Microwave Baked Potato ♥

A baked potato cooked in the microwaveThis quick recipe is for my friend Ann who has -- undeservedly, to my mind -- the reputation as a bad cook.

Actually, she's a decent cook. It's just that food isn't high on her priority list and so 'good' is 'good enough'. This I respect, admire even -- not every bite we eat must be 'delicious'. Good is good. Good is plenty. Good is, yes, good enough.

So when I raved about how I'd just learned how to make the best baked potatoes, she looked momentarily embarrassed (but not really) to admit she just throws baked potatoes in the microwave. "They're good," she assured.

And so they are -- good! -- and frankly, way better than expected. The flesh is actually quite good (a tiny tad gummy but if you haven't tasted the slooow-baked potatoes, you wouldn't notice) but in the microwave, the skin just won't get crisp. So I checked the ever-so-thorough Vegetable Love by Barbara Kafka who sure enough, has the solution: finishing the potatoes 10 minutes in a very hot oven.

WEIGHT WATCHERS NOTE If you've ever wondered how many points are in a baked potato, check the nutrition information below. A standard-size potato is huge -- talk about super-sizing -- and racks up 7 Weight Watchers points. And that's before you starting loading it with other goodies. Yikes.

MAKE IT A MEAL A baked potato would go perfectly with this quick supper recipes from Kitchen Parade, Pepper Steak & Mushrooms.

MICROWAVE BAKED POTATO


Hands-on time: 2 minutes
Time to table: 20 minutes (for 1)

1 'Idaho' russet potato (they have rough exteriors, are somewhat elongated and the flesh is 'mealy')

Set oven to 500F to preheat. Wash potatoes well and prick twice with the tines of a fork. Place one potato in center of microwave. For more than one potato, place one in the center, arrange other in 'spoke' or 'petal' or 'clock hands' fashion around the center potato. Do not cover.

1 potato - Cook 6 minutes for a 7 - 8 ounce potato, 1 - 2 minutes more for each additional ounce

2 potatoes - Cook 10 minutes (same)

3 potatoes - Cook 13 minutes (same)

4 potatoes - 15 minutes

Remove from microwave and rub lightly with bit of olive oil. Place directly on oven rack for 10 minutes til skins get slightly crisp.


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Eat more vegetables! A Veggie Venture is the home of Veggie Evangelist Alanna Kellogg and is the award-winning source of free vegetable recipes, quick, easy, and yes, delicious. Start with the Alphabet of Vegetables or dive into all the Weight Watchers vegetable recipes or all the low carb vegetable recipes.
© Copyright 2007

Alanna Kellogg
Alanna Kellogg

A Veggie Venture is home of "veggie evangelist" Alanna Kellogg and the famous asparagus-to-zucchini Alphabet of Vegetables.

Comments

  1. I've always prefered microwaved potatoes to those baked in the oven. There is something about the texture of the oven baked potato that I don't like.

    It's nice to know that sometimes fast and easy tastes good!

    -Dana

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  2. The microwave is all I have right now and it's not too bad.

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  3. I'll do microwave potatoes from time to time at work, when I don't have an oven available. But I'm one of the ones that like the crispier texture the skin gets as it slowly roasts in the oven. And I love coating the outside with pepper and garlic and letting that get crispy and yummy, which doesn't work very well in the microwave.

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  4. Dana ~ Fast and easy, for sure! But I'd love for you to do a side-by-side with the slow-baked potato to see if you still prefer the microwave.

    Kelly ~ Good for you, making do.

    Deborah ~ Love the pepper/garlic idea. I bet that would work during the "crisping" process in the oven.

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  5. Wow, sounds like something a busy mama like me could use... if I ever got around my microwave problem (I can't trust these things!). Hey Alanna, I've noticed you have a cookbook section, and I would like to recommend you a great cookbook that I've being enjoying lately (although it is not completely vegetarian, it offers a lot of veggies recipes). It is the Esalen Cookbook. You can read my review of it here: http://foreignmama.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/10/review-esalen-c.html

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  6. I've always liked my baked potato done in a regular oven but long ago found that a combo of microwave and regular gave me a great and fast baked potato. And there are always the times you want a baked potato in 20 minutes not 60!

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  7. Thanks for this! A life-saver for a busy work night when I need a steamy yummy potato to keep me going! The skin was perfect.

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Thank you for taking a moment to write! I read each and every comment, for each and every recipe, whether a current recipe or a long-ago favorite. If you have a specific question, it's nearly always answered quick-quick. ~ Alanna