The Game-Changing Tip For Extraordinary Baked Potatoes

In all its delicious simplicity, the humble baked potato is the go-to tuber to satisfy a carb craving. It's a filling and affordable option for lunch or dinner and can be served as a side or featured as an entrée. Soft and delicate inside with a crispy outer skin, baked potatoes are a textural delight. Until they aren't; if you've ever thrown your potatoes in the microwave, you know the gummy sadness that no diner should have to endure. To avoid disappointment at the dinner table, try this hot tip for the best Super Slow-Cooked Loaded Baked Potato.

Tasting Table recipe developer Jennine Rye loves this recipe because it's no fuss with all the fixins. Traditional toppings of sour cream, chives, cheddar cheese, and bacon give all the classic flavors that a baked potato purist craves, but other options can easily be swapped in to satisfy every taste at the table. From sweet baked beans to spicy chili, the versatility of the mild-flavored potato lends itself to a range of accompaniments.

A rushed potato isn't doing anybody any flavor favors, and nobody wants to slice through a soggy skin or tuck into an undercooked Idaho. Rye has a simple tip to create a baked potato that boasts a fork-and-knife-worthy skin with a fluffy and flavorful interior for your next Russet rendezvous.

Jennine Rye created this Super Slow-Cooked Loaded Baked Potato for Tasting Table with busy, hungry people in mind. Her tip for developing the best flavor and texture is rooted in baking your spud for three hours, giving you time to do life and still prep all the delicious toppings your carb-loving heart desires.

The water in a potato expands when heated, so you'll want to start by poking holes in them before baking for a potato that blows up your tastebuds instead of your oven. Place the oiled, salted, and unwrapped potatoes in an oven preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and go about your business. Rye says, "Baking potatoes slowly for a longer time results in a far superior baked potato. It gives them a delicious, thick and crispy skin with super fluffy insides." The bakers should be done after three hours, but you can check them with a knife; if it goes in easily without resistance, they're ready to enjoy.

Once the flavor and texture have slowly developed, you can cut into your potatoes and stuff them with the toppings of your choice. Rye likes to fill them with a classic baked potato topping mixture, adding cheese on top before popping them back in the oven to melt down all the rich, savory flavor that has you adding potatoes to your grocery list right now. Garnish with bacon, serve with a side salad, and enjoy all that this slow-roasted potato brings to the table.