Baked Potato Bar w/ Toppings

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Ingredients

• 6 medium baking potatoes
• Sour cream
• finely chopped green onion
• Hot cooked chopped broccoli
• shredded Cheddar cheese
• chopped ham
• cooked black beans
• salsa
• butter

Directions

Conventional or Regular Oven:

Medium-size potatoes (about 5 ounces or 150 grams each)

45 minutes at 400 degrees F.

60 minutes at 350 degrees F.

90 minutes at 325 degrees F.

Place the potato directly on the oven rack in a preheated oven.

Potatoes are done if tender when pierced with a fork and the internal temperature reaches 210 degrees F. Use a meat thermometer to test for doneness.

You can also test for doneness by gently squeezing the middle of the potato (using a pot holder). If it gives in easily to your touch, it is done.

NOTE: If you're cooking more than 4 potatoes, you'll need to extend the cooking time by up to 15 minutes.

Bake on racks of oven until tender.

The higher the oven temperature, the shorter the cooking time will be and the crustier the skin. Larger potatoes will take longer to bake. Bake potatoes along with whatever else you are baking and gauge the cooking time according to oven temperature.

Turn the potatoes over halfway through the baking time to prevent browning of the undersides where they touch the oven rack.

Potatoes are done if tender when pierced with a fork and the internal temperature reaches 210 degrees F. Use a meat thermometer to test for doneness. You can also test for doneness by gently squeezing the middle of the potato (using a pot holder). If it gives in easily to your touch, it is done.

When baked to perfection, remove potatoes from the oven. Slit across the top with a sharp knife. Gently pinch (squeeze) in each end of the potato towards the middle (using your thumb and index finger). The potato will pop oven loosen the fluffy white interior from the skin.