Half-baked Potatoes
Starting baked potatoes in the microwave and finishing them in the oven cuts cooking time and still yields crisp skin and fluffy potato flesh.
Servings 2 (can be doubled, halved, etcetera—see Kitchen Notes)
Ingredients
- 2 russet potatoes, at least 8 ounces each (see Kitchen Notes)
- olive oil
- coarse salt, such as kosher salt or sea salt
- butter, sour cream, margarine or whatever toppings your heart desires
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375ºF. While oven heats, scrub potatoes under cold water, dry with a towel and pierce a few times on each side with a fork. Place potatoes on a microwavable plate and microwave for 6 minutes, turning halfway through the process.
- Brush potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt, pressing it gingerly against the potatoes (be careful, they are already hot). Bake on an open oven rack, with a lined baking sheet on a rack below (we like using our nonstick Cookina baking sheet liners, but foil or parchment will also work); the potatoes will drip just a little oil or moisture from the pierced potato itself, and you don’t want this to burn onto the oven floor.
- Bake potatoes for 25 to 30 minutes, until they pierce easily with a sharp knife and the skins are crisp. Serve with your favorite potato toppings.
Kitchen Notes
One potato, two potato, three potato, more? This recipe is for two potatoes. It would also work for one. As you add more potatoes, you either need to increase microwaving time or do them in batches. At some point, you lose the time-saving advantages of microwaving.