CLASSROOM COOKING
Bake a Potato

In the oven
Pierce the skin. A medium sized potato bakes to perfection in about 60 minutes at 200ºC.


In the microwave
Each medium sized potato takes about 3 - 4 minutes to cook on high power. So two potatoes will take 6 - 8 minutes, three will take 9 -12 minutes. Microwaving is perfect if you are cooking for one or two people.


Simply heat and eat
Put baked beans or cream style corn in a saucepan: stir while heating gently
until hot. Or in the microwave: pour into a bowl and heat on high power for
1 minute, stir and then heat again for another 1 minute.


Top it off!
For a delicious topping simply pour a can of beans or cream style corn over
your baked potato. One can is enough to top around four potatoes.


More baked potatoes ways...
Baked stuffed potatoes
For a baked stuffed potato, cut a baked potato in half, scoop out the flesh, mash it with a little milk and then mix in a can of beans or creamed corn. One can is enough for four potatoes. Pile back into the potato skins.

Potato volcanoes
Younger children love potato volcanoes - cut a deep cross in each potato and all at the same time with your fingers and thumbs at the base of the potato, push it hard so that all of the flesh erupts! Pour over our hot lava (cream style corn or beans!)

Potato burger
Cut a baked potato in half - fill with favourite burger fillings!

Potatoes on a campfire
Pierce each potato and wrap in triple thickness tin foil. Your campfire
needs to be well established. Place the potatoes in hot embers.
Medium sized potatoes will take around 45 minutes to cook. Using
long tongs, turn them a few times during cooking. You can tell they
are cooked when they are soft. To heat a can on an open fire, partially
open the can (this is VERY important) and place in the edge of the
embers - you will see it boiling in about 3 - 5 minutes. Serve your
potato topped with the heated beans or corn. Scrummy!
BE SAFE
• Check there is no fire ban in your area.
• Never leave a fire unattended and make sure an adult is always present.

potatoes in a hangi or umu
Potatoes cook brilliantly by a combination of steaming and baking in a
hangi or umu. Serve with traditional food or top with heated beans or corn.

TIP: if you are teaching a large group to bake potatoes and don’t have an oven in your classroom you can to cook them in advance and keep them warm for at least a couple of hours. Load up to 60 potatoes in an oven. Increase the cooking time to 1 hour 15 minutes because it will take longer to bring all up to temperature. Remove from the oven, and wrap the whole tray in tin foil. Wrap this in a large towel. Many teachers have found that is feasible to bake potatoes at home before school, wrap them well in foil then towels and they will still be nice and warm for a mid-late morning lesson. (If you can pack the wrapped potatoes into an insulated chilli bin they will keep even hotter). Similarly, if you are limited by only one oven you can easily cook two batches and feed 120 children for a lunch event.