Easy Baked Potatoes in Foil
Get foiled again… and like it, with this recipe for Easy-Baked Potatoes in Foil. With just a pat of butter and a sprinkle of sea salt and garlic powder, you’ll have a tasty side that goes with everything.
Table of Contents
I always think of baked potatoes as a classy side. Maybe that’s because they always wear a jacket to dinner! (OK, in order to get that joke, you need to know that baked potatoes are sometimes referred to as Jacket Potatoes. Got it? Moving on.)
I’m not kidding when I say that baked potatoes seem like class to me. I think it stems from when I was a kid and we would go out for dinner. While the kids’ meals always came with french fries, the parents’ fish or steak would be served with mashed or baked potatoes. At the time, I didn’t care (which kid didn’t like fries?!) but now, in retrospect, yes, I would have liked the option of a baked potato with my chicken fingers! (I probably wouldn’t have taken them up on their offer but still, it would have been nice to be asked.)
Nowadays, I rely on baked potatoes pretty heavily whenever I’m expecting dinner guests. They are simple to prepare and allow the diner to choose from a variety of fixins to produce a bespoke side. Check out the ‘Serving Suggestions’ section for suggestions on what to add. In the meantime, get ready to bake!
Are Baked Potatoes Healthy?
Potatoes are a great source of energy in the form of carbs, which makes them a great side dish for those who aren’t on any particular diet. I add butter before baking, which increases the fat quotient, but I wouldn’t say that butter is necessary here. You can easily keep the butter unspread if you like. Speaking of particular diets, this recipe works with gluten-free and vegetarian diets, and could be considered for a whole30 diet, provided the ingredients are in line. If you dropped the butter, used unrefined salt, and minced garlic, it could be a part of a paleo diet.
What Types of Potato Can I Use?
When a recipe calls for “baking” potatoes, it usually asks that you choose a potato that has the texture and flavor that will soar when baked. And while you can use pretty much any type of potato for this recipe, some are more appropriate than others. Russets, for example, are high in starch, which translates to fluffy potatoes. And because they’re fluffy, they absorb melted butter willingly. Yukon Golds, meanwhile, have a creamy texture and are already infused with a buttery flavor. If you don’t plan on adding butter, this may be the spud for you. Other options are red potatoes—waxy and, therefore, hold up well to baking—and sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are creamy and indeed sweet and are in fact healthier than white.
INGREDIENTS
- 4 medium baking potatoes, scrubbed
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 4 (12×12-inch) squares of aluminum foil
INSTRUCTIONS
Prep
Preheat the oven and halve your potatoes.
Season
Butter and season the potatoes before wrapping them up in foil.
Bake
Let the oven work its magic.
Unwrap
Unwrap the foil, let the steam escape, and dig into the fluffy, moist potatoes.
Devour!
FAQs & Tips
Let the potatoes cool completely then rewrap them in foil (presuming you initially unwrapped them). You can keep them in the fridge for up to five days. You can then take that foil-wrapped potato and put it in a freezer-safe bag if you wanted to keep it for up to two months.
You’re probably referring to those who don’t use foil when baking their potatoes, choosing instead to just place them straight on the rack in the oven. While that’s an option, you run the risk of drying out your potatoes and cooking them unevenly. Yes, the skin crisps up but the skin can also burn. The foil retains the heat, which should cook your potato more quickly. It also conducts heat and distributes that heat around the whole of the spud. This is of particular importance when dealing with a large potato. It keeps in the steam, too, which means a moister potato. Last, easy cleanup. Just remove the foil and you’re good to go.
I know this has been a controversial topic in the wilder-than-I-thought world of aluminum foil, but the short and sweet answer is no, there is no real difference between the sides of your foil. You can have either side on the outside/inside; both will do a good job of insulating your potato. That one side happens to be smoother/shinier than the other is a cosmetic matter. Some may prefer the dull side on the inside because they BELIEVE it’s better for heat retention but that’s more hearsay than fact.
Serving Suggestions
There are the classics: salt, pepper, sour cream, chives, butter. Then there’s the meats: crumbled bacon, shredded chicken, chili. A cheesy spud is never a bad thing, so you can also add sharp shredded cheddar, melted cheese sauce (think nacho sauce), or grated Parmesan. Want it spicy? Use sliced jalapeno, sriracha or hot sauce, or crushed red pepper flakes. For a creamy potato, use guacamole (or diced avocado), ranch or blue cheese dressing, or creamy spinach or artichoke topping. And this is just scratching the surface!
Easy-Baked Potatoes in Foil
Ingredients
- 4 medium baking potatoes scrubbed
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 4 (12 x 12-inch) squares aluminum foil
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Slice each potato in half lengthwise. Spread 1/2 tablespoon of butter on the cut side of each half, then sprinkle evenly with garlic powder and salt. Reassemble the halves to make whole potatoes.
- Wrap each potato securely in aluminum foil, ensuring the foil is tightly sealed around the potato.
- Place the foil-wrapped potatoes directly on the middle oven rack and bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until they are tender when pierced with a fork.
- DEVOUR!
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