Loaded Baked Potato

One easy meal I’d like to introduce to you is the Loaded Baked Potato.  It’s based on the Russet Potato.

The advantage to potatoes is that they can be stored for weeks in a cool, dry, dark location.  Even after they’re baked, they can be kept in the refrigerator for at least one week.

The disadvantage is that some prep work is required to benefit from them.  The prep involves 15 minutes of washing and 60 minutes baking time in a conventional oven^{1, 2}.

I set the oven to preheat at 425°F (215°C) and then I wash them.  I use water, dish soap and a nylon brush to scrub the potatoes clean.  That way I can eat the skins knowing I did all I could to eliminate the crud.

After cleaning I pat them slightly dry, and then I use a sharp knife to make a single, lengthwise cut in the middle.  The cut needn’t be deep.  You could even call it a score mark.

Once the oven has fully preheated, I place the potatoes, unwrapped, directly on the rack.  They won’t ooze like sweet potatoes; they’ll stay dry and the skins will be crispy.  I’ll let them bake un-monitored for about 30 minutes before I put eyes on them again.  In that amount of time I can do some other food prep work, such as mince add-ons for a frozen pizza.

At the 30 minute mark, I’ll rotate just to ensure they bake evenly.  There’s no such thing as a perfectly uniform temperature distribution in an oven.  By rotating them, I trick myself into believing they’ll be cooked more uniformly than if I left them along.

If you choose not to rotate them, it’s a good idea to at least take a good look at them to ensure that the skin isn’t darkening.  That would mean the skin is starting to burn.

The potatoes are done if you can stick a sharp knife into them with only a little effort.

But the baking is only the beginning.  The real artistry is adding the toppings.

I’ll add toppings only to the potato I plan to eat right away.  The others will be allowed to cool and get stored in the refrigerator.  My favorite toppings are:

• butter
• cheese (cheddar mostly)
• sour cream
• salsa
• avocado

I start by folding the two halves open along the score line like a book.  Then I make deep cuts in the flesh lengthwise, crosswise, and diagonally and place two pats of butter on each half. (PIC 1)  If the potato is fresh out of the oven, the butter will melt and sink into the score lines.  But if it’s been stored in the fridge, I’ll heat mine in the microwave oven on medium for about 3:30 minutes.

Then I put slices of cheese on each half.  I use cheddar usually.  But I’ve just taken a liking to asiago cheese, which would work for me, too.  Then it goes back into the oven.  If using a microwave, go for another 2:30 on medium; if fresh out of oven, put it back in, letting the residual heat melt the cheese.  Of course you’ll need to make sure it’s on a sturdy oven-safe dish. (PIC 2)

After the cheese has melted, I like to sprinkle on some Adobo seasoning and perhaps Ancho Chili powder.  Then I add two hearty dollops of sour cream on each half (PIC 3), followed by salsa and then avocado. (PIC 4 & 5)

Cheddar cheese and sour cream have expiration dates, and they’ll spoil within a couple of weeks after opening even if stored in the fridge.  And avocados are notorious for transforming from rock hard bitter lumps to soft squishy off-tasting alien slime almost overnight in warm weather.  So omit that or try pre-made guacamole instead, which will turn brown on the surface even if refrigerated.

I show the progression of my latest topping effort.  Note that I goofed on the order of it.  I like to put the salsa directly on the sour cream.  This accentuates the juxtaposition of the heat from the salsa against the cooling sensation of the sour cream.  The photo progression shows avocado between the sour cream and salsa.  As well, note I use only half an avocado for the two halves of the potato as shown in the fourth frame.

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¹ I bake four potatoes at a time.  The nearly four minutes I allot to wash each potato is very generous, but it also includes other set-up activity.

² A single potato can be cooked in a microwave oven.  This cuts down significantly on time and energy.  But I usually I have the oven on to cook other foods.