I grew up on baked potatoes. They are my mom’s favorite so we had them on a regular basis. I would help her wrap them up in foil after she poked them with a fork. She’d toss them in the oven and go on about making the rest of dinner. If she thought about it ahead of time she would have me wrap a few extra because they made the best fried potatoes the next day for breakfast.
It wasn’t until recently that I changed the method of cooking them. I wish I would have discovered it years ago! Not that foil wrapped potatoes are awful, but there is something about a crispy, salty skin and a super tender outside that make these irresistible!
I like mine slathered in lots of butter with a sprinkling of salt and a hint of pepper. Then of course, there is always shredded cheese and sour cream!
The Perfect Baked Potato
Ingredients
1 large potato per serving
vegetable oil
kosher salt
toppings of choice
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Throughly wash and scrub each potato.
3. Place potatoes onto a plate or baking sheet and brush each one with a little vegetable oil. Make sure to cover completely and evenly.
4. Generously sprinkle with kosher salt.
5. Place potatoes directly onto oven rack that has been positioned directly in the middle of your oven. Leave space in between each potato so they aren’t crowded.
6. Bake for 30 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 and cook for another 30-40 minutes or until center is fork tender.
7. Remove from the oven and let them rest for 5 minutes.
8. To serve, cut a slit at the top and then with your fingers (you might have to use two hot pads) gently push in the sides of the potato to open it completely.
9. Add favorite toppings while potato is hot.
