We all have those occasions where we made more food than can be humanly consumed in one sitting, resulting in leftovers to deal with. Whether this is your situation or you just got really into meal prepping recently, learning how to heat up food so that it tastes as close to the original is important. The best way to reheat a baked potato depends on whether the potato has been cut or not.
Following either of these methods will make sure that your baked potato remains moist and delicious, because nobody likes eating dried out potatoes.
Un-Cut Method
1. Preheat your oven to 425°F. Take your baked potatoes out of the fridge and let them warm up to room temperature. This is so that they all begin at the same temperature, which is important for even cooking.
2. Place your baked potatoes on a thin cookie sheet or tin foil so that heat can access all sides of the potato. Once the oven is hot enough, put the cookie sheet inside and cook the potatoes for 10-12 minutes, flipping them over halfway through cooking time.
3. Take the potatoes out of the oven and check if they are warm all the way through. If not, put them back in the oven for 3-minute intervals.
4. Cut the potato open, top as desired and enjoy!
Cut Method
1. Take the potatoes out of the fridge and let them come to room temperature.
2. Spray a non-stick pan with a small amount of oil over medium-low heat. Once the pan gets a little hot, add the potatoes face down.
3. Cover the potatoes with a lid. Reduce the heat to low and cook the potatoes for 3-4 minutes (it should look like it's steaming), make sure to watch them carefully so they don't burn.
4. Remove the lid and turn the heat back up to medium-low and continuously flip the potatoes until the skin is crispy on all edges.
5. Take the potatoes out of the pan and check to make sure they are heated all the way through. If not, return to the pan for a couple more minutes. Once they are warmed through, add any desired toppings and eat!
If possible, the method with the un-cut potatoes should be used because it is the best way to reheat a baked potato, but if you already cut into your potatoes the cut method works almost as well.
The skin on the potato helps prevent it from drying out, allowing the oven to be used. If the skin is not present, using steam to heat the potatoes prevents them from drying out.
Next time you need to reheat leftover potatoes, keep in mind these methods for the best way to reheat baked potatoes.