Sliced Baked Potatoes

Sliced Baked Potatoes

I feel that I have the ability and right to pontificate on all things Potato. My family is Irish. Super Irish…like came through Ellis Island Irish….and yes…. we eat potatoes a lot. My grandparents ate potatoes and drank tea every day…all day…. They occasionally ate other things…but you can rest assured that a boiled or baked potato was going to be served with every meal. My mother continued this tradition\punishment while we were kids. She buys potatoes at the grocery store on every trip. It is like a weird addiction….she can never have enough potatoes. If we are down to 3\4 of a bag….she has to get more (it’s like that movie about the guy that had to buy each copy of the Catcher in the Rye…….what was that…..Conspiracy Theory??…..).

Anyway, I have long article about nothing but how to correctly bake a potato. Crazy, right? You say..just bake it…right? Hell no. Baking a potato, the correct way, is an art. Like roasting a chicken…it seems simple….easy to do…but so hard to master. I won’t go into too much detail here, you can read my other rambling diatribe about baking a potato…back to the matter at hand….this recipe is easy and fun…and looks kind of cool. I feel that you need some kind of starch with each balanced meal….(that is the Irish in me…). No matter what kind of protein you are cooking, a potato will go along perfectly. Dial this recipe up whenever you want to add a different appeal to your regular, normal, baked potato. Thanks for reading. Add some notes below with your comments about how you changed this up or made this recipe your own.

What you need:

2,4, or 6 baking potatoes (depending on how many people).
Salt\Fresh Ground Pepper.
Cheddar Cheese.
Melted Butter (about 3 tablespoons).
Chopped, Cooked Bacon.
2 tablespoons of Fresh herbs (if you have them……chives, thyme, or sage…if you don’t this is ok). Use fresh or dry herbs (any you like).
1 tsp Garlic powder.
½ tsp Paprika.
½ tsp Onion Powder.
1\4 cup diced onions.

So here we go:

Wash and scrub each potato.
Set each potato down on a cutting board so it sits stable…ie…find the flat side and set it down so you can cut it without is rolling over.

Slice each potato (but not all the way through). Check my picture, I use a wooden spoon to stop the knife….works like a charm. Remember….if you make a mistake here and cut all the way through….no worry…..not the end of the world…the recipe will still taste great….

Now I sprinkle salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika over the potatoes. I try to split the “slices” to get the seasoning down into the potatoes.
Drizzle some melted butter on the potatoes and place in oven at 425 degrees (bake) for about 45-50 minutes. Smaller potatoes = less baking time. You can check them with a fork.
While your potatoes are baking, I mix butter, chopped bacon, onions, fresh herbs (if you have them) and any seasonings in a bowl. Remember to save some fresh herbs to garnish the potatoes when all finished.

After baking for 45 minutes or so, pull potatoes out, and spread the butter, onion, bacon mixture over the top (and get some down into the slices). Get your cheese and place over the top.