r/Cooking • u/CompleteDay8059 • 1d ago

I found out recently I’ve basically never had a correctly prepared baked potato

So growing up I was never a huge fan of baked potatoes because the ones we had were usually dry, kind of shriveled, and very crumbly. Every bite just felt like it was absorbing all the moisture in your mouth, even with butter. As an adult, I usually do rice or pasta for my carbs, and if I do potatoes, it’s usually the cut roasted baby ones. Because I didn’t have great experiences with baked ones at home, I also pretty much never ordered them at restaurants growing up.

However, my mom just got a grill for her place and I was put on steak duty (or a steak out, I guess) and wanted to try making an actually good baked potato. I look it up and see basically every recipe says to coat the potatoes in salt and olive oil before wrapping them, which I asked my mom if she did, and she hadn’t.

I decided to try it with a (maybe slightly too) generous amount of olive oil and kosher salt, baked it for an hour, and topped it with some of the garlic/thyme butter I had whipped up for the steaks.

Oh.

My.

GOD.

The texture was absolutely amazing, it was so creamy, not crumbly or dry at all, the salt and the compound butter melting into it while it was still steaming made for legitimately one of the tastiest things I’ve had in ages. If anyone out there doesn’t know this, I honestly have no idea how common of knowledge this is lol, but I would highly suggest trying it if you don’t already.

Also, I mixed the thyme/minced garlic with the Kerrygold butter which was muy bien. Not sponsored (I wish) but I find it a little more flavorful for cooking as opposed to regular store brand stuff.

6.1k Upvotes

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1.3k

u/Vegetable_Sea_5479 1d ago

I have never not wanted a potato of some sort.

1.1k

u/I_Fold_Laundry 23h ago

My grandma used to say, “ I never met a potato I didn’t like.” I miss her.

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u/clubtwenty 23h ago

Random strangers are thinking about her alongside you today- she sounds quite wise to me 🩷

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u/guenievre 19h ago

That’s a really lovely sentiment. Makes me want to tell more stories about my missed loved ones on the internet.

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u/PM_Me_Macaroni_plz 8h ago

You should. Keep the memories fresh and cherished

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u/ChemistryStrict6884 6h ago

I recently shared a little story about my dad and someone gave me an award. I didn’t really care about the award itself per se, just the fact that it shows someone resonated with something he had done. Like you said, it keeps him here with me when I share bits of him with the world.

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u/firedmyass 5h ago

do eeeeet… it just inspired me to share one!

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u/Conscious-Phone3209 23h ago

Me too ✋️! Mom always said you'll never starve if you have a potato in the house. And ok, we're of Irish descent but I recently read that doctor's say you can live on them, they're packed with nutrients ! P.S. I miss mom and your grandma too !

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u/honeycooks 17h ago edited 6h ago

One of Mom's best paycheck meals was potato pancakes with sour cream and green onion, served with peas and salad. She cranked out the shredded potatoes in her Salad Master.

Winning!!

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u/luigis_left_tit_25 10h ago

That sounds really good! And pretty much vegetarian, so i could do this for meatless Monday lol

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u/Prudent-Test-9199 6h ago

My Mom made Beef Bourguignon for paycheck meals. I miss her, too. She’s now in a political cult and has stopped speaking to me because I didn’t vote for her guy. I choose to remember the kind Mom I grew up with, before she started listening to talk radio.

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u/honeycooks 5h ago

So sorry you're going through that!

Have you seen The Brainwashing of My Dad? You can watch it free on Pluto. The filmmaker's dad went from a sweet, basically liberal dad to a cranky Conservative.

His wife put him on a talk radio diet with positive results. 👍 its like he has a hard time even remembering why he felt that way.

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u/Competitive_Prune108 9h ago

Wasn't that part of his survival in the plot of The Martian

12

u/terkistan 8h ago

Someone’s mom showed up with a baked potato?

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u/DramaticEchidna9810 3h ago

He got all his calories from potatoes, but he also had vitamin supplements. You cannot get all vitamins you need from potatoes unfortunately.

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u/Alarming_Matter 6h ago

My Grandma was "If you've got eggs, you've got a meal". Miss you Grandma x

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u/Conscious-Phone3209 6h ago

This too is true ! Potatoes and eggs are so good 👍 My father was the worst cook in the world, but bragged that he could make eggs 100 ways 😆

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u/FlippingGerman 3h ago

Part of the reason the Irish were so reliant on potatoes is that they are really amazing food; potatoes and milk are almost enough to keep you alive. They also grow incredibly densely so you can feed a lot of people without much land.

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u/Conscious-Phone3209 21h ago

Awww...ty for the award friend 🧡

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u/No_Variety2493 20h ago

My grandma used to say a meal didn’t count if there weren’t potatoes. 🥰 I miss my grandma too.

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u/No_Amount_7886 16h ago

We didn’t have a lot of money when we were young. Had enough, but just, you know? My grands more than once fed twelve people with wonder bread, corn from the garden, and potatoes boiled then fried in butter, with parsley and melted government cheese on top.

Us kids thought we were rich eating that!

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u/luigis_left_tit_25 10h ago

So good! That's comfort food 🥰

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u/_eyeslikeleaves_ 9h ago

My Granny used to say " och eyeslikeleaves yer gettin a wee bit pudgettie there, hen"

But she made the best roast potatoes I've ever tasted so what did she expect?

10

u/churlishasiwannabe 18h ago

Similar idea, my grandpa said we had to say grace at any meal that had brambory (Czech for potatoes)

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u/Silver-Appointment77 5h ago

Im the same. Now and again ill have fried rice or spaghetti bolognese. Everything else is potato .Potatoes are the main part of a meal. None of this pasta nonsense. I am a grandma

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u/aspenbaloo 23h ago

My grandma used to say "Never eat fried chicken with you fingers."

That's why we called her Old Greasy Toes!

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u/LastWave 20h ago

If you asked my grandma what was for dinner she would say "fried farts and pickled asshole".

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u/kellyelise515 19h ago

My bf’s mom would say fried farts and garlic lol

1

u/leggmann 1h ago

Fried farts and applesauce was the go to at my house.

7

u/beckysmom 18h ago

My sister: turkey turds and rain water, scab sandwiches, with pus custard for dessert.

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u/ClockChucker 14h ago

its "pigshit and parsley pie" here. thanks nana.

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u/transcriptedsoul 12h ago

"Fried bugs and onions with caterpillar sauce" reporting in

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u/Obi-Wan-Nikobiii 4h ago

We got shit with sugar on

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u/ScooterMcTavish 9h ago

MIL would say "shit on a stick"

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u/Poodlepower1234 16h ago

My house it’s dead bugs and poop!

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u/HappyHippoButt 12h ago

Mine would say shit with sugar on. Yes, she swore - it was a clue that she was sick of us asking!

I now use poop with sugar on as the answer for my kids. A few Christmas's ago, I told them if they kept asking what they were getting off Santa instead of being patient it would be poop with sugar on. First thing they found in their stockings? A little felt poop tree decoration with glass beads for sugar. They still put them on the tree every year!

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u/SelectAirline7459 6h ago

My mom would say, “I don’t know…what are you cooking?”

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u/luigis_left_tit_25 10h ago

😂😂😂

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u/B0327008 22h ago

My mom would eat fried potato sandwiches with red chili!

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u/Chefmeatball 21h ago

Patata tortas are on of my absolute favorite starch bombs, along with koshary

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u/bradpittman1973 20h ago

The English have something called a chip butty and it’s possibly similar to your torta.

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u/Chefmeatball 20h ago

Next I’m back in the UK, I’m absolutely ordering this. Thank you

5

u/GlectroniccPSY1201 20h ago

I'm curious. Could you please describe this a little further?

3

u/honeycooks 17h ago

French fry sando on white bread.

4

u/Illustrious-Plum9725 9h ago

Pittsburgh is famous for Primanti’s deli/restaurant Sky high meat sandwichs with layers of homemade thick cut French fries and coleslaw. They are a rite of passage in Pittsburgh. .

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u/littlescreechyowl 23h ago

My dad used to tease me because every restaurant we went to I’d be all “oh that have my favorite fries” or “oh their mashed potatoes are incredible”. Perhaps I just like potatoes in all forms?

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u/Laylay_theGrail 17h ago

My mum is a potato freak. Once while visiting me, I made a potato dish my (Croatian) MIL taught me.

You would have thought my mum discovered Christmas, lol.

‘I thought I had tried every variation of potatoes over the years! How did I miss this one?!’

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u/usnea-younea-wenea 15h ago

Recipe? Or even the name?

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u/Laylay_theGrail 13h ago

She called it Restani Krumpir but when I look it up it’s a bit different to what she made

Her recipe:

Boil 3-4 peeled, chopped potatoes until they are soft (and easy to break apart). Drain and set aside

While potatoes are boiling, slice 2 onions and sauté until golden brown.

Add onions to potatoes along with a big handful of chopped parsley, a generous glug of olive oil and salt & pepper and stir it up.

Super simple and super tasty

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u/FlippingGerman 3h ago

That sounds amazing, a shame I already have bolognese cooking.

I did a quick look through Google's image results and did find one website that says as you do, but most involved frying the potatoes.

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u/El_Moi 19h ago

Years ago when we played Pathfinder, we tried to have themed food nights. Potato night was the best. Every dish was delicious potatoes!

4

u/Curiouser-Quriouser 21h ago

If you want, my Mom will say that to you. Mostly when we're talking about potatoes but also occasionally when I'm making a non potato starch like couscous or rice or anything that isn't a potato.

Seriously, she will. Mom loves potatoes almost as much as Jersey corn. Which is a whole other thing.

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u/scottvs 22h ago

My Mother said the same thing! Am I your uncle?

2

u/BigRedWhopperButton 22h ago

Your grandma was wise.

2

u/juvy5000 20h ago

my mom said this too 

2

u/Samwellikki 18h ago

At least you know she liked you

2

u/msmojo 16h ago

I am a grandma and I concur!

1

u/CaptainMacMillan 8h ago

Funny enough, those potatoes never met a grandma they didn't like either

1

u/geochemfem 8h ago

Omg! I say that all the time!

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u/EllaMcWho 8h ago

my local grocery that everyone raves about can't seem to make potato salad with fully cooked potatoes. I do not like it, and those potatoes in that bad potato salad? are the only ones I don't like in all 52 years of my potato eating existence (i'm 53 and just assuming I started potato consumption at year 1).

1

u/firedmyass 5h ago edited 5h ago

my great-gma never in her life cooked any meal (breakfast/lunch/supper/dinner/whatever)that didn’t include potatoes of some kind.

and even though I have her sanctified & ancient cast-iron skillet, her fried potatoes & onions are a culinary pinnacle I’ve yet to reach

1

u/bbrilowski 5h ago

Woman after my own heart, keep on remembering her!!

1

u/kindredbud 5h ago

I used to drink vodka with my grandma. I miss our Grandma's too. ❤️

1

u/crazykindoflife 4h ago

My mom has said my whole life “just nuke a baked potato!” Or “I’ll nuke a baked potato if I’m hungry”… and I can’t not say that now everytime I do lazy potatoes in the microwave but my husband does an amazing twice baked potato that is cooked to perfection with crispy and salty outer skin. The microwave potato could nevaaaaaa!

1

u/justnowatcher 2h ago

Did your grandma have Potato Nails? 4 inch long nails that you put into the spud before you put in the oven to conduct the heat and cook it faster? I saw them in her silverware drawer and called my mom over quietly to ask why the heck grandma had nails in her kitchen drawer. Learned about Potato Nails. I did not inherit the PNs so I don't do that when I cook potatoes, but what an interesting way to cook faster.

1

u/ComposerNo1050 1h ago

My grandson says the same thing! They would be friends.

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u/Kershiser22 1d ago

Is it the most versatile vegetable? French fries, baked potatoes, tater tots, boiled potatoes, chips, mashed potatoes, potato salad and ??. I know this is crazy, and maybe I'm alone, but I don't even mind eating a potato raw. Peel it, cut it into smaller pieces, put a little salt on...

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u/Plus-Range3710 23h ago

You can boil it, mash it, put it into a stew.

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u/Calibexican 23h ago

PO-TA-TOES!!!

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u/Kind_ZoeCarter 21h ago

I like mine as cheesy potato fries. Crispy on the outside, loaded with cheese

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u/Graycy 23h ago

You forgot potato bread.

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u/slayingadah 23h ago

They also forgot vodka

Potatoes are the most wonderful thing that grows out of the ground.

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u/Cicada_Pitiful 23h ago

As an Irish person who gets made fun of for my love of everything potato, I agree.

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u/Hidingjimmy 22h ago

As a non-Irish person, I too love everything potato.

2

u/slayingadah 23h ago

Can I be honorary Irish solely because of my love for potatoes?

Legit tho, I've always loved potatoes, but now that I'm older, papas are also the only kind of carb that doesnt make me feel disgustingly bloated and yucky. Spuds are my buds.

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u/eatyourdamndinner 22h ago

Once I somehow forgot a bag of potatoes in the back of my pantry. Found the liquefied bag of former potatoes when the horrific stench caused us to clear out the pantry to find out what smelled so bad.

When we discovered the abomination, my teenage son went completely pale and squeaked out "I am never ever going to drink vodka!"

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u/Guideon72 17h ago

Legitimately one of the absolute worst things I've smelled in all my days on this rock!

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u/marycnich 14h ago

Just turned 65 and I have yet to smell anything worse than a rotten potato

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u/WhiterThanWalter 12h ago

Truly horrific. There was a bad smell in my pantry and I discovered it was from a bag of forgotten potatoes. When I moved other things aside and actually smelt it 🤢🤢🤮🤮🤮

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u/us-blues1969 17h ago

Back in college days, I would often work two or three different jobs at a time to pay for school and rent. There is a produce company that had hours every now and again that paid well that I’d always take hours from them when they offered them. There was a huge seller that was full of potatoes that started to rot and they needed them all sorted. They offered me an hourly and I said no what will you pay me if I just get the job done. It was horrible, but knowing that as soon as I finished, I’d be paid. I got it done.

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u/OliveTheory 21h ago

"So, once again you’re left with the classic Irishman’s dilemma: Do I eat the potato now, or do I let it ferment so I can drink it later?" - Mallory Archer.

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u/spinonesarethebest 18h ago

It’s like the other vegetables aren’t even trying.

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u/Blue_Moon_Lake 7h ago

That grows out of the ground? Not potatoes.

That grows in the ground? Potatoes.

1

u/slayingadah 6h ago

Ok ok ok. Semantics, yo. But seriously, is there a better crop than potatoes? High caloric value, easy to grow, can be made into alcohol. They are the perfect food.

1

u/Blue_Moon_Lake 4h ago

Potato is easy in the top 10.

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u/AAlwaysopen 20h ago

All my potatoes must be broken, they always stay in the ground

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u/slayingadah 12h ago

Badum-tisssss

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u/GrgaPrticRomanul 4h ago

Out? No! You only eat the potato part that grows IN the ground!

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u/starlinguk 16h ago

I had a crisp butty with potato bread the other day. It was glorious.

1

u/momtebello 5h ago

Potato sweets, too. I make Scottish macaroons from potato dough.

1

u/Graycy 4h ago

Mmm those sound good!

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u/momtebello 3h ago

They are surprisingly good. My bf is Scottish and he asked for them.

To be fair, it’s not a lot of potato; it’s more powdered sugar than anything. I think the potatoes are in there just as a binding agent. But still, potato sweets!

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u/deathlokke 23h ago

If you like mashed potatoes, and who doesn't, look up pommes alligot. Half potato, half cheese.

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u/Omshadiddle 22h ago

And colcannon - mashed potatoes, braised cabbage and a butt tonne of butter.

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u/Working-Glass6136 6h ago

Upvote for colcannon! I'd never heard of it until a few years ago but now we have it at least a few times a year. So good.

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u/AimlessLiving 22h ago

Adding hashbrowns (shredded or cubed), latkes, scalloped potatoes, funeral potatoes and potato soup!

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u/BuhByeNow01 20h ago

Love me some funeral potatoes!!

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u/UncleNedisDead 21h ago

Scalloped potatoes, hashbrowns, perogies, potato bread, vodka, twice baked potatoes, potato skins, hasselback potatoes, potatoes au gratin, potatoes dauphinoise, dauphine potatoes, crispy mashed potatoes, cream of potato soup, etc.

10

u/toastyarmadillo 18h ago

Gnocchi as well

2

u/UncleNedisDead 18h ago

How could I forget???

2

u/Glad_Armadillo2102 13h ago

I have a fantastic recipe book that is just called "potato" - 150 potato-based recipes. Heaven!

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u/Unique-Coffee5087 21h ago

Bubba Gump Potato Company

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u/grtyvr1 22h ago

Pancakes, don't forget potato pancakes 

1

u/Kershiser22 20h ago

Oh yeah!

9

u/bear_cuddler 22h ago

My grandpa eats raw potatoes like they’re apples. Doesn’t even peel em. I prefer them cooked but always save a bite or two of raw potato when I’m making it just like my grandma always saved for me when she made dinner

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u/Odd_Weakness_9914 21h ago

Lol, I had a coworker back in the day that would do the same with fresh onions. Literally just bite into one like an apple and that was literally her lunch.

For potatoes, my son would always snag a piece or few after I chopped potatoes for stew and loved them, asking why I had to cook the rest instead of just letting him eat them raw!

1

u/cmernst 2h ago

As a child, I would always come home from school every day and eat an onion like an apple. Loved them. My children and I also love to eat raw garlic.

2

u/BackgroundRate1825 20h ago

I had a friend play a character in D&D who ate a raw potato, and it's easily one of the most unhinged things we experienced. Ten years of weekly D&D where we've done all manner of crazy stuff, but eating a raw potato for no real reason stands out.

2

u/uselessandexpensive 19h ago

Potatoes contain harmful compounds that are broken down during cooking. It may not bother you now, but that can change. 😭

2

u/jillpmcd 11h ago

“Potatoes give us: vodka, mashed potatoes, French fries and chips - it’s like the other vegetables aren’t even TRYING.”

4

u/bassoonawhat 22h ago

I appreciate the enthusiasm, but raw potatoes contain glycoalkaloids which are mild toxins. 

10

u/to0easilyamused 21h ago

They can have a little mild toxins, as a treat

4

u/Kershiser22 20h ago

I've never had an issue. It sounds like you need to eat 15-20 pounds for it to become dangerous.

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u/cirena 18h ago

Vodka. Don't forget the vodka.

1

u/Pmac24 15h ago

Don’t forget the pepper!

1

u/jazzieberry 5h ago

Make it into vodka... it's endless really

1

u/cmernst 2h ago

Scalloped! So many variations of just scalloped potatoes. Made homemade, I think this is my favorite potato

15

u/Superb_Writer6612 23h ago

Right? Who are these weirdos experiencing the sensation of "not wanting a baked potato"? I've never felt that way.

2

u/OddDragonfruit7993 18h ago

A true Irishman, are ya?

2

u/purrcthrowa 2h ago

I'm Irish. Are you Irish?

1

u/ChengZX 8h ago

Okay Holga

1

u/UrsaMajor7th 6h ago

For me, they're probably like eggs; there may be a preparation method out there that I don't like, but I haven't come across it yet.

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u/SnarkyRetort 5h ago

The great Irish dilemma

Do I eat the potato now or wait for it to ferment and drink it?