Is this usual with baked potatoes?

[Home77]

DC went to MIL's and had the most amazing baked potatoes and not they want them the same.

It's a right faff. First potatoes need baked then you scoop put the potato and mash it. (at the same time you put the skins back in the oven to crisp them). You mask it with butter and cheese and then take the skins out and scoop it back in...and then grate cheese on top and bake it again.

I am so fed up doing this and it is all they want to eat now. Argh. Do others do this for baked potatoes also as DH says they have always had them like this.

I remember making these in home economics in the 90’s. I added cheese, tuna and sweet corn to mine with some chopped peppers. I haven’t made them in ages but have grated mushrooms and added to cheese and garlic butter, or cauliflower, broccoli and cheese. You can mix all sorts in.

When I read about the meals mners make I feel incompetent. Yet these are a faff?!
I add vinegar, just a bit. And onions and lots of cheese

Ooh yes and mushrooms. The mini ones

Oh I’d forgotten about these!
They were a weekly staple in my teens... I’m making them athe the weekend.

We used to have cheese, finely shredded Leeks and bacon in ours

I was taught this way at school too.

I know what I'm having for dinner tomorrow 😊 this also works well with spring onions and bacon added to the mash!

Get the dc to make them.

Bloody hell, OP, (and others) thanks for that, not!

Now I need them, and I don't have any potatoes so I'll have to go out and buy some. Bacon, too, as that sounds scrumptious. I have onion already though.

You've completely ruined baked potatoes for me now. MIL's way sounds so delicious I won't be satisfied with my boring baked spuds now.

How old are your DC OP? Teach them how if they're old enough, or get your DH to do it- it's too much faff for several times a week, you're not an unpaid home chef!

I sometimes have a simplified version of this- basically rub a bit of oil on the potato before it goes in win your hands, wait for it to cook until the skins are crisp. The inside will still be soft, cut in half, add a bit of butter/cheese/salt and pepper etc, mash it up with the same fork, serve. I'd not have thought the in and out processes MIL does could alter the taste much! Can always shove into the already warm oven if you want melted cheese on top I suppose!

So not a faff..

Microwave spuds ahead of time.

Halve and scoop, brush the skins wiht oil and oven whilst you mash up the innards with whatever you want. Reload the skins, back in the oven to melt/brown the top.

You can do it in one go but its a bit harder to hold the halved spud when its hot (clean oven glove) to scoop it, but not impossible by any means.

Haha! This was all an elaborate plot by your DH to make you aware of how his DM makes baked potatoes.

👏🏼

Make these every week or two, except I don't crisp up the empty jackets in the middle of it all. It's a massive faff, you're right! They are delicious, though. I can't think of any shortcuts apart from microing the potatoes for a few minutes first to cut down the oven time.

I do the full on stuffed potatoes occasionally, but my cheat version is almost as good.

Cook them until the skins are crunchy

Do each persons in their own bowl,
Cut in half mash up with a fork, mix in butter, cheese, whatever and reassemble with grated cheese on top.

The skins have to be crunchy.

I get extra skins because some of the little weirdos don’t like them even near their bowls 🙄 so I get crunchy skins with butter. Yum

I miss the old Aga though, there’s nothing like baked potatoes from the Aga. (Well except an outdoor fire!). Deep sigh.

I do these with chopped red pepper and ham

The freezing idea sounds like good one

No it isn't. Baked potatoes that have been frozen are horrible. I will only have a baked potato if I know it has been cooked fresh, and they rarely are in pubs, cafes, restaurants etc because it just takes too long. At home I microwave for 5 minutes and then put in a very hot oven for 5-10 minutes to crisp up.

OP, are you the only person in your family with arms? If 'they' are adults or over about 10, they can cook their own faffy potatoes surely? And however nice they are, once or twice a week is quite a lot anyway because wouldn't you want to eat other things as well, which you can't if you are having baked potatoes for every meal.

Is it really that much of a faff? Basically mashing up some potatoes you haven’t had to peel. They’re in the oven a while but that’s it?

Yes exactly! And yet most people talk about their midweek meals of lamb cutlets, herby mash and cider roasted carrots, or whatever. When I'm doing frozen pizzas. Yet they say this is a faff.

This could the point where you introduce your kids into the kitchen and show them how to bake these like that -then from now on -they can cook them ! ( obvs if they are old enough to be safe etc etc !!)

Different people have different ideas about what is a faff that don't make any sense. We probably all just have things we do or don't like doing. So this is how the OP could view this type of potatoes, whether it makes sense to others or not.

Plenty of people say how easy home made pizza is, but while it is certainly not difficult, even with a breadmaker, it takes ages and you have to deal with the sticky dough and roll it out thin, which I just can't do, so to me pizza is faffy and I don't really like the results so would rather just have a supermarket one that I like or go to one of the many bars and restaurants near us that do excellent pizza and get my pizza fix that way.

I've never done this but am going to try it! Sounds delicious!

I make these regularly.

I vary the fillings/ cheese/ham/spring onion, topped with more cheese and baked till cheese is bubbling.

Turns a dull jacket potato into a super tasty meal.

I do them like that for a full meal, but not for a snack

How old are the DC, could you let them do the mashing?

I think doing baked potatoes like this is definitely worth it personally, and a lot less faff than a lot meals.

I've done that but not all the time. I also put olive oil on the skins and tos them in garlic salt and onion powder. Yum!