spuds

spuds
i usually steam potatoes as i found that they often fell apart when i boiled them, also it's easier to pick out the pieces which cook faster and it saves having to strain them (i tend to make a mess and scald myself doing that)
it's often a good idea to cook more potatoes than you need for a meal, the spares can be kept in the fridge for a few days and will be useful for:

• tomorrow's meal
• filling an omelette
• a hash or bubble & squeak
• adding to pie filling
• potato salad
• fish cakes, patties or similar

baked potatoes

for a crisp skin turn up the oven temperature towards the end of cooking - keeping them warm at a lower temperature makes the skins go soft so timing can be important - i tend to cook long and slow and bump up the heat a good 10 mins before the meal

making one is not a very economical way to use the oven so make more - have another the next day with something different

the spare ones can be stuffed and used another day or frozen - these can be warmed (and thawed) in a microwave then popped under the grill for a browned crispy finish - good on their own, with beans, salad, chilli .....etc - they can even be used for packed lunch if your workplace has somewhere to warm them

stuffed baked potato

1. cut potato in 2, scoop the flesh into a bowl and mash it with some butter, cheese, chopped onion (salt & pepper and other flavourings optional)
2. put the mixture back into the skins, brown under the grill or in the oven if you are eating them straight away, voila!

there is no such thing as a leftover potato - they always find a use!