The Trick To Reheating A Baked Potato Without Drying It Out

If you've ever taken a leftover baked potato out of the fridge and simply thrown it in the microwave, well, you probably know the disappointment that follows when the microwave dings. Aside from giving them new life as hash browns or mashed potatoes, there's not much you can do... or is there?

It actually is possible to salvage a baked potato and still enjoy it as you had originally planned. You just have to go about it the right way. There are a few ways of reviving baked spud, it just depends if you want to use the microwave, oven, or stove. 

Hello Fresh's head chef, Claudia Sidoti, told First For Women, that she reheats her whole baked potatoes in a 350 degree oven for  20 minutes, placing the spud directly on the oven rack or on a baking sheet. This "re-bake" method, she says, also crisps the potato skin up again.

It is possible to use a microwave, as long as you prep the potatoes correctly, Sidoti says. You'll want to slice the potato in half and wrap each piece in a damp paper towel to prevent it from drying out. Place it on a microwave safe dish and heat on medium for two to three minutes or until it's heated through. If you like a crispy skin, just throw them under the broiler for a minute or so after they've come out of the microwave.

If you find that the microwave or oven approach are still leaving your baked potatoes a little dry, there is a third option you might want to try — Spoon University recommends the stovetop method. Place your room temperature potatoes that have been halved face down in an oiled pan over medium-low heat. Cover the pan with a lid and let the steam do the reheating work. After three or four minutes, you'll want to check them to make sure they're heating up but not burning.

While these methods may not make your leftover baked potato as fresh as it was when you first baked it, they'll definitely leave your spuds better off than if you toss them in the microwave for two minutes on high.