Scored Baked Potatoes

The hubby was grilling melt-in-your-mouth ribeyes for supper this evening, and as usual, I was suffering from side dish dilemma. Am I all alone in this? Does this happen to anyone else? Enquiring minds want to know.

Steak 'n' potatoes is obviousy a classic pairing, and rather than making a plain old baked potato, I halved and scored them, following a recipe I once saw in a Taste of Home issue. This allows the butter, salt, pepper, and other seasonings of choice to permeate the inside of the potato while it's baking.

The potatoes take a little while to cook, but this recipe is economical and so easy to put together. The prep time is under 5 minutes. And in between my routine Sunday afternoon nap and cleaning out the basement, I didn't really have more than 5 minutes to spare.

It worked out perfectly, and I couldn't have asked for a better supper. And to thank the hubby for his yummy steaks, I'm throwing in a pan of chewy-gooey bars for dessert. I highly recommend you do the same.

Scored Baked Potatoes
4 servings

4 large baking potatoes, preferably russets
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted, divided
1/8-1/4 tsp. paprika or other preferred spice/seasoning, to taste
1 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley or 1 1/2 tsp. dried
Kosher salt and fresh black pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Scrub potatoes well, and cut them in half lengthwise. Slice each potato half six times or so widthwise, but be careful not to cut all the way through. (You still want each potato intact. I usually manage to do this for about 75% of my potatoes.)

3. Place potatoes in a shallow baking dish. Brush with 1 Tbsp. melted butter, and then sprinkle with paprika, parsley, salt, and pepper.

4. Bake, uncovered, for 50 minutes or unti tender. Drizzle with remaining butter before serving.

Yeah, I wasn't in the mood for veggies tonight. But parsley counts, right?