I got a big bag of potatoes this past week so I decided to incorporate mashed potatoes and baked potatoes into the meal plan. Yesterday I shared the baked potato bar idea so today I wanted to show you a couple of different ways you can bake a potato. To see how Sarah uses her microwave to make mashed potatoes without having to peel the potatoes you can go here.

HOW DO YOU COOK YOUR BAKED POTATO?

You can bake potatoes in the oven or in the microwave. If you are making lots of potatoes it would probably be easier to bake them in the oven. If you making just one or two, the microwave is easier. When I am making baked potatoes for my whole family I make about 6-7 potatoes so I bake them in the oven. This way I can let them cook as I prepare the foods that will go with them. If I am making one for myself at lunch time I can cook it quickly in the microwave. Below I am going to show you how I make baked potatoes in the oven. To see how I bake potatoes individually in the microwave you can go here.

Steps to baking potatoes in the oven

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Scrub the potatoes clean. I hold them under running water in the sink and rub them clean then I pat them dry with a paper towel.

Prick multiple times with a fork.  Steam can escape from the baking potato through the wholes and it makes for a more evenly cooked potato.

Rub the potatoes with olive oil. I just pour a little bit in a bowl and rolled it around in the bowl while using my hands to cover the whole surface of the potato with my hands.

Sprinkle the potatoes with salt. I use kosher salt.

Bake the potatoes. Put them a few inches apart on a cooking stone or a baking sheet. I recommend covering the baking sheet with foil first for easier clean up. I didn’t do that this time and I was thinking I should have because the salt baked into the stone and made it a little harder to clean. You can also individually wrap each potato with aluminum foil for a softer skin, but it is not necessary. Bake the potatoes for 50 to 60 minutes. Potatoes are done when the skins are dry and the insides can be smashed down easily with a fork.

How do you bake a potato in the microwave?

Just baking one potato? To see how we bake potatoes in the microwave you can go here.

To see how to make mashed potatoes in the microwave you can go here.