how do you make a good baked potato?

Our family LOVES baked potato and we eat them 2-3 times per week. Here's what we do; first, start with the right potato, not all potatoes are for baking, you should use a russett. Wash the potato well then wrap completely ina sheet of aluminum foil. Place the potato in a pie tin and place in a preheated 450 degree oven on the middle rack. If it's a medium size potato it should feel soft in about 45-55 mins. If you got a big potato then allow for up to 1 hr- 1hr 10 min. The foil should be removed during the last ten mins max to allow the skin to crisp gently. The final touch is when you remove the potato, allow to cool for 2-3 mins then GENTLY roll the potato with the palm of your hand, if too hot you can use a clean pot holder. This will break up and loosen the white interior. Cut a slit across the top and gently push the ends of the slit towards one another.Perfect baked potato!

Perfect Baked Potato

INGREDIENTS

2 medium baking potato

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon butter

2 pinches freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Scrub the potato, and pierce the skin several times with a knife or fork. Rub the skin with olive oil, then with salt.

Place the potato in the preheated oven, and bake for 90 minutes, or until slightly soft and golden brown. Slice the potato down the center, and serve with butter and black pepper. Sprinkle shredded Cheddar cheese over the top, if desired.

Variation

For a treat, try slicing the very top of the potato off rather than slicing it in two, forming a 'lid'. Scoop out the fluffy contents of the potato, keeping the skin intact. Mix the potato in a bowl with butter, grated cheese and black pepper, then spoon the mixture back into the skin. Replace the lid and serve.

SERVINGS 2

Clean the potato and place it in the center of a good sized piece of aluminum foil, add 1 table spoon olive oil and salt. Bake it a 425 for 45 - 60 minutes.

Your problem is you don't cook them long enough. You can never over cook a potato. Squeeze it while still baking and it should be soft as bread before it's done.

Wash potatoes, rub them with shortening, wrap in aluminum foil, bake until tender. The shortening causes the skins to be as tender and flavorful as the potato, so there is no reason to peel the skin off, just eat it.

I poke holes in the potato, rub with oil, wrap in foil, and bake in a 425 over for about an hour and 15 minutes. Mine always turn out great. If they are hard, odds are you haven't cooked it long enough.

Hope this helps!!!

Dont peel off the skin. That's the most nutritional part of the potatoe.

If you're cooking more than 4 potatoes, you'll need to extend the cooking time by up to 15 minutes.

I wash mine and wrap them in foil still wet. That way they kind of steam. If yours come out hard, they're probaby not cooked enough. Bake for 45 minutes at 450 degrees.

Of course wash them real good, rub them with either butter or margarine while they are still wet, poke a few holes in each side, place on microwave bacon wrack, nuke with potato button if you have one or 4 minutes for each medium potato and 6 for each large. Mine turn out perfect and fluffy everytime.

if it is coming out still hard, it needs to be cooked longer. Wrap in aluminum foil, put in oven about 300-400, keep checking til soft, butter, chopped green onions, sour cream, grated cheddar. Let cheese melt, serve with salt and pepper