Fall! The crackle of leaves, the smell of mulled cider and the frenzy of feeding the family while still making it to the football game in time! We all know that as DoAhead’s the crock-pot is a virtual Holy Grail. But second to that it is a timed oven. Today we’ll use it to pursue our own version of “One Potato, Two Potato”!

Drum roll please for the Baked Potato Bar!

Not only does a potato bar lend itself to doing ahead, its perfect for feeding a large crew. Here’s how it works for our tribe:

1. Potatoes should be scrubbed and wrapped in foil. Place them in the oven. If you’ve got a timer set it so they’ll be ready at the designated time. (You may want to scrub them up the night before but wait to wrap in foil until the morning.)

2. Toppings can be prepped in advance. A few ideas are as follows:

• Chopped raw veggies (onions, peppers)
• Clean and cut broccoli, steam for a couple of minutes prior to opening “the bar”.
• Diced ham, shredded chicken, or bacon are all good meat toppings.
• Shredded or melted cheese is a must. (If you’ve got a small crock-pot put the cheese in there and let your guests ladle to their hearts desire!)

Splurge on heavy Chinet paper plates (they’ll withstand a loaded potato) so you can minimize dirty dishes.

That’s it DoAhead’s! A “One Potato, Two Potato” trick to getting your team out the door and onto the field!

Your DoAhead Friend,