#baked-potato

#baked-potato

They were added to the menu, along with the legendary salad bar, as part of the health food craze that was sweeping the nation in the early '80s. This was a big deal at the time. In the early 1980s, the USDA released its first dietary guidelines, suggesting Americans cut back on saturated fats, sodium, sugar, and cholesterol. In 1982, Coca-Cola introduced Diet Coke. The diet craze was in full swing, so Wendy's took its own big swing by offering a baked potato in 1983.

When you're looking for something warm and filling, it's hard to go wrong with a baked potato. They're affordable, delicious, and pretty easy to make. Since they start as a blank canvas, you can top them with endless ingredients so you'll never get bored. If you want to make the most of your baked potato and ensure it's as delicious as possible, there's one simple preparation step you may be overlooking.

Just look at the British dish of beans on baked potatoes. Yes, it might sound a bit strange at first, but it is a dish that has legs - across the pond, at least. Closer to home, there is another stage of baked potato innovation unfolding, and it is one that you'll want to lock away for a tired night when you simply can't be bothered to cook a meal: topping a baked potato with a frozen dinner.

The simplicity of this choice might come as a surprise (as would the fact that it's not cheese), but chives' versatility and tastiness are a winning combination. You can add them to loaded seafood baked potatoes or hot potatoes with chili and the flavor still works. Chives are similar to scallions or green onions, but they have a milder taste that makes them more like an herb and less like their pungent relatives in the allium family - which includes onions and garlic.

With so many toppings to choose from that far exceed the popular trio of butter, chives, and sour cream, it's time to turn your thoughts to a protein-rich staple that's nearly synonymous with barbecues and ball games. Albeit an unexpected topping to level up your baked potato, the humble and hearty hot dog will do wonders to elevate your dish.

A great way to make extra-flavourful fluffy pillows of gnocchi is to make them with leftover baked potato. Baking the potatoes instead of boiling them reduces their moisture content, meaning less flour is required, which in turn results in a lighter, less pasty gnocchi.

You can't taste the vodka, what it does is take away the salt from the caviar and blend everything else in. You eat it like a hot dog. It's comfort food, I'm telling you.