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Can I Eat Leftover Baked Potatoes?

Q:

I have forgotten which episode and cannot find it on his website but Dr. Oz said not to eat leftover baked potatoes and gave the reason(s).  Do you have any idea what he was talking about?  I usually eat one-half of a baked potato one night and the other half the next night.

A:

The old adage of baking once and eating twice can be very safe with just a few precautionary steps. I leave off things like rolling the potato in oil or other dairy coatings like melted butter, so that there is no residual that could be a food safety issue when the left over baked potato cools off. Once the potato is baked, cut it in half and let the un-topped portion you plan to use tomorrow cool slightly from the oven, then place into the refrigerator and cover with a clear plastic wrap or a towel.  The food safety issues that can be a problem results in baking a potato in foil, adding something like butter and sour cream and then leaving that potato out or wrapping up in foil while still warm.