Tips for Plant-Based Living

We love potatoes! I’ve always loved potatoes but after transitioning to a plant-based diet, my love of potatoes has grown. Often, I’ll cook potatoes on the weekend to eat all week long. Through trial and error, I’ve discovered my favorite ways to cook and reheat potatoes.

The cooking and reheating method will vary based on the type of potato. Let’s take a look at some of our favorites.

Instant Pot Baked Potatoes

I normally cook russets in my Instant Pot for “Baked” potatoes. I know they aren’t technically baked, but I don’t care. I don’t want to tie up my oven when my Instant Pot cooks potatoes so quickly and easily.

Just scrub your potatoes, I like to pierce them with a fork if I remember but I don’t usually remember. I put them on a wire rack in my Instant Pot with one cup of water. Press Manual (or Pressure Cook) and set the time for 14 minutes. If you are making big potatoes then set it for 16-20 minutes. The size of the potatoes makes a big difference. Once done, let the pressure come down naturally for at least 20 minutes. I prefer to wait an hour before eating them, especially if they are really big.

If you aren’t sure how long to cook your potatoes just guess. Here is some unofficial guidance. If you can hold two potatoes in one hand then 14 minutes will work. If you can’t, then go with 16 minutes. If you are cooking a giant potato that is as big as your face, go with 20 minutes.

To store the potatoes, after they are cooled off, I’ll put them in a zip lock bag or air tight container and store them in the fridge.

Reheating Baked Potatoes

When I’m ready to use them, I usually chop them up (at least in half but often in fourth’s so they look like 4 long wedges). This works best when I have good toppings to use like chili, beans, or some other moist food. I don’t use butter or Earth Balance or vegan cheese but those may work. If I don’t have any moist toppings I will heat them in the microwave (covered) for 2 minutes, then sprinkle on Everything Bagel seasoning.

Often I’ll dice up the leftover potato and add it to a bowl of soup. I reheat in the microwave for a minute or two. Our microwave takes 2 minutes to get food really hot, especially if it’s straight out of the fridge. This is a great way to make brothy soups even more filling.

You could also reheat in the Instant Pot or oven. If reheating in the Instant Pot, you’ll want put the potatoes on the wire rack, add one cup of water, and cook for 5 minutes for big potatoes. If the potatoes are small, 3-4 minutes would work.

If you want to reheat in the oven, I recommend baking at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Fries, Baked Potato Wedges and Roasted Potatoes

We rarely reheat these because they just aren’t as good as fresh. If we do, we heat the oven to 400 degrees, cook them for 10 to 15 minutes, sometimes we will then cook them under the broiler for a few minutes. These are the hardest to reheat.

Instant Pot Baked Sweet Potatoes

We have two main ways we cook sweet potatoes. If we cook them whole it’s usually in the Instant Pot. Yes, it easy to cook them in the oven but I prefer cooking whole, baked sweet potatoes (and yams) in the Instant Pot.

To cook whole sweet potatoes (or yams) in the Instant Pot, just scrub them. Put the wire rack in the Instant Pot and place the sweet potatoes on top. Add one cup of water. Cook on Manual (new IP’s have a Pressure Cook button) for 14 minutes. If you have exceptionally large sweet potatoes you will want to add about 5 minutes to that time. Once done, let the pressure come down naturally. I like to let them sit for about an hour before eating.

Cooking sweet potatoes whole in the Instant Pot is best way to cook them when you want to make a Sweet Potato Casserole for Thanksgiving!

Once cooled, we store them in the fridge, uncovered (just on a plate or bowl with skin still on). When it’s time to reheat we cut them in half , cover them, and heat in the microwave.

Roasting Sweet Potatoes

The other way we cook them (pretty much weekly) is we peel and dice them into bite sized pieces. Then we bake them at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. We store them in an airtight container and eat them cold or microwave them for 30 seconds to a minute. We eat them as side dishes, or in salads. These reheat really well. 

New Potatoes and Yellow Potatoes

I love to cook new potatoes and yellow (gold) potatoes in the Instant Pot. These are usually small, though I have gotten a few that were really big. They cook quickly but I’ll give them a quick scrub and cook them in my Instant Pot for about 10 minutes on manual. I prefer to let them rest for at least 15 minutes but sometimes I’ll forget them for hours. Oops. They taste creamy and go with everything.

If all your potatoes are small you can cook them less but I inevitably have various sizes. Ten minutes is a good catch all.

I store them uncovered in the fridge but in a zip lock back would work too. Since they are so versatile, I’ll often throw them in soups, salads, or eat them as sides. They are perfect for a quick breakfast too.

Then I cut them in fourth’s (like long wedges) and reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. Then I top them with Everything Bagel seasoning. These reheat so much better than russets. They stay moist inside and don’t need a moist topping like russets.

Sometimes I’ll cook them in my Instant Pot then make mashed potatoes by adding some rice milk and seasoning like garlic and onion powder. These are really good for a side dish reheated.

What are your favorite methods for cooking and reheating potatoes?