I love potatoes. Who doesn’t? Let’s walk through some great ways you can make potatoes.

Courtesy of MCTCampus

Baked

We’ve been baking potatoes wrong. So, so, so wrong. I have been wrapping them in foil and baking them, some people microwave them, but we’ve all been wrong. America Test Kitchen, one of my favorite YouTube channels, did an episode on baked potatoes recently and I was shocked to see that I have been baking potatoes so poorly. Here’s how we should all start baking them from now on.

1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
2. Poke small holes in your potatoes with a fork, just enough to break the skin and a little beneath. This will help the steam escape and keep your potatoes fluffy.
3. Prepare a brine of a ½ cup of water and two tablespoons of salt, and give all sides of the potatoes a nice salty bath. This will not only flavor the skin, but make it nice and crispy.
4. Place all potatoes on an uncovered, wired baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes to an hour.
5. Brush the potatoes with oil and return to oven for 10 more minutes. This again is for the skin to get deliciously crispy.
6. After your potatoes come out for a final time, cut an “X” on the top and gently squeeze the ends to fluff your potato. This prevents it from getting dense and keeping the inside light and fluffy. Season with butter and salt and eat immediately.

I tried this method and the difference was significant. I would always cook a lot of potatoes at once and eat them over week or so, and they were alright, but not “Wow, I need to make these for other people” good. These tasted like restaurant potatoes, and serving them right away made all the difference in the word.

Roasted

This is the easiest way to make a lot of potatoes at once. There is no right recipe, but I’ll give you the basics.

1. Cut your spuds to whatever size desired. I like to get them into eighths.
2. Cover them in oil and seasonings. Remember olive oil burns pretty easily, so canola or sunflower is preferred. Also, on seasonings, don’t overdo it. Salt, pepper and paprika are my go-to choices.
3. Bake uncovered at 450 degrees for 45 minutes, turning every 10-15 minutes to get all sides browned.

The best thing about roasted potatoes is that you can store them and continue to eat them at almost the same taste as eating them fresh.

Mashed

I love mashed potatoes more than a good steak. A lot of people mess up their mashed potatoes unnecessarily. Good mashed potatoes have five ingredients: potatoes, butter, salt, pepper and milk.

1. Boil your potatoes for 30 minutes to an hour. Really get them soft and mashable.
2. Using a mixer, smash and mash potatoes, skin included, until they’re mostly broken up.
3. Add your milk and butter a little at a time to get desired consistency, which is creamy, but not gluey.
4. Once you have your mashed potatoes ready, season with salt and pepper to taste. I suggest folding the salt and pepper into the mash so as not to continue to mix it and ruin the texture.

Potatoes are life. You can live on a diet of potatoes, and it is what keeps Idaho a state. Don’t discount our spud friends.