3 Easy Ways To Turn A Baked Potato Into A Hearty, Tasty, Healthy Meal

Potatoes have gotten a lot of bad press since the low-carb fad diets became all the rage. Foods high in carbohydrates somehow got labeled "bad", and everyone now seems to think carbs are solely responsible for obesity. I am still not convinced. According to Wikipedia,"It provides bulk, offers protection against [numerous diseases], lowers plasma cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations, increases satiety, and possibly even reduces fat storage." Eating more potatoes may actually reduce obesity.

While we're on the subject of nutrition, I'd like to know - how many of you eat your baked potatoes with the skins on? The reason I ask is, I know a lot of people leave the skins on their plates, as though there is something undesirable about the skins. Leave a comment if you can enlighten me on that. Do you know that much of the nutrition contained in a potato comes from the skin? You throw away most of the fiber, potassium, vitamin B6, and almost half of the vitamin C that a potato contains when you throw away the skin.

All the recipes in this article start with a baked potato. To produce this delectable gem of culinary joy, you can bake potatoes in a conventional oven, the microwave, or on your charcoal or gas grill. If you want it fast, use the microwave. If you want the best taste, use your grill.

Cleaning Your Taters

But first, you need to clean the potato. I use a stiff-bristled brush that is dedicated for cleaning potatoes or other food items. Do not use a brush you also use for cleaning of any kind. Ewww!

Gently scrub the potato with the brush while running tap water over it to quickly remove all dirt and other unwanted matter from around the skin, while allowing as much of the skin itself to remain. Avoid scrubbing too hard. If you do, you'll loose some of that beneficial fiber that is contained in the outer crust of the skin.

Cooking

Cooking times will vary with all the different methods of cooking them, depending on the size and number of spuds you're baking. So it's best just to know how to tell when it's done.

Your tater is done when:

• The skin is slightly puffy and loose all around. When baked in the microwave, the skins are actually a bit soggy, compared to the oven or grill, where they will be slightly crispy and browned.
• The inside of it is soft and tender all around - no firm spots.
• When baking in an oven or on the grill, it takes longer to cook on the inside than the outside, so in those cases, use a fork to see if the inside is as soft and tender as the outside.

The quickest: Microwave Method

1. Use a fork to poke several holes in the cleaned spud all around it. This allows steam to escape during cooking.
2. Cook times vary depending on the size and number of potatoes. I usually start with 4 minutes on the highest setting.
3. Turn the potato(es), and cook another 2 minutes.
4. Keep turning and cooking in 2 minute shots until it's done. For one large or a couple of medium-sized taters, it will usually take around 10 minutes.

The Best-Tasting: On the Grill

1. Preheat your grill to as close to 350°F (with the lid down) as you can get it. Higher is okay, since you can always adjust it cooler by raising the lid or open air vents.
2. For baking potatoes on the grill, start with a nice schmear of butter all over the potato.
3. Poke deep holes all over the spud with a fork.
4. Wrap the potato in aluminum foil.
5. Set the wrapped potato(es) on the grill where the fire is the coolest, and put the lid down so they are completely surrounded with heat.
6. Cooking times for grill baking are more like 45-60 minutes, depending on the size of the potato and how hot the grill is. Turn them occasionally while they are baking.

Oven Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Smear on a bit of olive oil and add a light sprinkle of salt.
3. Set the potato(es) on the upper oven grate and set a baking sheet on the grate beneath it to catch dripping oil.
4. Cooking times for conventional oven baking are more like 60-75 minutes, depending on the size of the potato. No need to turn them.

Everyone knows how great stir fry goes with rice. Potatoes also go great with stir-fried veggies and meat. This tangy, peppery mixture of stir-fried ham and veggies is given its unique flavor by using diluted marinade sauce for seasoning.

In a skillet, heat

• 1 Tbsp of cooking oil

over medium-high heat.

Add to the skillet

• 1 cup coarsely chopped broccoli
• 1 cup coarsely chopped cauliflower
• 1 carrot, thinly sliced
• half an onion - your choice of red, yellow, or white - chopped
• half a green bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch by 1-inch strips
• 2 cups smoked ham, chopped into 1/2-inch chunks

and cook, stirring frequently, until the meat and vegetables start to brown slightly around the edges.

Reduce the heat to medium-low, and stir into the mixture

• 1/4 cup of lemon pepper marinade, diluted with 1/8 cup water.

Allow the mixture to simmer for a few minutes, and it's ready to serve. There should be enough of the mixture to generously top 4 large potatoes.

This is a smoky, chunky twist on the standard sloppy joe sandwich filling that also goes great on a spud!

To make this topping, start by browning

• 1 lb ground beef

in a skillet over medium heat. When the meat is thoroughly browned, drain off the grease, add

• 1 Tbsp liquid smoke

and continue cooking while stirring the mixture together.

Turn up the heat a bit and add to the skillet

• Half a green bell pepper, finely chopped
• Half an onion, finely chopped
• 2 sticks of celery, finely chopped

and cook, stirring, until the veggies start to brown around the edges just a bit.

Add to the skillet

• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 1 can of tomato paste
• 1-1/4 cup water
• 1 beef bouillon cube
• 1 can of dark kidney beans
• 1 package of your favorite sloppy joe seasoning mix (my favorite is Lawrey's)

and cook while thoroughly mixing everything together. Reduce heat to medium-low and allow the mixture to simmer for about 15 minutes.

Serve on top of baked potatoes, with a few dollops of sour cream and a sprinkle of grated cheddar cheese. This makes enough to generously top 6-8 large potatoes.

In German cuisine, sauerkraut, potatoes and sausage go together like... well, they just go together. The sour flavor of the sauerkraut is nicely balanced by the relatively mild and earthy flavor of the potato, and a nice bratwurst or kielbasa adds protein and a spicy accent. Here's a baked spud topper for the German in all of us. This one is super-easy, too.

Just simmer however many brats or kielbasa you need in a nice dark beer on medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, then set them on a grill or in a frying pan for another 6-8 minutes of cooking.

Lightly heat however much sauerkraut you need in a pan, with the stove on a medium-low setting, stirring occasionally. Remove it from the heat before the liquid begins to boil. The less you cook the sauerkraut, the more flavor it will retain, and it can become somewhat bland if you over-cook it.

Put a nice mound of the sauerkraut on top of the spud, and serve the brats or kielbasa links and spicy brown mustard on the side.