Ingredients
Serves 41 or 2 baked potatoes per person
Toppings:
Traditional baked potato
Butter
Grated cheese
Sour cream
Chives
Bacon (optional)
Coleslaw
Mexican potato
1 tin of red kidney beans
6 rashers of lean bacon
1 brown onion
1 teaspoon minced fresh chilli
1 tin of borlotti beans
Fresh parsley
1 tin of diced tomatoes
2 fresh tomatoes cut up
Vegetarian Mushroom Potato
Bag of button mushrooms - finely sliced
2 cloves of fresh garlic
Butter
Fresh parsley
Olive oil
Roasted cherry tomatoes (the ones on the vine - just roast them in the oven)
Parmesan
Balsamic Vinegar
Method
Floury varieties of potato are best for baked potatoes. These include; King Edward, Russet, Maris Piper, Golden Wonder – just look for the big, brushed potatoes at the supermarket. They are very common.
To prepare your potatoes:
Wash your potatoes and prick them with a fork.
Roast the potatoes in the oven at 180°C for about two hours.
The perfect potatoes in the oven have their skin slightly shrunk and the skin has loosened.
Traditional baked potato:
Simply slice a cross into the top of your baked spud and open it up so you can see all the fluffy, white, steamy inside.
Top your baked spud with butter, grated cheese, bacon, coleslaw and sour cream – with a few chives for garnish.
Mexican potato:
Fry the bacon until cooked. Add the diced brown onion and sauté until soft.
Add the minced fresh chilli, diced tomatoes, tin of tomatoes, red kidney beans and cannellini beans and cook for a couple of minutes.
Finally, add the chopped fresh parsley.
Serve the Mexican bean mixture on top of the baked spud and garnish with sour cream, fresh chives and grated cheese.
Vegetarian Mushroom Potato
Sauté the mushrooms in the butter with the olive oil and parsley - then place them on top of the baked spud.
Place the vine roasted cherry tomatoes on top, then garnish with parmesan and a splash of balsamic vinegar.