Warm winter recipes — 4 ways to enjoy a baked potato

Baked potatoes are great comfort food when the mercury drops, and while many of us rely on favorite toppings like sour cream and chive, and maybe some cheddar and bacon too, there's a whole range of alternatives out there. Let's see if we can inspire you to try something new at home.

Apart from in the base recipe, you won't find any measures for ingredients here. How much you use of different ingredients for each variation depends on the size of the individual potatoes, and of course, on your tastes.

You'll need (for 3 portions):

  • 3 large potatoes
  • butter
  • 6 tbsp grated cheese
  • salt to taste

For the meaty variation:

  • ground meat
  • diced onion
  • diced red pepper
  • sieved tomatoes
  • pre-sliced cheese

For the Mediterranean variation:

  • sliced olives
  • dried tomatoes, finely chopped
  • feta cheese, crumbled
  • dried oregano
  • basil, chopped

For the German variation:

  • sauerkraut
  • sour cream
  • honey
  • toasted bread cubes
  • chopped hazelnuts

For the fish variation:

  • yogurt
  • lemon zest
  • dill
  • smoked salmon in strips
  • green onions, chopped

Here's how:

For the base recipe, first cut the potatoes in half and wrap them in aluminum foil. Bake them in a convection oven at 360°F until they are done. Tease out the insides of the potato with a fork and work in a little butter, 1 tbsp cheese and some salt to taste.

  1. Now for the different variations: for the meaty version, brown the ground meat in some oil, then add the onion, pepper and the tomatoes. Divide the mixture between the potato halves and cover each of them with a slice of cheese. Then bake the potatoes for another 15 minutes in a convection oven at 360°F.
  2. The Mediterranean variation is noticeably quicker to prepare: sprinkle the potatoes with olives, dried tomatoes and crumbled feta. Seasoning with dried oregano and fresh basil adds the final touch to the perfect potato taste experience.
  3. We wouldn't have it any other way: the German version is prepared with sauerkraut. Mix this into a salad with the sour cream and honey and then spread it on top of the potatoes. As a special treat, add the toasted bread cubes and hazelnut pieces on top. 
  4. The fish version doesn't just include some tasty salmon, but also a fresh sauce to go with it. You make this by mixing the yogurt, lemon zest and dill together. Spoon it onto the potato halves, then place the salmon strips on top. For decoration, sprinkle a few chopped green onions on top.

The advantage of baked potatoes is that, not only are they tasty, but you can quickly and easily make them yourself. And the recipe never gets boring because ultimately, there are as many combinations are there are grains of sand on a beach!

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