A baked potato bar can be a healthy and fun dinner that gets everyone involved. If you’re short on time is microwaving potatoes is fast and easy. Once the potatoes are tender & flaky, everyone can build their own potato. Many leftover potatoes and toppings can be frozen for later meal prep.
Here are a few topping ideas but the choices are yours:
- Steamed broccoli
- Diced tomatoes
- Canned vegetables
- Roasted peppers
- Diced onion
- Chopped chives
- Canned beans, drained & rinsed
- Salsa
- Cheese
- Plain yogurt
Microwave Baked Potatoes
Equipment
- microwave
Ingredients
- 1 potato russet The russet potato works best.
- ½ teaspoon oil
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Wash hands before preparing food.
- Wash and dry potatoes.
- With a fork or sharp knife, pierce each potato 2 or 3 times.
- Rub each potato with a little oil (just enough to lightly coat) and salt generously.
- Place potatoes in a circle on a paper towel, leaving a 1-inch space between each potato.
- Cook on HIGH for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork, turning once during cooking and removing any that are done after 15 minutes.
- Let potatoes stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
• Russets are the best because of their high starch content. This is how you get a nice fluffy interior.
• After you wash the potatoes, make sure the skin is really dry. This helps to get crispy skin.
• Pierce the potato several times on all sides with a fork.
• Never wrap your potatoes in foil to bake them! The typical Idaho russet is about 80% water and wrapping in foil traps the moisture which steams the potato. This often makes the interior next to the skin overcooked and brown while the outside wrinkles.
• The best way to know your potato is done is when the internal temperature reaches 210°.
If you’re short on time but want to have a fun dinner that gets everyone involved, microwaving potatoes is a good shortcut. We like using this microwave method for baking potatoes from the Idaho Potato Commission. This shortcut allows you to spend more time deciding on healthy and tasty potato toppings. Once the potatoes are tender & flaky, everyone can build their own potato.
Here are a few topping ideas:
- Steamed broccoli
- Diced tomatoes
- Green beans
- Corn
- Roasted peppers
- Diced red onion
- Chopped chives
- Canned beans, drained & rinsed
- Chili (try our lentil chili recipe) https://eatsmartidahointhekitchen.com/2021/10/14/lentil-chili/
- Your favorite salsa
- Cheese: grated cheddar cheese, crumbly feta cheese, queso fresco, creamy goat cheese
- Guacamole
- Plain yogurt
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