September 2, 2021 | AMT PANS
Best Practices: The Six Best Ways to Cook Potatoes
PHOTO: NICHOLE KELLY
Potatoes are the workhorse of the evening meal. There aren’t a lot of recipes that can’t be improved with a side of spuds. Potatoes are filling, hearty, and delicious – easy to cook, unintimidating, yet easily dressed up. They add heft to soups and light meals, warming, stick-to-your-ribs food on a cool day. And it goes together perfectly with most meat choices, whether it be chicken, steak, or pork chops. They’re also an economical choice – potatoes are generally inexpensive, allowing you to stretch smaller quantities of pricier foods into a full meal.
There are many different types of potatoes, so do your research or experiment with different varieties to see which lend themselves the best to your favourite dishes. As a general rule of thumb, waxy potatoes hold together after being cooked, making them ideal for thin sliced recipes or when they’re added to a dish, like stews and soups. In contrast, starchy potatoes are soft and fluffy when cooked, so they’re great mashed, fried, or baked. The Russet and Yukon Gold potatoes are considered “all-purpose” and are an easy, no-fail pick no matter what you have in mind. Try one you’re not used to next time you head to the grocery store or farmer’s market.
Delicious Ways to Cook Potatoes
While potatoes sometimes have a bad reputation, the reality is, they are pretty nutritious. They have high amounts of potassium, vitamin C and folate, particularly if you leave the peel on (a convenient reason to make potato skins)! With its mild taste and texture, it’s a great way to pack some vitamins and minerals into your kids’ diets. Even the pickiest children can be swayed with the addition of ketchup or cheese for their potatoes. And never mind the little ones – these additions are appealing even for adults. And with all the ways they can be cooked, you won’t quickly grow tired of this starchy tuber.
If you’ve been preparing your spuds the same way over and over, or if your go-to methods aren’t quite perfect, branch out with a few new potato recipes. From au Gratin to twice baked, we’ve got a few that we here at Food Supplies consider some of the absolute best ways to cook potatoes.
Potatoes au Gratin (Gratin Dauphinoise)
Recipe from CIA (Culinary Institute of America)
Makes 10 servings
Ingredients:
3 lbs potatoes
5 Garlic cloves
4 cups milk
Fresh grated nutmeg as needed
Salt as needed
Ground black pepper as needed
1 ½ cup of heavy cream
½ cup butter cut into small pieces
Directions:
1. Scrub, peel and thinly slice the potatoes using a mandolin or electric slicer.
2. Put the garlic in a large saucepan with the milk and bring to a boil. Season milk with nutmeg, salt and pepper and add the sliced potatoes. (Our pick for best saucepot? The AMT Saucepot is durable and provides even heating for great results, and the nonstick surface makes cooking and cleanup easy.)
3. Bring the milk to a simmer at 180⁰F/82⁰C and cook the potatoes halfway, 8-10 minutes, taking care that the milk does not boil over. Discard the garlic.
4. Transfer the potatoes and milk to a large casserole dish, pour the cream over the top and dot with the butter. This AMT Square Pan is the ideal size for this recipe.
5. Bake in a 375⁰F/191⁰C oven until golden brown and the milk has been absorbed, about 45 minutes.
6. Allow potatoes to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing into servings.
PHOTO: NICHOLE KELLY
Loaded baked potato skins
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients:
4 russet potatoes
2 TBS Butter melted
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 cup of cooked crumbled bacon
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup of green onions chopped
1/2 cup sour cream
Red chili flakes (optional)
Directions:
1. Bake potatoes for 1 hour in the oven at 375⁰F.
2. Allow to cool the touch (20 minutes).
3. Slice each potato (long ways) in half.
4. Scoop out potato, either discard flesh or save for another recipe.
5. Brush bottoms of potatoes with butter.
6. In a small bowl mix garlic powder, chili powder, salt, and pepper.
7. Sprinkle inside of each potato skin with spice mixture.
8. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
9. Add shredded cheese to each potato piece and top with bacon crumble and red chili flakes.
10. Bake in the oven for an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
11. Top with a dollop of sour cream and green onions serve immediately.
PHOTOS: NICHOLE KELLY
Twice Baked Potato
Ingredients:
4 large russet potatoes washed and dried
3/4 cup of cooked and crumbled bacon
1/2 pkg of cream cheese (4oz)
2 TBS butter
1/2 cup of shredded old cheddar cheese + more to top
1/4 cup green onions + more to top
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Sour cream for garnish
Directions:
1. Bake potatoes for 1 hour in the oven at 375⁰F.
2. Allow to cool the touch (20 minutes).
3. Slice off 1/4 top of each potato lengthwise and discard top.
4. Using a spoon scoop out flesh of potato into a medium size bowl.
5. In the bowl add bacon, butter, cream cheese, cheese, green onions, and spices.
6. Mixing with a fork until well combined.
7. Carefully spoon mixture into each potato shell.
8. Bake for an additional 30 minutes.
9. Top with a dollop of sour cream and green onions.
PHOTO: NICHOLE KELLY
Crispy Smashed Baby Potatoes
Ingredients:
2lbs baby potatoes
2 TBS Butter
2 TBS olive oil
2 tsp chopped garlic
Salt and pepper
Directions:
1. Boil potatoes for 15 minutes until tender but not cooked all the way though.
2. In a large nonstick pan, melt butter and add olive oil add garlic to the pan. We like the AMT Pan for this recipe.
3. Add potatoes to the pan and with a masher lightly press to crack open but not fall apart.
4. Cook for about 10 minutes until they are crispy on the bottom.
5. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
PHOTO: NICHOLE KELLY
Potato Salad
Ingredients:
2lbs peeled and cubed into 1" pieces
4 boiled eggs chopped (optional)
1.5 cup mayo
2 tsp sugar
1 TBS yellow mustard
2 TBS white vinegar
1 TBS cider vinegar
4 slices of garlic pickles, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup chopped celery
1 medium red onion chopped
Paprika for garnish (optional)
Directions:
1. Boil potatoes until fork tender for approximately 15 minutes. Meanwhile boil eggs in a separate pot to a hard boil (12 minutes of boiling).
2. Cool eggs and potatoes completely.
3. Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl then add potatoes and eggs. Mash a little bit of the potatoes and stir until well combined.
4. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
5. Sprinkle with paprika for garnish.
PHOTO: NICHOLE KELLY
Crispy Oven Baked Potato Wedges
Ingredients:
4-6 Russet potatoes, cleaned and cut into 1/8ths
2 TBS olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp Italian herb seasoning
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Parmesan cheese (optional)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425⁰F, ensuring that potato wedges are dry.
2. In a large bowl, toss potato wedges with olive oil and spices.
3. Arrange on a baking sheet so that wedges are not touching. We like this one for its price point and performance. Keep a couple on hand so you can swap out when one’s in the wash.
4. Bake for approximately 40 minutes, flipping after 25 minutes. Cook until golden and crispy on the outside and fork tender.
5. Top with grated parmesan cheese (optional).
Try these variations for your next weekend meal, potluck, or even Thanksgiving dinner and be prepared for the accolades!
PHOTO: NICHOLE KELLY
