There’s only one way to cut a potato for baking, right? Oh, no, once you see this creative and delicious innovation, you’ll never go back to the old one-cut method.
First, set the potato down lengthwise and cut off the top, also lengthwise. Now cut rings inside the open area lengthwise, 5 or 6 depending on the size of the potato. Leave an uncut circle in the middle.
Now turn the potato over and leave an uncut circle around the top. Otherwise, make cuts downward around the entire outer edge of the potato. Make the cuts about 1/2 to an inch deep, depending on the size of the potato.
Turn the potato over so that the top that you cut off shows. You’ll see the rings that you previously cut are now squares surrounding the center uncut circle.
Now you can get your work of art ready for the oven. Put a little olive oil and salt on top of the cut squares and the cut-off center circle. Bake the potato uncovered for an hour. Take it out and put on some shredded cheese, whatever flavor you like. Put the potato back in the oven for 5 minutes or until the cheese is just melted, and pull it out.
You’ll have a baked potato that looks like a blooming onion, or a yummy potato flower. Add bacon, sour cream, broccoli, or whatever you like. This delight can be a side dish or stand alone as a meal in itself, since potatoes are rich in vitamins and minerals.
The secret to cutting the potato this way is that the potato cooks evenly, becomes more crispy and flavorful, and allows the cheese to melt down throughout the potato. Boy, oh, boy!
