These are so delicious! A pimped up jacket potato!! They’re the perfect side or a great vehicle for ALL the toppings. The best baked potato I’ve ever made. Ever. That’s a big statement and I’m sticking by it. Want to know all the secrets?

Good, because I’m here to share. First secret is choosing a potato that’s good for baking,  such as Russets, Sweet Potatoes, and the ‘all rounders’. You want a starchier potato so it gets nice and fluffy. The second secret is not using foil. Technically, that’s steaming it and you won’t get the delicious crunchy skin. Instead, use olive oil for extra crunch and just bake ’em naked like the potato gods intended them to be. The last secret is flavouring the skin. There’s lots of nutrients in the skin and you’ve gone to the effort to get the texture right so you should definitely season it well.

I love eating these as a side with baked fish or chicken or loading them with my favourite toppings and making them a meal in themselves. I’ll do a follow up post next week of a couple of different toppings I’ve been enjoying them with. For now we’ll start with the basic recipe.

Well not so basic, I am asking you to make your own chimichurri, but it’s a potato and it needs some pimping. Mostly because I feel like potatoes are a textural delight that were designed to carry other flavours. They’re also great friends with cheese!

Potato and cheese are comfort foods for a reason, these two things together help your body create tryptophan, an amino acid that’s essential for building up serotonin. Serotonin is a the chemical that helps stabilise your mood and make you feel HAPPY. Thus all the comfort. The cheese is the tryptophan rich food where as the potato is a carb that will cause your body to release insulin, insulin helps you absorb amino acids woohoo. There’s loads of research on this, but here’s a medically reviewed article if you want to learn more about boosting serotonin through diet.

I got a tiny bit off topic there and entered teacher mode, sorry! Back tot he delicious potatoes. The chimichurri is just the best flavour with the sharp cheese and fluffy potatoes. Drizzle it over generously and keep any leftovers in the fridge to use as a salad dressing or with meat. And the spice rub! This is so good, it adds this smoky spicey flavour to the skin of the potato that you’ll love.

Makes 4 baked potatoes

Ingredients

1 – 2tsp olive oil
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp smoked hot paprika
1/4 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp chilli powder
4 large potatoes
2/3 cup sharp aged cheddar
2 Tbs Spring onion

Chimichurri

2 cups flat leaf parsley (can include stalks)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp lemon zest
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbs spring onion
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp oregano

Directions

Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius. Line a tray with parchment paper.

Wash potatoes and pat dry. Prick with a small sharp knife 4 times on each side. Combine salt, paprika, chilli and cumin in a bowl. Rub potatoes in olive oil and roll in salt mix. Place on prepared tray and bake for 45 mins – 1 hr. it will depend on size. You want them soft and fluffy in side with crisp skin.

Meanwhile, combine all chimichurri ingredients in a mini food processor and process until finely chopped and well combined.

Remove potatoes from the oven. Use a knife or scissors the cut a deep cross in each potato sprinkle the cheese inside each one with half the spring onion. Put back in the oven for a minute or two or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove.

Drizzle the potatoes in the chimichurri and extra spring onions. Add more toppings if you like! Or eat as is.

HH. x