Jacket Potatoes for a crowd - what's the best method

8 replies

kif · 12/03/2009 11:38

Jacket potatoes, with their evil still-hard tendencies worry me slightly.

I'd like to do them for a party. What's the best way?

Do ahead? Use the oven there? Halve them?

OP posts:

OhBling · 12/03/2009 11:44

You're not serving them at home? how many are you talking about?

I think the key to jacket potatotes is to cook them for a long time - it's hard to overcook them but easy to undercook them. Throw them in oven for at least 80 minutes. If you're taking them somewhere else, keep them warm while transporting then pop into oven on other side.

paranoidmother · 12/03/2009 11:47

I would suggest Microwave them for 10 minutes first about 2-3 on a plate and then put in oven for an hour. Should crisp up but be nice a fluffy inside.

Once cooked through, wrap indivudally in foil and put together in dish etc. Should stay warm then.

Original poster

kif · 12/03/2009 11:54

it's in a hall with a kitchen attached. We've the hall from an hour before the party... so could cook them there - but may get stressful if it gets busy or they take toolong to cook.

Else i thought about doing them at home in batches, and keeping hot in a big duvet or icebox something. Would they be cold, soggy and yakky? Will I give everyone food poisoning.

I'm going to discretely test the oven in the hall next week - but two potatoes might cook much quicker than thirty potatoes.

pm - why not wrap with foil straight away? That's my mental image of a crowd jacket potato.. Could people eat direct out of the foil, do you think?

OP posts:

jugglingwoman · 12/03/2009 16:59

I've done this before. We did them all in the oven at home (about 50), took them up to church in bags and then left them in the oven for 20 mins before they were needed.

Original poster

kif · 12/03/2009 18:04

.. and I presume the end of the story is 50 happy guests tucking into delicious potatoes... not luke warm lumps which are chewy on the outside and crunchy on the inside?

OP posts:

jugglingwoman · 13/03/2009 12:49

Yep. None of them knew that it'd been a two part recipe as it were! All were very happy!

Original poster

kif · 13/03/2009 22:12

Excellent - thank you.

I face my potato mountain with renewed confidence

OP posts:

deste · 15/03/2009 22:50

I microwave a potatoe for two minutes and then in the oven for thirtyfive to forty minutes.

Flip