Americas Test Kitchen Baked Potato Food

TEST KITCHEN'S FAVORITE BAKED POTATO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Thoroughly wash and dry potatoes. Prick each in a few spots with a fork. Brush with oil and season with salt.
• Place potatoes directly on rack and bake until soft and easily pierced with the tip of a knife, 1 hour to 1 hour, 15 minutes, depending on size. Remove from oven.
• Grab a hot potato with a clean kitchen towel and bang it down firmly on the counter once to fluff up the flesh. Repeat with remaining potatoes. Cut open, season generously with salt and pepper, and top with butter, sour cream, and chives.

LOADED BAKED POTATO SOUP

Steps:

• In a large dutch oven over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, move bacon to paper towel-lined plate. When it cools a bit, crumble it.
• Add chopped potato skins to pot and cook until browned and crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer to plate with the bacon.
• Add chopped onion to the pot and cook over medium heat until softened, 5-7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Stir in the flour and cook for another minute, before whisking in the broth and making sure to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot, until smooth. Stir in the potatoes, mustard powder, and thyme and bring the mixture to a simmer. Then, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and continue cooking until the potatoes are nice and tender. This will likely take about 7-8 minutes.
• Remove the sprig of thyme and put half the soup into a blender and blend until nice and smooth. Return blended soup to pot and whisk in half-and-half.
• Put yogurt in a separate, small bowl and then stir in 1/2 cup of the hot soup (this will temper it) before whisking mixture into the pot of soup.
• Stir in the cheese and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve in bowls, topped with bacon, potato skins, and chives.

AMISH POTATO SALAD FROM COOK'S COUNTRY (AMERICA'S TEST KITCHEN)

Steps:

• COOK POTATOES Bring potatoes, 1 tablespoon salt, and enough water to cover by 1 inch to boil in large pot over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are just tender, about 10 minutes.
• PREPARE DRESSING While potatoes simmer, microwave vinegar and sugar in small bowl until sugar dissolves, about 30 seconds. Process vinegar mixture, mustard, 1 hard-cooked egg yolk (reserve white), celery seed, and ½ teaspoon salt in food processor until smooth. Transfer to medium bowl.
• SEASON POTATOES Drain potatoes thoroughly, then transfer to large bowl. Drizzle 2 tablespoons dressing over hot potatoes and, using rubber spatula, gently toss until evenly coated. Refrigerate until cooled, at least 30 -minutes, stirring gently once to redistribute dressing.
• ASSEMBLE Whisk sour cream into remaining dressing. Add remaining hard-cooked eggs and egg white to dressing and, using potato masher, mash until only small pieces remain. Add dressing and celery to cooled potatoes. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 -minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve. (Salad can be refrigerated in airtight container for 2 days.).

ATK'S BEST BAKED POTATO

Steps:

• Using a fork, poke six times to make holes into each large Russet potato.
• Combine salt and water. Roll each potato in liquid.
• Transfer potatoes to a wire rack on a baking pan. Place into oven.
• Bake in a preheated 450 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour. IMPORTANT: Internal temperature should be 205 degrees to be done.
• Test temperature into the end of the potato and see that there is no resistance. 205 to 212 degrees is the ideal range.
• Brush potatoes with 1 Tbsp. of vegetable oil and return to oven for 10 minutes to crisp skin.
• Cut an X in the top of the baked potato and using a dishtowel, squeeze potato at each end to open the X and let steam escape.
• Top with butter or whatever toppings you prefer.
• DO NOT LEAVE POTATOES UNCUT/SPLIT -- EAT IMMEDIATELY FOR THE BEST EXPERIENCE.