We jumped back into our states with a pretty easy choice--an Idaho baked potato bar seemed like a no-brainer for the Gem State, which produces about 1/3 of the potatoes consumed in the US.
This meal is a handy way to use up leftovers, since just about anything tastes good on a baked potato. I put out caramelized onions, bacon crumbles, salsa, black beans, cheddar, barbecue sauce, butter, sour cream and chives. We chose large potatoes--nearly 7 inches long, which baked for about an hour at 400 degrees. I poked them thoroughly with a fork and coated them with olive oil before baking them directly on the oven rack. While the potatoes were in the oven, the onions got the "low and slow" treatment in a cast iron pan:
I also diced a few slices of bacon cooked them nice and crispy:
Pretty much anything that you like on a burger also tastes quite good on a potato! I went with butter, sour cream, onions, cheddar, bacon, chives and barbecue sauce with black beans on the side.
Lucy chose cheddar, bacon and Parmesan cheese:
And Marc went all out with black beans, onions, salsa, cheddar, bacon and chives:
Maia kept it simple, just butter, sour cream and cheddar. Surprisingly, she was also the least enthusiastic about the meal. Everyone else was pretty happy with it.
This was a nice way to ease ourselves back into our state project. And, I think that a baked potato bar could easily be part of our regular repertoire.
Next stop: South Carolina!
