The Perfect Baked Potato

I'm not much of a potato fan, but it has been appearing on the dinner table fairly frequently the last few months. Potatoes are awesome when you're on a budget so I'm learning to love them. JP on the other hand - I'm not sure if he hates chicken or potatoes more? I managed to get through many childhood meals, where mashed potatoes were served on the side, by slathering them with butter. I can actually still picture the crater in my potatoes filled with melted butter. Yum... But as a child, if I had to have potatoes, I would rather have baked potatoes over mashed. Anyways...

It seems as though each time we are served a home-cooked meal by Perry's mom, twice-baked potatoes are always on the menu. They are super delicious, but I can't seem to recreate them for Perry, as they are one of his favorite sides. For now anyways, twice baked potatoes will be a nice treat at the cabin. In the meantime I have mastered the "standard" baked potato.

There's a few different ways you can bake potatoes. Growing up, I had learned to wrap them in foil. Wrapping potatoes in foil makes the peel soft when you cook them. Although they can be quite tasty this way, my new favorite method is so much easier for me. I hate foil... Plus the crispy outside has ME wanting seconds, which is pretty rare!

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. Wash the potatoes under running water and pat dry.

3. Place potatoes in a small bowl. Add enough olive oil to coat all the potatoes. Add Alpine Touch (my favorite seasoning), a little bit of garlic salt, and a hint of dill to the bowl. Using your hands, mix all the ingredients to evenly coat all of the spuds.

4. Pierce each potato multiple times with a fork to allow the steam to escape.

5. Bake the potatoes in the oven for about an hour. You can place them directly on the rack, like I do, or use a baking sheet to place them on. Turn potatoes every 15 minutes for even crispiness.

Delicious! What's your favorite way to eat a potato?