Crock Pot Baked Potatoes

Dear Lauren,

I don’t like baked potatoes that come out of the oven dry and fluffy. So I always let them cool and then put them in a Ziploc and refrigerate them overnight before I eat them. They’re moister that way. But then I got the crock pot idea from my clever friend, Tracy Hersh. So I thought I would give it a try to see how the potato texture turned out. It was perfect. Just the way I like it. And I didn’t have to wait overnight to get it!

Here’s what I did.

Wash and dry potatoes. Prick them with a fork. Put about a teaspoon of oil in your hands and rub them together a little and then rub your hands all over the potatoes. You might need more depending on how many potatoes you do. I used safflower oil today. I also placed a piece of parchment paper in the bottom of my crock pot to keep it as clean as possible because I am of the opinion that I should spend as little time as possible scrubbing things. Plus, I don’t like to use aluminum foil. But if you do, you can. Turn on your crock pot to the low setting and cook for 5 ½ hours. You might be able to go shorter. That’s when I checked it when I set the timer for 8 hours. And they were done! Cooking it longer won’t really make any difference. You just don’t want them underdone.

Today I ate my potato with a little cream cheese and some homemade salsa. But you can eat it any way you want it. Sour cream, homemade salsa and some of Dad’s Carne Guisada sure sounds good. Roasted Vegetables sound amazing. My current favorite baked potato is with a little cream cheese and some steamed broccoli on top. I have no idea why I like it so much. I think it’s very decadent. It's the cream cheese. Don't use too much, a tablespoon or two is all you need.

(Tracy says you don’t have to prick the potatoes. I never used to but one day I had a potato explosion in the oven and so I always prick. Oh and she doesn’t use parchment paper and she doesn't use foil. So you can try it anyway you like. It’s good to have choices.)

Love,

Mom

P.S. Sorry I have no photos today, so here's a good one at the lakehouse. Sure wish we had deer here!