How Do You Bake a Potato??

Scrub them, poke them with a fork (to let pressure out while cooking), pat dry and rub some olive oil on them. Sprinkly them with Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper. Wrap in foil - shiny side on the potato - cooks faster. I roast them at 450 until soft (depends on the size of potato). Usually an hour+. The olive oil keeps the peel soft in case you want to eat it...and also helps in case you leave them in too long.

I have microwaved them, but the taste of them from the microwave...BITES! Way faster, but they definately lose a lot of flavor. Potatoes and warming up pizza are the two things that just never cut it from the nuker.

OH...and for a great meal on it's own I will make a "potato bar" where I cook huge baked potatoes, thaw out some pulled pork from previous meal (I take all leftovers and toss them in baggies in freezer), cheese, onions, sourcream, butter, steamed veggies, bacon bits, etc. I let everyone top theirs any way they want.

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Scrub, poke, drizzle olive oil, sprinkle sea or kosher salt, bake an hour or so at 350. Yum!

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I stab mine all over, cover them in veg. oil, sprinkle with sea salt, bake for an hour at 375 directly on the grate, with a piece of foil underneath to catch any dripping oil.

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The steak house I worked for washed and scrubbe them. Poked a couple holes in them and rolled them in sea salt while still wet. Then they wrapped them in foil and put them inthe oven until soft. They were amazing. I'm lazier than that. So, I wash, poke and salt mine. Then put them on a plate in the microwave!

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Wash and stab, oven at 350, place on rack and cook for an hour or so. I haven't tried the salt idea. . . I think I might.

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I make slits in the shape of an X at the top, sprinkle with salt, pepper and a little olive oil, wrap in foil and put in th oven until soft (30 min-1 hour depending).

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I'm lazy about making baked potatoes. They are the easiest thing to bake. The temperature is NOT an exact art. Potatoes will do just fine at a huge range of temps, it just changes cooking time. I set my oven at roughly 400, 425, you get the idea. Wash them, and rub a light layer of oil (use canola, olive has a low smoking point...when an oil smokes, it oxides and that makes healthy oils unhealthy). Salt the skin a little, if you like. Poking holes in them is common, but mine turn out just fine if I don't. Wrap them in foil, and pop them directly in the oven. They are done when you put on an oven mitt, squeeze them and feel them squish (soft, like squeezing a very ripe peach), about 1 hour. This works very well with sweet potatoes too. Baked sweet potatoes, salad and broiled steak are possibly the easiest meal that still impresses guests.

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in the oven ;) yellow potatoes, I dont wrap in foil, so the thin skin gets crispy,..yum, otherwise, foil & bake at around 350, maybe 45 min? I know restaurants double bake them.. if I use foil, I open it to "dry" the skin, as I like that part the best.

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I put them in the microwave per the instructions (pierce first!) then wrap them in individual foils and finish on the grill or in the oven so they get crispy skin.

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I do it exactly like Bethany does it! You want to eat the peel because it's the nutritous part of the potato so the salt gives it flavor and the roasting makes it crispy.

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I'm usually only making a few at a time. I wash them, cut an X in them, put them in a bowl or casserole I can cover, add just enough water to cover the bottom of the bowl, cover and microwave them till soft - about 5-10 min. I do all the seasoning after the baking/steaming is finished. Toppings can include butter, salt, pepper, sour cream, chives, shredded cheddar, bacon, garlic powder, chopped onions, mushrooms, chili seasoning or Old Bay seasoning, etc.
Potatoes are very versatile.

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I stab mine several times all over with a fork, wrap in a wet towel and cook in the microwave. My microwave has a potato button, so I'm not sure how long they cook.. haven't done it in a while!

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I microwave them for 5 minutes, otherwise it takes an hour in the oven.

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I am super simple. But I LOVE a good baked potato.
We wash ours, then put them (unwrapped) directly on the middle rack of a cold oven. Turn it on to 500 degrees and bake 1 hour. (do NOT preheat the oven).

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R.:

YOU CRACK ME UP!!!!

I preheat my oven to 450. I clean my potato(es) and then put a pat of butter on it - maybe 3 if it's a big one) then I press some garlic and put that on top - if I don't have fresh garlic - I use garlic powder....i sprinkle some onion powder on it too.

I wrap them in foil and put them in the oven (on a cookie sheet). While they are cooking - I cook up some bacon - use the grease for a wilted lettuce salad or I make a spinach salad....

I have fresh bacon bits, sour cream, chives, butter and shredded cheese on the table for people to "dress" as they wish!!

bon appetite!

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Hi R.! I think the key to good baked potatoes is not how you do it, but what potatoes you buy. Don't get the russets because they come out mushy. Get the big baking potatoes -- the skin is a little yellow and flaky and they have more bumps than the russets. Then what I do is simply wash them, wrap each on in aluminum foil and put them in a medium oven (you can just put them on the rack) for about an hour. You test their doneness by opening the foil and sticking a fork in them to see if they are really soft. About the only way you can ruin a baked potato is not baking it enough. Keeping them wrapped in the foil keeps them moist. Okay, so when they are done, then you can put whatever fixings you want on them (grated cheese, butter, sour cream, chives, etc.) They should be hot enough to melt the cheese or butter, as long as you don't put too thick a slice.

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Wash potato,
Poke some holes in it to vent steam.
Wrap in foil and bake in oven at 350-400 deg until a knife goes easily into it.

That's about it

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I have the same affliction as you... can do the gourmet stuff, but need help with the "easy" recipes. Definitely go and buy the red plaid "Better Homes & Gardens" cookbook. My MIL gave it to me and it is my bible for basic cooking. It has baked potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, and proper cooking times and methods for all vegetables! Even things like what to put in hamburgers, tuna casserole, etc. The meat and fish cooking times at the end of each section are also invaluable. You can't go wrong with this cookbook!

I put mine in the microwave mine has a potato button too.

First of all-use a red potato-scrub them, pierce them with a knife, rub them with a little butter , wrap them in foil and bake them in a 425 degree oven for about an hour-depending on size.

R.L. answers from Roanoke on March 15, 2011
Scrub, poke, drizzle olive oil, sprinkle sea or kosher salt, bake an hour or so at 350. Yum!
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This is how we do it as well.

I make Guy Fieri's The Bomb Bakers:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/guys-big-bite-/the-bom...

I never have time to bake potatos in the oven so I always microwave them. But oven is best, and the very best ones I've ever had at someones's home or a restaurant are rubbed in salt before wrapping in foil. That makes the skin almost the best part if you eat the skin like I do.

microwaving is so much faster. spray it with cooking spray and season the skin, then micorwave for 3.5 min, turn (otherwise one side will get tough) and microwave for another 3 min

Wrap it in tinfoil and put it in the oven at 350 till it's soft when you poke it with a fork.
If you're short on time, you can always put it in the microwave (just pierce it with a fork a few times before putting it in so the steam can escape-otherwise you might have to clean up an exploded potato.

I preheat the oven to 400 degrees, then wash them, poke them with a fork, sit them on a sheet of tin foil, and bake for an hour and 15 minutes. When done, carefully take them out, slice open and spread on a little butter. Enjoy.

ummm, wash it, put in in the microwave and push the baked potato button! lolol.