I always stock my pantry with some potatoes. At least when I want to cook something simple, warm and delicious, I know that I have one favourite no-brainer meal to pick i.e. baked potatoes. If you’re having a company during the weekend or you are cooking for your family, this dish is one of the excellent choices as you can prepare the dish with whatever ingredients you want. Be it for a side dish, something to be served during a barbeque or just a simple treat for brunch – you’ll end up making something everyone will eat and enjoy.
How to cook an incredible baked potatoes dish? Well, the recipes are endless with various possibilities. Baked potatoes can be prepared with minimal ingredients in your kitchen. Basically, you only need these four ingredients below to start:
- Potatoes
- Salt
- Pepper
- Some cooking oil
From here, you can then work your way up enhancing the dish with a few additional ingredients that you want to add.
Preparing the potatoes.
- Wash potatoes thoroughly to remove any dirt. Let dry.
- Prick the potatoes with the tines of a fork to make holes all over the spud in order to allow steam to escape during baking.
- Rub the potatoes with oil, season generously with salt and pepper.
- Place potatoes directly on an oven rack or place them on a baking sheet.
- Bake until the potatoes are soft when squeezed and skins are crisp, 45 – 60 minutes depends on your oven.
A perfect baked potato is crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle.
Apart from using whole potatoes, you can also cut each potato into wedges. Make a batch of bite-size baked potatoes. It is easier to serve and eat especially when you are having a party.
Spice things up.
It’s time to take it up a notch. Enhance your dish to pamper your tastebuds. Don’t stick to only one recipe of baked potatoes. Be creative and go wild with lots of options.
Add Cheese.
Yes, loads of cheese. Before baking your potatoes in the oven, top the potatoes lavishly with some grated cheese (or sliced cheese). You can use shredded cheddar, grated parmesan, crumbled blue cheese or any of your favourites. If you have cheese sauce, you can drizzle some of it once the potatoes are ready. However, for those who are lactose intolerant, you might want to go easy with this option.
Add Herbs.
Adding herbs could transform any ordinary recipe into a special one. Use different herbs each time you prepare baked potatoes to achieve different results. Pick one herb or a mix of several herbs. Use it to season your potatoes together with salt and pepper. You can use basil that has a floral anise- and clove-like flavour and aroma, parsley for a light peppery taste, rosemary for a pungent flavour or a little dose of paprika if you need a little bit of kick. Garnish your dish with fresh cilantro, oregano or dill for a savoury scrumptious dish.
Add sauces and dressings.
Enjoy your baked potatoes with sauces and dressings. You can either prep your potatoes with sauce (something that is pack with flavours like marinara sauce and barbeque sauce) or serve with generous amount of salsa, pesto, gravy or any salad dressing like ranch or Caesar.
Add Toppings.
Normally, baked potato is topped with some sour cream or yogurt, butter and cheese. Elevate your dish with more choice of toppings. You can put meat like shredded beef, chicken, crab meat, crispy beef bacon or smoked salmon. Go for a healthier (yet still yummy) option by using steamed broccoli, green beans, asparagus, sautéed spinach and mushroom.
So, wait no more. Start experimenting; make your own baked potatoes recipes. Have fun. Do not hesitate to try adding a bit of this and that. Let your baked potatoes be a significant dish that your family and friends couldn’t resist.
Farrah Fahmy is a content writer under Headliner by Newswav, a programme where content creators get to tell their unique stories through articles and at the same time monetize their content within the Newswav app.
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