take my word for it wednesday.. it's easy to make the perfect baked potato.. if you know how..

so your probably wondering to yourself why in the world is she telling us how to make a baked potato.. it's the easiest thing in the world to make.. well from experience of having 2 children leave the nest the past few years things we "cooks"/"foodies" take for granted as being so easy is still something we had to learn at some point.. well my momma taught me, i am going to say some 35 years ago.. {good gawd i feel old now} i've mentioned before i didn't like potatoes when i was little.. which is a strange thing to dislike but then again i didn't like bacon as a child either so i think we have established i was a strange little duck.. but sometime in my late teens before i moved out i jumped on the baked potato band wagon.. i never did do the whole loaded baked potato thing and still don't.. don't get me wrong i love love to fill my potatoes with a lot of different things.. i love a baked potato stuffed with fresh sautéed mushrooms, or cut up bbq chicken and sometimes i like to put my salad right in my potato.. but the butter, sour cream, bacon, cheese and chive.. nope not gonna happen {shaking head vigorously} now that i am a grown up {issue to be debated if i am actually a grown up left for another post} i love bacon.. as can be seen by my many many posts featuring bacon.. such as my bacon wrapped little smokies, or this little wonder bacon wrapped green bean bundles.. i've even gone so far as to make homemade bacon, savory bacon bread pudding, bacon wrapped pork tenderloin, cheesy bacon scalloped potatoes, beer, bacon and pecan tart, bacon, lettuce and double tomato sammie,  bacon wrapped stuffed jalapenos, open faced bacon, egg and asparagus sammie, bacon fried brown rice,  extraordinary blt, and a new favorite the  kentucky hot brown {whew that was a mouthful repeating all my love of bacon} but even though it would appear clearly i am obsessed with it.. i don't like it on burgers and most of all baked potatoes.. is there a reason?? possibly a rational explanation to my madness?? sadly there is not.. as my kids would say i am just plain weird!! but don't let my weirdness prevent you from loading your potato up with as many bacon bits as your little heart desires!! go for it..

easy baked taters

prep time: 5 minutes
cooking time: 45-60 minutes {depending on the size of the potato}
servings: 1

ingredients:

1 russet potato
olive oil
course sea salt

toppings:

sour cream
chives
butter
salt and pepper

directions:

pre heat your oven to 375 degrees {f}..wash and scrub your potato.. towel dry with a paper towel, poke the potato with a fork {i use a large serving fork} 2 times on the front and then on the back of the potato..pour some olive oil on your hand and rub it all over the potato {you can brush it on if you don't want to get your hands oily}sprinkle with course sea salt.. place in the center of the middle rack of the oven.. i usually put a foil lined baking sheet under it because sometimes stuff comes of the holes and drips down.. not every time just sometimes.. bake for 45-60 minutes {depending on the size of your potato} after 45 minutes i give it a gentle squeeze if it's soft it's ready if there is some resistance i cook it for another 15 minutes.. remove from oven and allow to cool about 5 minutes.. with a sharp knife cut a "t" in the potato.. do not cut all the way through your making like a little pocket opening.. then with both hands pinch the sides of the potato and squeeze all the while pushing up and towards the center of the potato until the fluffy yumminess comes up... {i usually do this holding a dish towel or paper towel over the potato because those suckers can be hot and the steam coming up from the potato can burn like a motha!} add  dollop of butter and sour cream, salt, pepper and maybe some fresh chopped chives.. or basically whatever floats your boat!!! when your done eating the inside fluffy part make sure to spread a little more butter and eat the skin.. yuuuummmmmmmyyyyyy.. my favorite thing is to take a bit of steak, scoop up some tater, pierce whatever veggie i am serving and grab some salad all in one perfect bite!! baked potatoes are so versatile they are like a blank canvas.. you can eat them with a little butter {which is how pete and his sisters eat them.. never have added anything other than butter} or load it up and make meal out of it with chili, cheese, sour cream.. etc.. go crazy. .enjoy it..as i always say play with your food!!

enjoy and get cook'n!!