Spuds
4 tbsp Salsa relish plus extra for dipping
50g (1 3/4oz) Cheddar cheese or mozzarella, sliced or grated
When the potatoes are cooked cut them almost in half lengthways, spoon in the salsa relish, top with the cheese and place under a preheated grill for 2-3minutes until the cheese is melted.
Mushroon & Garlic
15g butter
2 Cloves of garlic, crushed
175g Mushrooms, sliced
2 x 15ml spoons Cream cheese
2 x 15ml spoons freshly chopped herbs
Salt & freshly ground pepper
After the potato has been cooking for about 1 hour, melt the butter, add the garlic and mushrooms and cook gently for 5 – 10 minutes.Stir in the cream cheese and continue cooking for 1 minute. Add the herbs and season to taste
When the potatoes are cooked cut them almost in half lengthways and spoon in the mushroom sauce.
Shrimp & Spring Onion
250g cooked peeled shrimps
150ml soured cream
150ml natural yogurt
A few drops of Tabasco sauce
4 spring onions, finely chopped
Combine the filling ingredients & season to taste.Cut a cross in the top of the baked potato and spoon in the filling.
Salmon & Soured Cream
250g cold poached salmon (or drained canned salmon)
300ml soured cream
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
25g flaked almonds, toasted for garnish
Flake the cooked salmon, removing skin and any bones.Mix the remaining ingredients and season to taste.Pile onto the baked potato and garnish with the flaked almonds.
Wonderful ideas for the humble spud thanks Grannymar.
Humble spud? The most noble of vegetables….Ann.
I love the skins from baked potatoes.
When I was working with Jerry the chef….I found a book of potato recipes….200 of them.
I love a good potato! I have a few in the pantry that I will
try out one of your recipes on.. Thank you 🙂
~kimme
Nothing like the praty, GM, you can dress it 17 ways to Sunday and still have the rest of the year to do something different.
Lovely recipes, thanks.
XO
WWW
@Annb – With a little thought the humble spud becomes a King!
@Magpie – Perhaps you can answer a question… Are potatoes counted as one of the ‘5 a day’ veg? I have never seen them on any list and therefore count them as fiber.
@Kimme – Enjoy!
@WWW – As I get older I appreciate my spuds and look forward to new ways of serving them.
Grannymar, you have just saved my you know what! I have been challenged to prepare a meal predominantly using potatoes and the Good Lord has sent this post.
In case you are wondering, the challenge arose because I got into an argument with one of my park acquaintances who claimed that potatoes were harmful and I just had to defend my favourite vegetable.
Ramana, I hope the meal goes well and look forward to hearing what your park acquaintance thinks about it.
GM I don’t know……. Problem is they are a staple and provide carbohydrates (in the main) roughage in the skins!
Ramana, don’t use spuds with green skins….apparently they contain
solanine…which is produced, along with chlorophyll, when they are exposed to light …… mind you you’d need to eat about 2kg of completely green potentates to raise blood levels to a dangerous levels. They are in the same family as Deadly Nightshade, Thorn Apple, Datura and tomatoes.
pinched this…….
Nutritionally, potatoes are best known for their carbohydrate content approximately 26 grams in a medium potato. Starch is the predominant form of carbohydrate found in potatoes. A small but significant portion of the starch in potatoes is resistant to enzymatic digestion in the stomach and small intestine and, thus, reaches the large intestine essentially intact. This resistant starch is considered to have similar physiological effects and health benefits of fibre provide bulk, offer protection against colon cancer, improve glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, lower plasma cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations, increase satiety, and possibly even reduce fat storage
The amount of resistant starch found in potatoes is highly dependent upon preparation methods. Cooking and then cooling potatoes significantly increases resistant starch. For example, cooked potato starch contains about 7% resistant starch, which increases to about 13% upon cooling
Potatoes contain a number of important vitamins and minerals. A medium potato (150g/5.3 oz) with the skin provides 27 mg vitamin C 45% of the Daily Value DV, 620 mg of potassium 18% of DV, 0.2 mg vitamin B6 10% of DV and trace amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, folate, niacin, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc. Moreover, the fibre content of a potato with skin 2 grams equals that of many whole grain breads, pastas, and cereals. In addition to vitamins, minerals and fibre, potatoes also contain an assortment of phytochemicals, such as carotenoids and polyphenols. The notion that “all of the potato’s nutrients” are found in the skin is an urban legend. While the skin does contain approximately half of the total dietary fibre, the majority more than 50% of the nutrients are found within the potato itself. The cooking method used can significantly impact the nutrient availability of the potato
You asked…..
Magpie, I did! Thanks for all that info.
Thank you for these tips and recipes, Grannymar, I’ll be sure to put some of them into practice soon! I love my baked potatoes, and usually skewer them for a quicker and more even bake, but I have never tried the microwave. I don’t know whether I’m overly cautious, prejudiced, or just old-fashioned about it. Do microwaved spuds taste noticeably different?
Stan,
I am fortunate to have a special programme on my Microwave for Jacket Potatoes. It uses both the microwaves and the inbuilt Grill. I have to admit that when I first tasted baked spuds from a M/wave in a friend’s house many years ago, I thought they were a soggy mess. She tried to cook far too many in one go and when they were done she wrapped each one in foil for 5 mins? This only sealed in the dampness.
I prefer a dry fluffy baked potato. If I have a dinner in the oven then I transfer the microwaved spud to the oven and it helps crisp the outside while further drying the inside.
I also find setting the potato on an upturned Pyrex ramekin or pie dish in the Microwave helps.
Let me know how you get on.
I will. When I’m low on time I usually opt for noodles or pasta, but the lure of a dry fluffy baked potato in < 10 minutes might change that!