How to Bake Potatoes

Potatoes are a very versatile food and you can get very creative with them. Recipes can range from quickly microwaved creations to hour-long oven-baked dishes. 5-Minute Crafts presents you with 6 delicious ways to cook potatoes that you can try.

1. Air fryer crispy potatoes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of baby potatoes, halved
• 1 tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp of garlic powder
• 1 tsp of Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp of Cajun seasoning (optional)
• Salt
• Ground black pepper
• A lemon wedge for serving
• Freshly chopped parsley as a garnish

How to make them:

• Toss the potatoes with olive oil, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and Cajun seasoning in a large bowl. Season them with salt and pepper.
• Place the potatoes in the basket of the air fryer and cook them at 400ºF for 10 minutes.
• After these 10 minutes, shake the basket and stir until the potatoes turn golden. It should take around 8 to 10 minutes more.
• Once they’re ready, put the potatoes on a plate and squeeze some lemon juice over them.
• Garnish with parsley before serving.

2. Mashed potatoes

Ingredients:

• 3 lb of potatoes (about 4 large in a combo of russets and Yukon Golds)
• Salt
• 1 stick of butter plus 2 more tablespoons for garnish
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 1/2 cup of sour cream
• Ground black pepper

How to cook them:

• Peel the potatoes.
• Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover them with water. Add a generous pinch of salt.
• Bring them to a boil and cook until soft, which should take around 16 to 18 minutes.
• Drain them and put them back in the pot.
• Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes until they’re smooth.
• Meanwhile, melt butter and milk in a small saucepan until warm.
• Pour the mixture of butter and milk over the mashed potatoes and stir until everything is combined and creamy.
• Add sour cream and stir until it’s combined with the rest.
• Add salt and pepper.
• Transfer everything to a serving bowl and top it with 2 tablespoons of butter.
• Season with more pepper.

3. Pan fried potatoes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of baby potatoes, scrubbed clean
• 1 tbsp of vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp of freshly chopped rosemary
• 1 tsp of garlic powder (optional)
• 1/2 tsp of chili powder (optional)
• Salt
• Ground black pepper

How to cook them:

• Slice the potatoes into coins about ¼ of an inch thick.
• Heat some vegetable oil and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add the potatoes to the skillet and season with rosemary, salt, and pepper.
• Cook everything, undisturbed, until they’re golden and crusty underneath. It should take about 4 to 5 minutes.
• Flip the potatoes and cool them until they’re golden on the other side, which should take another 4 to 5 minutes.
• Sprinkle with garlic powder and chili powder, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally until the potatoes are tender. It should take about 2 minutes more.
• Serve them warm.

4. Oven baked

Ingredients:

• 4 russet potatoes, scrubbed
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Ground black pepper
• Butter
• Sour Cream

How to cook them:

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
• Pierce the potatoes all over with a fork.
• Rub them with some olive oil and season them with salt and pepper, generously.
• Put them on a baking sheet.
• Bake them until they can be easily pierced with a fork, which should take an hour to an hour and a half.
• Once it’s ready, add either butter or sour cream.

5. Microwave baked

Ingredients:

• 4 russet potatoes, scrubbed
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Ground black pepper

How to cook them:

• Wash the potatoes and pat them completely dry.
• Pierce them 3 to 4 times with a fork.
• Place them on a microwave-safe plate and microwave them for about 7 minutes, turning them over halfway through.
• If you can’t pierce the potato with a fork after 7 minutes, continue microwaving them for 1 minute at a time until they’re fork-tender.
• When they’re ready, let them rest for 2 minutes.
• Split the potato down the middle.
• Season with salt and pepper and top with butter.

6. Grilled potatoes

Ingredients:

• 4 russet potatoes, cut into wedges
• 2 tsp of garlic powder
• 1 tsp of kosher salt
• 1 tsp of freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp of freshly chopped herbs (such as parsley)

How to cook them:

• Bring a pot of water to a boil, and make sure it’s well-salted.
• Add the potatoes and cook until they are al dente, which should take 5 to 7 minutes.
• Drain and let it cool slightly.
• Set the grill to medium-high heat.
• In a large bowl, mix garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Then stir the mixture with olive oil.
• Add the potatoes and toss gently to coat.
• Remove them from the oil and save the excess oil in the bowl.
• Grill the potatoes, flipping them only once until they’re golden brown for around 5 minutes.
• Add herbs to the oil mixture you saved.
• Return the potatoes to the mixture and toss them again.
• Serve.