Test Kitchens Favorite 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.

THE BEST MAKE-AHEAD MASHED POTATOES

Steps:

• Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 450 degrees.
• Microwave the potatoes on high for 16 minutes, turning them over once.
• Transfer potatoes to oven and place directly on the oven rack. Bake about 30 minutes, turning once, or until a skewer glides easily through the flesh.
• Remove from from oven and cut each potato in half lengthwise.
• Using an oven mitt or folded kitchen towel to hold the hot potatoes, scrape out the flesh into a large microwave-safe bowl.
• Use a fork, masher, or spatula, break the potato flesh into small pieces.
• Transfer half of the potatoes to a mixer bowl and beat on high speed with the paddle attachment until smooth, about 30 seconds. (I used a hand mixer with the standard beaters and it worked fine but definitely use a stand mixer if you have it.)
• Gradually add the rest of the potatoes to incorporate until no lumps remain, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Remove bowl from mixer and gently fold in 2 cups of the cream followed by the butter and 2 tsp of salt. (This will look way too wet at first but keep folding and it will all come together without being soupy).
• Fold in up to 1/2 cup more cream as needed to reach desired consistency.
• Once desired consistency is reached, fold in an additional 1/2 cup cream. The potatoes will be quite loose at this point but this is neccesary to prevent them drying out overnight. You may skip adding the additional cream if you want to serve the potatoes immediately.
• Add any additional seasonings you desire (I like adding parmesan and roasted garlic).
• TO STORE: Transfer the potatoes back to the large microwave-safe bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for up to 2 days.
• TO SERVE: Poke lots of holes in the plastic wrap and microwave at 75% power until the potatoes are hot, about 14 minutes, stirring gently halfway through.

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.