My company is having a cook-off, and my first instinct is to go all in with a classic staple like mashed potatoes, but I figure I won’t be alone in this strategy. What is my surest bet in winning over as many taste buds as possible? Stick with a traditional recipe, do traditional with a twist, or go left-field with a dessert? Can you do me the honor of selecting my recipe?

A. Thanks for the kind words about our recipe section! We’re happy that you’re able to find a diverse selection of recipes to choose from. Many of our over-the-top recipes have been featured in foodservice ads or in our chef’s calendar on the foodservice section of the website. Check these out:

• http://foodservice.idahopotato.com/advertising on the left side of the page are the ads by each year.
• http://foodservice.idahopotato.com/chef_calendar the pork tots, are a fun way to put an Asian twist on a typical breakfast item, Tater Tots, and nearly everyone loves those.
• http://foodserviceblog.idahopotato.com/easy-but-exciting-potato-dish-for-party these potato lollipops made with russet potatoes allow for audience participation too by adding sauces. I do think it needs some additional spice to make the potatoes more interesting.
• http://foodservice.idahopotato.com/happyhour The Happy Hour recipe contest had some very tasty ideas too.

Now back to the cooking contest. What kind of cooking equipment will you have? How many finished dishes are needed for the judges, or is it a popular vote? Full-sized dishes or bite-sized appetizers? Judging style completely determines the approach I would take. If the judges are a wide audience of people from different backgrounds besides food, they are not going to be adventurous. They also may be looking for something they could make at home. In that case, I might make mashed potatoes three ways or using small potatoes, make this Easter Egg Potato recipe with different ingredients: http://recipes.idahopotato.com/easter-egg-idaho-potatoes (note, there is a video showing the basic steps). If there will be a table, something easy to serve might be a good idea. The refried mashed potatoes are easy to heat up and portion out tastes: http://recipes.idahopotato.com/refried-mashed-idaho-potatoes-with-pork-tenderloin

Want to WOW the judges? Try this Potato Volcano (It’s a version of one made by a famous NY chef David Chang) http://recipes.idahopotato.com/idaho-potato-volcano   http://www.idahopotato.com/video_player2/id-iEE96RedxnM. This recipe uses scalloped potatoes as the filling along with roasted vegetables or shredded pork or beef. The plated version can have a red pepper coulis underneath.

Let me know what recipe you end up using and how it’s received!

A. As long as they look and smell fine—meaning the color is not grey and the sour cream and cream cheese have not curdled—you should be fine. Bear in mind that while restaurants keep food product for that duration, their refrigeration is controlled. Home refrigerators can fluctuate in temperature more often, which can lead to a shorter shelf life.

A. Good news! All three major potato processors have this kind of product. You can choose product with the skin left on or cut to different thicknesses. Here are some examples:

• JR Simplot Select Recipe^® Chips
• Lamb Weston TIME SAVOR® / SuperSlices® (H89)
• Lamb Weston LAMB’S NATURAL / Slices (B09)
• McCain Foods McCain frips™ fresh style chip

A. Wait staff scripting can be a creative way to handle this. A quick and healthy way to do this is to add salsa to a plain baked potato, or serving it with a side of creamy horseradish or a squeeze of lemon instead of a scoop of butter and sour cream. A couple of years ago we ran a series of “Watching Waistline and Wallets” recipes for consumers and the ideas were very flavorful and filling too. Here is that collection: http://www.idahopotato.com/wwaw_contest

A. We recommend baking potatoes at 400 degrees F for about an hour. Smaller spuds might take a little less time, while larger baking potatoes over 1 pound might take a little more. For a fully baked Idaho Russet Burbank, the internal temperature should be right at 210 degrees F. In foodservice, where the baked potato will be kept warm after it comes out of the oven, we recommend the internal temp to be 185 degrees F as the potato will continue to cook.

A. It’s hard to calculate how long it will take to roast them without knowing the size of the roaster and how the potatoes will be arranged. If you are able to arrange the potatoes in one layer in the roaster, they should finish baking between an hour and an hour and fifteen or twenty minutes. The potatoes should not be chilled and should instead be stored at room temperature so they don’t have to get warm before they start to bake. Bake them without wrapping them in foil—wrapping them slows down the baking process. Once the internal temperature of the potato reaches 210 degrees F, they’re done baking.

Update: I tested the roaster out with a 10-pound bag of No. 1 spuds. There were 29 in the bag and I cooked them in the roaster for around an hour and 45 minutes. They turned out perfectly!

Ten pounds in the roaster oven.

A. There is no one correct answer to this question because potatoes vary in size and length. In foodservice, the size ranges for no. 1 potatoes are determined by the USDA. Each carton of fifty pounds contains an average county of potatoes. For example, a 50-count potato would average around 1 pound each. However, the length could be long or short, so the circumference will vary. The most common size of potato shipped from Idaho is 80 or 90 count, which is smaller than a 50-count potato. Here’s a size chart with the actual potato sizes shown in ounces:

Size Guide [click to view PDF]

A.  Yes! Potatoes are a great time-saving, economical staple to make several delicious meals. Here are several great recipes your family will love:

“Slow Cooker” Farmer’s Market Idaho® Potato Stew [click to view]

Easy, Cheesy Idaho® Potatoes and Ham [click to view]

Traditional “Slow Cooker” Mashed Idaho® Potatoes [click to view]

Block and Tackle Idaho® Potato Casserole [click to view]

Baked Idaho® Mashed Potato Casserole [click to view]

California Casserole [click to view]

A. To maximize the yield this year, because of the low price of both No. 1 and No. 2 potatoes, I would suggest ordering a No. 1 80- or 90-count carton (the approximate number of potatoes in each 50-pound box) and leaving the skin on so that there is little trimming cost.

This worksheet, developed by Lamb Weston, might prove helpful in comparing costs. Making chips from scratch requires a lot more labor in order to make them properly. http://www.lambweston.com/support/profit_calculators/fresh_vs_frozen_calculator.jsp

Regarding preservatives, the only ones I would recommend using are concentrated lemon juice or white wine vinegar. Add 1 tablespoon per gallon of water to prevent oxidation of the potatoes.

A.  Yes! We love the idea of combining all the potato side dishes for the evening as an ever-changing appetizer or doing a cycle of rotating mashed potato sides. Check out the examples below for possible additions to your menu:

Four potatoes fixed two ways on one plate:

Norman Van Aken’s “Papas Chorreadas” [click to view]

Trio of Mashed Idaho® Potatoes [click to view]

Blue Stilton and Candied Red Onion Custard Potato (recipe for the potato dish in the background) with mashed mushroom Parmesan and mashed spring pea and mint [click to view]

Easter Egg Idaho® Potatoes [click to view]