Who thought baked potato could get any easier? Let “Chef Mike” take over for you!
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My partner and I cook together all the time. Ever since we met, she’s been using the education provided by her Bachelor’s in culinary arts to teach me skills that I never learned growing up. Sometimes I feel like I’m squandering her degree by having someone so educated teach me basics and fundamentals; however, she’s been forward and honest about a major player in every kitchen she’s ever worked in.
Allow me to introduce you to chef Mike.
Chef Mike is a culinary wizard, according to my spouse, and he’s been working in kitchens across the nation since 1945. Despite getting up there in years, he’s been producing dinner dishes and phenomenal food with ease, speed, and only increasing efficiency! Though chef Mike has never published a book in his long life, there are dozens of cookbooks published surrounding his unique cooking styles and skills. My partner says she’s never worked in a kitchen without chef Mike and she wouldn’t work in a kitchen that didn’t have him in it.
Did I mention “Mike” is short for “Microwave?”
That’s right, even culinary chefs use the microwave in their kitchens! It’s an essential tool for it’s efficiency (nothing gets that hot that quickly without some utility!) and it’s distinct cooking traits! You might think microwaves zap the nutrition out of your food, but then you’d be missing out on the fantastic dishes you can make with the ease of a private chef! Next time you want quick and easy food that tastes good, consult chef Mike!
Like chef Mike’s recipe for an easy baked potato! Fluffy and delicious, everything you could possibly ask of a spud, speedy and easy!
Is Baked Potato Healthy?
Baked potatoes have lots of iron in them and starches like potatoes afford healthy dietary fiber, too! Vegan and gluten-free, baked potatoes are almost perfect for any situation; though, if you’re going keto, you know that potatoes aren’t for you. That said, sweet potatoes are a low-carb alternative that chef Mike can bake just as nice! When you’re looking for a healthy, hearty handful of filling food, look no further than a spectacular spud!
Is everything I thought about microwaves wrong?
Our resident chef Mike is always proving us wrong whenever we convince ourselves there’s no alternative to cooking something in the oven – that’s because microwave ovens aren’t just an oven! Accidentally invented in 1945 in a radar lab and patented ten years later, microwaves have since been used to quickly heat just about everything from bacon to broccoli. The secrets chef Mike holds are undeniably useful!
For instance, if you want perfect corn on the cob fast, put an unhusked ear into the microwave for no more than 4 minutes! It’ll perfectly cook the corn and the husk and silk will come off like no problem! How’s that for a chef Mike secret?
But you may have heard countless things about chef Mike from people trying to disparage his reputation! Cancel culture won’t win against chef Mike, though! We’ve seen celebrity chefs toss chef Mike out of windows and eliminate microwave ovens from their cooking establishments in an attempt to enforce “authenticity”; but any hard working chef worth their salt knows how crucial it is to have an extra set of piping hot hands available for fast food-prep and quick cooking!
Here are some misconceptions about microwave ovens that have since been disproven:
â–º Microwaves make nuclear food – Microwaves don’t “nuke” your food, nor does it contribute any more radiation to you or your household than any other cooking method. By way of fact, thermal radiation is necessary to cook anything! The microwaves used in a microwave oven are contained within the appliance during operation and are gone by time you hear that classic “ding!”.
â–º Microwaves destroy the nutrients in food – The speculation that microwaves kill any of the good nutrition in your food has circulated ever since the commercial sale of the appliance. It’s just not true! Overcooking anything will sap it of it’s essential nutrients, but the microwave (and many foods prepared specifically for cooking in a microwave oven) doesn’t destroy anything valuable in your food.
â–º Microwaves dry out your food – Microwaves work by heating up water molecules in food, effectively boiling/steaming whatever you put inside! As a result, it can make food dry if you aren’t careful with how much moisture you supplement your leftovers with; but that goes for any cooking method! Always ensure you have a supplementary source of water when reheating anything in the microwave!
â–º Microwaves cook your food unevenly – Everyone’s had a Hot Pocket that was piping hot, yet ice cold at the same time. You might be tired of hearing me say this, but any cooking method when used incorrectly will heat your food unevenly! Microwaves center their power on the center of the oven, meaning that if your food might distribute heat unevenly if it is naturally oblong or placed off-center. Center your food and use microwave safe glass or ceramic plates to ensure an even, thorough cook!
INGREDIENTS
- 1 medium-to-large baking potato, scrubbed and dried
INSTRUCTIONS
Pierce
Prepare the potato by piercing it all over with a fork to ensure even cooking.
Microwave
Cook the potato on high for a few minutes, then flip and continue cooking until it’s soft.
Check
Use a knife to test if the potato is cooked through; it should be tender but not mushy.
Rest
Allow the potato to cool for a minute before enjoying your quick and easy meal.
Serve
Open up the potato, and add your favorite toppings.
Devour!
FAQs & Tips
Microwave-baked potatoes are so easy to make ahead of time! Storing them in the fridge is fine, but to ensure that you don’t dry out your food, make sure you remoisten your potato before putting it in Chef Mike’s capable hands! I recommend putting butter in an open slice of the potato, letting it heat from within while adding tasty flavor!
Sweet potatoes bake just fine, but be wary that their softer innards make them especially delicate to overcooking. Always double-check your sweet potatoes to ensure you get that perfectly fluffy texture you’re looking for in a keto variant of this recipe!
Even celebrity chefs call the microwave oven “chef Mike”, though not always with the same loving tenderness that my partner (and many other working chefs) do. A particularly easy-to-enrage celebrity chef once said that “microwaves are for lazy cooks”, but that’s just culinary elitism! The Bill Nye of Cooking even went on record to say that “microwaves aren’t bad, they’re just misunderstood”!
Serving Suggestions
Baked potatoes make the perfect spud-y side to loads of lunches and can dazzle at dinnertime (and nobody has to know you had chef Mike’s help!)
Try our microwave baked potatoes when you need a quick, delicious side for more complicated dishes like slow-cooked Italian chicken and zoodles or ham and cheese quiche. If you’re looking for your trusty private chef to take on the burden of cooking, try a microwave breakfast of your own with microwaved baked potatoes, microwave broccoli florets, microwave bacon, and perfectly microwaved soft boiled eggs!
Ingredients
- 1 medium-to-large baking potato scrubbed and dried
Instructions
- Pierce the potato with a fork multiple times to allow steam to escape during cooking.
- Place the potato in the microwave, ensuring it’s not touching any other potatoes if cooking more than one. Cook on high for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Carefully flip the potato and cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes on high. If cooking additional potatoes, add 1 minute of cooking time per side for each extra potato.
- Test the potato for doneness by piercing it with a knife; it should be tender throughout.
- Let the potato rest for 1 minute to cool slightly, then remove from the microwave. If not fully cooked, continue microwaving in 1-minute increments until tender.
- DEVOUR!
Nutrition Info:
Recipes written and produced on Food Faith Fitness are for informational purposes only.
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