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Loaded Potatoes

A healthy way to get stuffed

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Transform the everyday spud from lacklustre to centre stage-worthy. These loaded potatoes deliver the goods, both in taste and nutrition.

In the world of vegetables, potatoes can be perceived as a little plain, but you can make this work to your advantage. As neutral vehicles, potatoes accommodate a variety of fillings from salads to stir-fries to classic nacho toppers. The steadfast spud can be loaded up with flavour. With a variety of shapes, colours, tastes, and sizes, potatoes also pack a load of nutrition. The humble baking potato delivers fibre, potassium, vitamin C, and a surprising amount of plant-based protein. Sweet potatoes (though not really a potato at all) provide beta carotene, fibre, potassium, and complex carbohydrates. Roasting potatoes helps to caramelize the natural sugars found within, allowing you to experience a more complex taste that boiling and steaming just can’t muster. As a side, a snack, or a main course, these loaded potatoes are a healthy way to get stuffed.

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Recipes

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Potato varieties

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Red

It comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, with a waxy, thin skin and a creamy interior. It’s delicious roasted.

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Russet

The classic baking potato has a floury interior and edible brown exterior. It’s excellent for baking, mashing, and roasting.

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Fingerling

Bred to look like fingers, they come in many shapes, sizes, and colours (red, white, yellow, and purple). They’re best for roasting and steaming in appetizers and salads.

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White

Similar to the red potato in taste and texture, it’s good steamed or boiled for potato salads and mashing.

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Yukon Gold (Yellow)

The ultimate mashing potato, this Canadian-grown variety looks like a pale golden nugget and tastes creamy and buttery.

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Baby (Petite)

A smaller version of larger potatoes, it’s more concentrated in flavour and makes the perfect roasting potato.

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Sweet Potatoes

Not a true potato, but a member of the morning glory family. Sweet potatoes are the most flavourful spud, ideal for roasting, mashing, making salads, and using in desserts in place of squash or pumpkin.

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How to buy and store potatoes

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At the store

  • Choose potatoes without green marks, sprouts, bruises, or cuts.
  • Look for fresh new potatoes at the markets.
  • Sweet potatoes have a tendency to go soft. Look for ones with thin skins and give them a squeeze to make sure they’re very firm.
  • Don’t be afraid of ugly produce. Potatoes have a tendency to be gnarly. As long as they aren’t old, bruised, or discoloured, funny shapes still taste great.

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At home

  • Store potatoes in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place—never refrigerate them. If you have a cold cellar or basement, this is ideal.
  • Store out of direct sunlight, as this can lead to green spots, a buildup of the toxic chemical solanine, which can cause illness. Throw out any green potatoes.
  • If stored in a bag, make sure perforations allow the potatoes to breathe to avoid mold.
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