Since forever, baked potatoes have been one of the most popular side dishes at dinner.  Heck, they are even pretty good by themselves.  They can be topped with numerous things like butter, sour creme, cheese, bacon and more.  Everyone loves a good baked potato, especially when they are cooked right.  We must learn how to make a baked potato so that it turns out to be delicious.

The key to cooking a baked potato is patience.  To properly bake a potato will take about one hour to an hour and a half in the oven.  While it is possible to use a microwave to speed up the process, the potato will not be as good as it would in the oven for the whole time.  The skin will also not be as crispy and nutrients will be lost.  For the best baked potato, it must be cooked fully in the oven.  People that like to eat the skin of a baked potato will be disappointed with how it turns out if it is done in the microwave.  But, if you need a baker potato fast, then you might have to resort to this.  Plan ahead so you can have the tastiest potato possible.

After you get some potatoes, you will need some things like oil and salt.  We'll assume that the potatoes have already been cleaned, so now they must be stuck with a fork a few times to that steam can escape while being cooked.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and splash a little cooking oil on the potatoes.  After they have some oil on them, add some salt for extra flavor.  After the oven is heated, the cleaned, oiled and salted potatoes are ready to go in. 

The potatoes should be put in the oven directly on the rack.  A baking sheet can be put on the shelf below to catch anything that drips off of the potatoes while cooking so there isn't a mess at the bottom of the oven.  Bigger potatoes will take longer to cook, so times can fall between an hour and an hour and a half.  When the potato is baked right, the skin should be puffy and brown while being soft on the inside.  It is important to be careful when handling the potato because it will be very hot on the inside.

To open a baked potato, cut a small slit over the top and press the ends with your thumb and index finger.  This will open up the potato to all the fluffy goodness.  Next, simply add any of your favorite toppings and start eating.  Ingredients like butter and sour creme make a baked potato taste truly delicious, but any number of toppings can be added based on whatever someone likes.



Cooking Potatoes
Potatoes are easy to prepare as long as you leave enough time to do it right.
Potato Dishes
There is more than one way to cook a potato. These are a few options you have when making them.
Fun Potato Facts
Potatoes are amazing things that taste great, but there are a lot of things you probably didn't know about them.
Toppings
All of these items make great toppings for a baked potato.