Ask Dr. Potato

Q: What is the best temperature to bake a one-pound meatloaf and three Idaho potatoes? I only have one oven and I want to serve them both at the same time.

Q: We prepared a lot of russet potatoes for mashing by peeling first, then placing the whole potatoes in water before boiling. The potatoes turned pink, any thoughts on what caused this?

Q: I want to serve bake potatoes in my food truck. What would be the best and fastest way to cook them?

Q: Thank you, my Idaho mashed potatoes turned out white. I followed some of the tips on the Dr. Potato posts… Peel before cooking, Cut in half lengthwise and then put the flat parts on a cutting board. Then I cut into equal sized chunks and placed immediately into a bowl of water with concentrated lemon juice. Drained and added to a pot to put on the stove. I started with cold water and then boiled until a knife pierced the potatoes easily, about twenty minutes. Drained in a colander and added back to the pot and cooked a little more. Scraped the completely cooked chunks into a plastic bowl and put a clean tea towel over the top to keep air out and put the bowl in the refrigerator. I did all this the day before. When it came to Thanksgiving, I brought the potatoes out to room temperature, then microwaved. And, once thoroughly heated added to a ricer. The result was SMOOTH potatoes, no lumps and no gray hue to the potatoes! Finally, I folded in warm cream and melted butter. Put in a covered serving crockpot with some additional chunks of butter. I got raves about my Idaho russet potatoes this year. It’s going to be an annual tradition from now on.

Q: Is there a time of year or type of potato that has a higher content of sugar?

Q: I am a student of food and I have volunteered to be on a local television show to talk about how much I love Idaho potatoes as well as demonstrate how to make them. Any tips that might help me get through this and look like an expert?

Q: I cut too many potatoes how long can they be kept in the refrigerator covered?

Q: I’m looking for something hearty that I can serve my family on a weeknight when the weather turns cold. Oh, and some like meat, some don’t so it needs to be flexible enough to accommodate different tastes. We all like potatoes, mostly French fries and mashed potatoes from our favorite restaurants. Any suggestions?

Q: Can I boil my potatoes with skin on 2 days before I make potato salad? Using whole potatoes?

Q: I am hosting a youth Halloween party and I want to do a "Mr. Potato Head" project with 20-30 next week. I need to know: 1) If I bake the potatoes ahead of time, then put them into the refrigerator, how long can they stay out at room temperature while the kids decorate them? 2) Then what is the best way to reheat them so the kids can eat them?