Baked potatoes

dontpanic1984

I've got a weakness for baked potatoes. They're comfort food, and the fact that they're incredibly cheap and easy helps too. I've discovered you can stay pretty low-cal and healthy with them if you're careful about it. They've been an easy stand-by dinner for me, since I'm a busy working full time college student. I used to always HAVE to add butter so that the potato wouldn't seem so dry, and then a ton of cheese. I've discovered some great ways around all the bad stuff that are reeeaaly tasty.

Salsa potato (super low-cal):
Two or three tablespoons of salsa (it moistens, like butter would, but only costs 20 cals and no fat)
Chopped raw vegetables (I like onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms)
A light sprinkling of low-fat cheese (or skip the cheese and spend your couple of fat calories on black olives)
(If you wanna splurge, or you have leftovers, throw some lean seasoned taco meat in there)

The deli potato:
Low fat margarine, just a dab (or no butter substitute at all, if you're hardcore like that).
Chopped up sandwich meats, 2 or 3 slices (whatever I've got from the deli - I usually use turkey, but roast beef is excellent).
A light sprinkling of reduced fat cheddar
Chopped red onions and bell peppers
Salt and pepper

Chili potato (fast and easy):
1/4 cup canned 98% fat free turkey chili
chopped red or green onions

BBQ Chicken potato:
Shredded, cooked chicken breast with just enough bbq sauce to satisfy
Pickled jalapenos

If you're just doing a medium potato, the potato itself is only about 160 cal, and I swear it's the most filling 160 cal I've ever come across. Eat the skin! It's tasty and will give you up to 25% of your daily fiber, plus a healthy boost of vitamins. Just try not to go wicked crazy on the carbs the rest of the day and you can absolve yourself of guilt.

dontpanic1984

Any further tips for tasty guilt-free fillings?

kcdrake

I'm ashamed to say I've never had a baked potato...:blushing:

How do you make them? I've always found plain potatoes to be rather bland, but the toppings you suggest sound like they'd add some nice flavor. And hey... I'll try anything once!

somigliana

Yes, I adore baked potatos, too, and I only ever peel potatoes when I'm making mash.
In my opinion they have an undeserved bad rep.

I like to do warm baked beans with some chilli flakes and maybe a shake of parmesan
or just salsa, avocado and lite sour cream (maybe with some chicken for protein)
or basil, garlic and portabello mushroom on the baked potato with a nice lean steak
or lite cream cheese with a tsp of sweet chilli sauce.

edinbors

These sound SOOOO good! I LOVE potatoes too! Thanks for the tips! Anymore you got would be great!

HealthyChanges2010

In my opinion they have an undeserved bad rep.

I agree! Baked potatoes a great meal on their own with some protein! Thanks for all the great ideas, the only one I'd tried is the Salsa one and that is tasty! Oh I guess I tried a small packet of Parm cheese and that was good as well.

Hm, just bought some earlier, might have to try the light cream cheese and the avocado sounds interesting too. Sheesh, I missed a snack time, can you tell, every is sounding good. Least it's only the healthy things though:drinker: :laugh:

Thanks again, hope this thread continues, I'll try and think what else I've tried and share over the weekend:flowerforyou:

Becca

HealthyChanges2010

I'm ashamed to say I've never had a baked potato...:blushing:

How do you make them? I've always found plain potatoes to be rather bland, but the toppings you suggest sound like they'd add some nice flavor. And hey... I'll try anything once!

WELL!! Then apparently you haven't lived :laugh: :laugh:

I like plain ones but jazzed up ones are by far more exciting

You can bake a potato in a microwave and that's really quick, though the final taste is different. But in the warmer months nearly everything is nuked here . You likely have a baked potato button on your microwave panel and that's all there is to it. If you have the instructions, that would help as mine suggests I take it out and wrap it in foil and leave sit for 10 minutes.

Becca

dmmarie21

I just had a baked potato a few days ago. I love them. Usually, I am in such a hurry I don't have time to bake them in the oven, and I think that they turn out gross in the microwave. I have been using the steamer bags that you microwave, and they turn out really well. I usually top my potato with fat free cottage cheese, black olives and sometimes paprika and black pepper. Occasionally I put franks red hot on it, and green onions. So delicious!

HealthyChanges2010

I'm ashamed to say I've never had a baked potato...:blushing:

How do you make them? I've always found plain potatoes to be rather bland, but the toppings you suggest sound like they'd add some nice flavor. And hey... I'll try anything once!

Here ya go check out these link for a few fun ideas:
http://whatscookingamerica.net/Q-A/PotatoBaking.htm

http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogspot.com/2007/10/microwave-baked-potato.html

I was skimming over the 2nd link and it talked about cooking them in the oven for the last 10 minutes after nuking them so they crisp up. Good plan! I think I've been doing them in the micro for so long now I've forgotten the real flavor of oven ones. lol

A cooking bag aye? hmm

Sillybunni

I started getting yukon gold potatoes- they don't even NEED butter to taste good. I usually bake in the microwave then mash with a fork a little bit and add only a dash of salt and pepper.

dmmarie21

Yea, I can't remember the name of them. I think they are just ziploc brand steamer bags. You can steam veggies, potatoes, chicken, even eggs in them! I make omelets in them, they are fast and pretty good

dontpanic1984

I started getting yukon gold potatoes- they don't even NEED butter to taste good. I usually bake in the microwave then mash with a fork a little bit and add only a dash of salt and pepper.

excellent idea. will try this soon.

lilmissy2

I love baked potatoes

Sometime we mix fresh prawns with a little seafood sauce and use that to top them or you could use curried scrambled egg (I've not tried that one, just trying to think outside the box).

Another thing I do sometimes is use them in place of pasta/rice ie. I make a spaghetti bol sauce or a stirfry or casserole and have the small serve I would usually have atop a potato (or a couple of cut up smaller potatoes) instead of with pasta or rice. I feel like I get a bigger total serve for less cals

lilmissy2

Oh also, just on cooking the actually potato - I'm old school, I like them baked in the oven. They take quite a while but you don't really need to watch them at all, just don't forget they are there but to be honest, I've never felt they were overcooked and sometimes left them in much longer than I intended. Depending on size they usually take between an hour and an hour and a half for a whole, uncut potato. I always prick them with a fork before I put them in.

I also love baking sweet potato just in it's skin in the oven. I don't think it's as good for topping with stuff because it gets quite soft on the inside but it's so delicious!

MiniRose2B

I'm a baked potato fan as well, To cut calories I just spray a little spray butter and sprinkle some "Garlic Bread sprinkle" (McCormick) on it, then add some cooked veggies like Broccoli and repeat with the butter spray and the garlic bread sprinkle, It's really good and filling. Yum~

kcdrake

OK baked potato fans, is there any way to make a few in advance, freeze them, and reheat later? Like, is there a method to do that that works well?

HealthyChanges2010

OK baked potato fans, is there any way to make a few in advance, freeze them, and reheat later? Like, is there a method to do that that works well?

Hm, potatoes I've heard aren't a food that handles the freezer well. I don't imagine they would be very tasty after baking then popping them in the freezer. Hm, no microwave?:ohwell:

Here's what Google says: http://tinyurl.com/254avco
Apparently you can with mixed results but lots of great ideas for twice baked potatoes, they say those will freeze well. It's worth checking out the links:flowerforyou:

Becca

HealthyChanges2010

Yea, I can't remember the name of them. I think they are just ziploc brand steamer bags. You can steam veggies, potatoes, chicken, even eggs in them! I make omelets in them, they are fast and pretty good

oh ok! Thanks, I do think I've heard of them but never tried them, might have to pick some up one day soon.

Thanks again:flowerforyou:
Becca

dontpanic1984

I'm ashamed to say I've never had a baked potato...:blushing:

How do you make them? I've always found plain potatoes to be rather bland, but the toppings you suggest sound like they'd add some nice flavor. And hey... I'll try anything once!

If it doesn't make your house too hot, bake 'em in the oven. This recipe comes out best, to me.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/good-eats/the-baked-potato-recipe/index.html

The crispy skin provided by the bit of oil is worth a few calories, to me. Also, salting the outside of the potato lightly makes the potato sooooo good. Coat the potato with grapeseed oil instead of canola, and you're getting a great source of vitamin E (lots of antioxidants). This does take about an hour, so make sure you think of it early! I bake extras and keep them in my fridge for a day or two (max). They're not as good reheated as fresh from the oven, but they still taste fine.

If you don't have time, and your place gets as hot as mine when you bake, use the microwave. The texture doesn't come out as divinely fluffy as with the oven, but you've only got a 10 min time commitment (max) and your kitchen stays cool. I get a medium sized potato, poke some holes all over it with a fork (they don't have to be deep holes - they just need to break the surface so steam can escape and your spud doesn't explode), microwave it for four minutes, turn it over (with a kitchen mitt - HOT), and microwave four more minutes.

Now during the winter, I love making these. Having the oven blasting for an hour warms my place wonderfully.

Oh yeah, another excellent thing to throw in there is crumbled turkey bacon.

arewethereyet

dill and plain Greek yogurt!!:flowerforyou:

ittybittybadonkadonk

i love turkey bacon , brocoli and laughing cow swiss cheese on top of my bake potatoes YUMMMMMMMMMMM

aproc

Sounds so good. I'm going to have to try some of those pretty soon. I also like pairing potatoes with laughing cow cheese. :P Tomorrow night I'm probably having baked potato topped with manwich. Not very healthy but we had manwich tonight and have leftovers. ><

LittleSpy

Being a protein freak, I like to sometimes top mine with some chicken breast, steamed broccoli, and a little 2% or full-fat cheddar.

Yum!

I also just do butter and sour cream. Yes, real butter and real sour cream. If you only add a small amount, it'll be fine (1/2 tbs butter & 2tbs full fat sour cream add about 100 cals). Sooooo good.

Tonight I baked a sweet potato, added 1/2 tbs butter, 1tsp brown sugar and 2tbs reduced fat sour cream (I'd never recommend fat free, for both taste & ingredient reasons. Normally I'd use full fat sour cream or 2% greek yogurt). It may sound funky, but OMG it was so good.

HealthyChanges2010

bump

HealthyChanges2010

another potato bump

sandara

Easiest way I've found to cook a baked potato in the microwave is just throw it in a zip loc baggie (don't zip it up) and cook for 5 minutes on high. Check it and turn it over and cook a couple of more minutes. Never thought of using the steamer bags but regular zip locs work just fine.

LittleSpy

Easiest way I've found to cook a baked potato in the microwave is just throw it in a zip loc baggie (don't zip it up) and cook for 5 minutes on high. Check it and turn it over and cook a couple of more minutes. Never thought of using the steamer bags but regular zip locs work just fine.

I just poke a few holes in one with a fork & nuke on high for around 5 minutes (depending on the size of the potato). I've never used a bag and mine come out just fine. Same with sweet potatoes.

melodyg

I love baked potatoes too. I second that Yukon Gold are really good!

I usually just do plain with light sour cream instead of butter and salt and pepper of course! Broccoli and a little cheddar is another favorite combination. Hmm.... now I'm thinking of another option for leftovers this week. We are having chicken kebabs one night and I'm thinking the leftovers would be great in a potato!

I am going to have to try the cottage cheese idea!

LavenderBouquet

My mouth is watering just thinking of some of these ideas.
I'm so having a baked potato for lunch tomorrow
Thanks everyone:bigsmile:

gthomas667

Excellent - thanks for tips. I'll be trying all those for exactly the same reasons. :-)

rinren84

My favorite baked potatoe toppings are marinara sauce, cottage cheese (just a few tablespoons), steamed broccoli, and a sprinkle of parmesan. Its like a veggie lasagna potato. Yum! Also good is greek style with chopped up chicken, broccoli, a squeeze of lemon, I can't believe it's not butter spray, sprinkle of feta cheese, and oregano.