Brown Butter, Sage, and Parmesan Stuffed Potato

If gnocchi in a brown butter-sage sauce is your go-to dish on pasta night, make all those fall flavors a part of your next baked potato. This deconstructed version is drizzled with nutty brown butter, crispy sage leaves, and a generous shower of salty Parmesan curls.

Before you can stuff your potato with this glorious filling, you’ve got to cook it. There are options aplenty, so choose what works best for you.

• How To Bake a Potato in the Microwave: If you’re in a hurry, take to the microwave. This gets the job done in about 10 minutes.
• How To Bake a Potato in the Oven: The classic method produces ultra-crispy skin and a fluffy texture. You need close to an hour for this preparation, but the texture of the potato is superior. Bake a big batch on the weekend to have on hand throughout the week.
• How To Bake a Potato in the Slow Cooker: Want to make sure you can have baked potatoes for dinner and don’t want to wait the hour for them to cook when you get home? Choose the slow cooker. You’ll need eight to 10 hours on low, so this is actually something that works with our workday — including the commute!

Heat a few tablespoons of butter in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Swirl occasionally to keep the butter from burning. Continue cooking the butter, still swirling occasionally, until it turns a light caramel color and the solids at the bottom of the pan are deep brown, about 10 minutes. Add a few fresh sage leaves, and swirl in the butter until the bubbling subsides. Cook one to two minutes or until crisp. Remove the pan from the heat.

Cut the cooked potato lengthwise and gently pull it open without splitting in half, then use a fork to fluff the inside of the potato. Spoon the brown butter and crispy sage over the potatoes. Top with shaved Parmesan, and serve immediately.

All it takes is an inspired topping to turn a plain potato into a tiny miracle on a busy weeknight. This series will open your eyes to all the ways the humble potato can be loaded up with the help of no more than four common pantry ingredients.