STUFFED BAKED POTATOES

A baked potato, or jacket potato, is the edible result of baking a potato. When well cooked, a baked potato has a fluffy interior and a crisp skin. It may be served with fillings and condiments such as butter, cheese or ham. Potatoes can be baked in a conventional gas or electric oven, a convection oven, a microwave oven, on a barbecue grill, or on/in an open fire. Some restaurants use special ovens designed specifically to cook large numbers of potatoes then keep them warm and ready for service.

Prior to cooking, the potato should be scrubbed clean, washed and dried with eyes and surface blemishes removed, and possibly basted with oil or butter and/or salt. Pricking the potato with a fork or knife allows steam to escape during the cooking process. Potatoes cooked in a microwave without pricking the skin might explode due to built up internal pressure from unvented steam. It takes between one and two hours to bake a large potato in a conventional oven at 200 °C (392 °F). Microwaving takes from six to twelve minutes depending on oven power and potato size, but does not generally produce a crisp skin.

Some varieties of potato such as Russet and King Edward potato are more suitable for baking than others, due to their size and consistency.

Wrapping the potato in aluminium foil before cooking in a standard oven will help to retain moisture, while leaving it unwrapped will result in a crisp skin. When cooking over an open fire or in the coals of a barbecue, it may require wrapping in foil to prevent burning of the skin. A potato buried directly in coals of a fire cooks very nicely, with a mostly burned and inedible skin. A baked potato is fully cooked when its internal temperature reaches 99 °C (210 °F).

Once a potato has been baked, some people discard the skin and eat only the softer and moister interior, while others enjoy the taste and texture of the crisp skin. Potatoes baked in their skins may lose between 20 to 40% of their Vitamin C content because heating in air is slow and vitamin inactivation can continue for a long time. Small potatoes bake more quickly than large ones and therefore retain more of their Vitamin C. Despite the popular misconception that potatoes are fattening, baked potatoes can be used as part of a healthy diet.

Stuffed Baked Potato Recipes

All of the five fillings for the Stuffed Potatoes are enough for six medium-sized potatoes. Use old, even-sized potatoes; scrub and dry potatoes, prick all over with a skewer. Place potatoes slightly apart directly onto oven rack in moderate oven, bake for about 1 hour or until potatoes are tender (or microwave on HlGH for about 10 minutes). Remove from oven, cut potatoes in half, scoop out the flesh leaving a 1cm thick shell of potato. Brush potatoes, inside and out, lightly with oil, place onto oven tray, cut side up; bake in hot oven 10 minutes. Potatoes are now ready for preferred filling. Individual recipes will indicate if the scooped-out potato flesh is to be used as part of the filling or not.

SOUR CREAM AND MUSHROOM

Potato flesh is used in this recipe.
15g butter
1 onion, finely chopped
2 bacon rashers, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
500g small mushrooms, sliced
300g carton sour cream
1/2 cup grated tasty cheese

Heat butter in pan, add onion and bacon, cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes or until onion is soft, add garlic and mushrooms, cook over low heat 5 minutes or until mushrooms are soft; stir in sour cream and mashed potato.

Spoon filling into potatoes on oven tray, sprinkle with cheese; bake in moderate oven 15 minutes or until golden brown.

ALMOND AND VEGETABLE

Potato flesh is used in this recipe.
375g broccoli
2 carrots, thinly sliced
30g butter, melted
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup grated tasty cheese
1/2 cup flaked almonds
Paprika

Cut broccoli into flowerets. Boil, steam or microwave broccoli and carrots until tender. Fill potato halves with chopped potato flesh, broccoli and carrots, brush with combined butter and lemon
juice . Top with combined cheese and almonds, sprinkle with paprika; bake in moderate oven on oven tray for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

BEAN ‘N‘ CHILLI

Potato flesh is not used in this recipe.
2 tablespoons oil
30g butter
1 onion, chopped
2 small canned jalapeno chillies, chopped
185g can pimientos, drained, sliced
425g can pinto beans, drained
1/4cup sour cream
1/2 cup grated tasty cheese
1 cup grated tasty cheese, extra

Heat oil and butter in pan, add onion, cook, stirring, few minutes or until onion is soft. Add chillies and pimientos, cook 1 minute. Mash half the beans, stir into onion mixture with sour cream
and cheese, stir in remaining beans. Spoon filling into potato halves on oven tray, top with extra cheese; bake in moderate oven for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.

SMOKED FISH AND SHALLOT

Potato flesh is used in this recipe. We used smoked cod in the filling.
500g smoked fish
30g butter
6 green shallots, chopped
1 tablespoon plain flour
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons chopped capers
1 teaspoon dried tarragon leaves

Poach fish in simmering water for about 5 minutes or until just tender (or microwave, covered with 1 cup water. on HIGH for about 4 minutes); drain. Remove skin and bones from fish, flake fish with fork. Heat butter in pan, add shallots and flour, cook, stirring, 1 minute. Gradually stir in milk; stir constantly over heat until mixture boils and thickens. Stir in mashed potato, fish, mayonnaise, capers and tarragon. Spoon filling into potatoes on oven tray; bake in moderate oven for about 15 minutes or until heated through.

SLOPPY JOE

Potato flesh is not used in this recipe.
500g minced beef
1 tablespoon oil
1 onion, chopped
2 sticks celery, chopped
440g can baked beans in tomato sauce
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried mixed herbs
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Heat oil in pan, add onion and celery, cook, stirring over heat until onion is soft. Add mince, stirring until well browned; cover, cook gently for about 10 minutes or until mince is tender; pour off excess oil. Stir in beans and sauces, bring to the boil, reduce heat, simmer covered 5 minutes. Stir in
herbs and parsley, spoon filling into potatoes; serve immediately.

Watch out for the follow up to this article – stuffed tomatoes, peppers, pumkins stuffed with chilli and onions.

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