Fire Baked Potatoes
I’m going to say that, as awful as the Nashville ice storm continues to be, I did learn a trick or two that I’m not forgetting any time soon. That included cooking skills without a working stove. In fact, I recently told a friend that I was turning into a real Girl Scout, to which she replied, “Stop it immediately!”
Here is the story of our best ice storm dinner. So, you already know that the stovetop and oven didn’t work with our small gas generator. The fireplace is gas, so I couldn’t exactly cook hot dogs on a stick over it. The outdoor grill was smashed to pieces – it was time to get creative. I was taking a chance, but if it didn’t work, there were always more peanut butter sandwiches.
I wrapped two potatoes in heavy aluminum foil and popped them in the front of the gas fireplace. It took about two hours with me turning them every 30 minutes, but I promise they were the best baked potatoes I’ve ever had. In fact, we liked them so much that that’s my new hack for a baked potato.
They were a little crunchy on the outside and so creamy in the middle. I added all the toppings I could scrounge up: butter, sour cream, green onions, and bacon bits. This was so delicious and so much fun, I think it’s my new recipe for cooking a baked potato. We will always remember the ice storm – not fondly, but we’ll fondly remember the potatoes that became a fireside feast.
You should try this. It’s really fun and a great way to impress people with your Girl Scout skills. Enjoy!
Fire Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
2 baking potatoes
Salt
Equipment
Fireplace
Aluminum foil
Directions:
Wash potatoes, but don’t dry them.
Rub salt on the outside and wrap in heavy-duty foil.
Place the potatoes in front of the fire, poking them into the ashes.
Turn every 30 minutes for about 2 hours.
Enjoy with your favorite toppings- butter (of course), sour cream, cheese, green onions, bacon – whatever you fancy.
Hint: I like to get packaged real bacon bits – put them on a paper towel and put them in the microwave for a minute or so. It makes them crispy and takes out some of the grease.
