How To Make A Baked Potato

When putting dinner together, it might be worthwhile to know how to make a baked potato. It is the perfect side dish that doesn't take much time. You can place several things on the table for your guests to customize their own baked potatoes.

You will need:

• Russet potatoes
• Access to an oven or microwave
• Toppings: butter, sour cream, chopped chives and/or cheese

The Oven

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. If you want to know how to make a baked potato using the oven, you want to preheat it while you get everything ready.
2. Clean the potatoes thoroughly. You can use a brush to remove all of the dirt. Rinse the potatoes in the sink until you feel confident that they are clean.
3. Take a fork and poke holes all around the potato. Be sure that the holes are spread out all over the potatoes. There is no set number of holes that should be poked into the potato.
4. Put the potatoes onto a cookie sheet or cake pan. Place them into the oven for anywhere from 40 to 60 minutes. You can check to see if the potatoes are done with a knife. When the knife can easily slice the potatoes in half, they're done!

The Microwave

You also have the option of learning how to make a baked potato in the microwave.

1. Repeat steps two and three mentioned above.
2. Place the potatoes into the microwave. Turn a plate upside down and place it on top of the potatoes. Cooking times will vary in the microwave. Start with fifteen minutes and check to see if they are done. If not, you can continue cooking the potatoes in five- to ten-minute increments.

Now that you know how to make a baked potato, lay out butter, sour cream, cheese and chives to let guests create their own side dish.