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Tubers are the finale Vegetable group. This group consist of potatoes and they are in this group because they grow underground. This recipe is good because it is a baked potato and these are good for you because they are a good source of fiber, but just like salad you can add your own topping to them and this will add color texture and other forms of nutritional value.

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A perfect baked potato has crispy skin and fluffy insides. My method for how to bake a potato works every time, so load up your spuds, and dig in!

A perfect baked potato is hard to beat. The outside is brown and crisp, coated in a crust of sea salt. Pierce the skin, and your fork gives way to a soft, fluffy interior. It might be hard to resist eating the whole thing straight out of the oven, but if you take the time to top it with a pat of butter or a dollop of (cashew) sour cream, you won't be able to deny that it was worth the wait.

Reading this, you might be surprised to learn that until recently, I wasn't a baked potato fan. I thought they were bland on their own. Whenever I had them at restaurants or at home as a kid, the toppings were always the main attraction. The potatoes themselves would be shriveled and soft, meager vessels for sour cream, cheddar cheese, and bacon.

But this salt-crusted baked potato recipe changed everything for me. In it, the potato becomes the main event. Don't get me wrong, a little butter or sour cream goes a long way here, but the potatoes come out of the oven with perfectly crispy, flavorful skins and creamy, piping hot interiors that taste delicious as they are. Serve them as a hearty side dish, or load them up and call them dinner. You'll love them either way!

How to Bake a Potato

I like to use russet potatoes here, as their skin really puffs up and becomes crisp in the oven. Along with the potatoes, you'll just need olive oil and salt to make this baked potato recipe. Once you've assembled your ingredients, follow these easy steps:

First, preheat the oven to 425, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

While the oven preheats, prep the potatoes. Scrub the potatoes well and pat them dry with a kitchen towel. Then, poke the potatoes with a fork a few times to create small holes across their surfaces.

Next, season the potatoes. Place them on the baking sheet and rub them all over with olive oil. Sprinkle them liberally with sea or kosher salt, and transfer them to the hot oven to bake.

Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until the skins are crisp and puffy and you can easily pierce the potatoes with a fork. Use oven mitts to remove the hot baking sheet from the oven.

Finally, dig in! Allow the potatoes cool for a few minutes before slicing them open, fluffing up their insides, and topping them with your favorite fixings. I like cashew sour cream, tempeh bacon, chives, and salt and pepper!

Baked Potato Recipe Tips

Skip the foil! The key to making a good baked potato is getting really crispy skin. If you wrap the potatoes in foil, the potato skins will shrivel and soften in the oven. For the best results, leave the potatoes unwrapped.

Don't skimp on the salt. Are you someone who likes to eat potato skins? If you make this baked potato recipe, you will be! Coating the spuds in salt makes the skins extra-crispy and flavorful. Plus, with a bit of the salty skin in each bite, you won't need to worry about seasoning the potato flesh as you eat.

Know that the cooking time will vary. In the recipe below, I say to bake your potatoes for 45 to 60 minutes. This is a wide range, but I list it for a reason. The cooking time will vary depending on the size of the potatoes. Be ready to take them out of the oven when they're fork-tender and their skin is crisp. The baking time will be longer for larger potatoes and shorter for small ones.

Oven Baked Potato Serving Suggestions

You can't go wrong by serving this oven baked potato recipe with a pat of butter, salt, and pepper, but a few well-chosen toppings can really take it to the next level. I love mine with cashew sour cream, tempeh bacon, and chives, but regular sour cream, "cheese sauce," Greek yogurt, or cheddar cheese would also be delicious.

Enjoy this baked potato recipe as a meal on its own, or pair it with your favorite protein. It would also be yummy with a hearty salad like my Caesar salad, broccoli salad, or kale salad, or with roasted broccoli, cauliflower, or Brussels sprouts.

More Favorite Potato Recipes

If you loved learning how to bake a potato, try one of these favorite potato recipes next!

Perfect Baked Potato

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Perfect Baked Potato Recipe - Love and Lemons

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A perfect baked potato has crispy skin and fluffy insides. My method for how to bake a potato works every time, so load up your spuds, and dig in! A perfect baked potato is hard to beat. The outside is brown and crisp, coated in a crust of sea salt.

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Sweet Potatoes are the only potato in this group. Sweet Potatoes are a very common dish at holiday celebrations and you can make them anytime of year. These vegetables belong in the roots group. Sweet potatoes are good for you because they are rich in vitamin c.

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One vegetable that you can find for the seed group is corn. Corn is a very good vegetable because it can be added to so many dishes. Corn is good because it is rich in vitamin C which for some people can be hard to get. Corn can also be cooked many different ways so if you don't like it cooked one way you can have it another way.

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Salad is a very good recipe that you can add to the Leaves Category for Vegetables. The reason that a salad is good for this is because you can put whatever you want in your salad and its your own creative and customization recipe. With a salad you can add color, texture and even nutritional value to your salad just by picking what you want to eat and enjoy eating. Salad is in the leaves group because of the lettuce but if you don't like lettuce you can add cabbage and it will still be in this group.

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The next vegetable that can be found in the Fruits category. Pumpkin pie is good because it can be made around the holiday and its not very hard to make and a lot of people enjoy it. Pumpkins are good for you because it can strengthen your immune system.

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We have over 130 recipes for homemade pumpkin pie here at Allrecipes, but this recipe takes the cake (or pie) with over 2,600 five-star ratings. And it's proof that a good recipe doesn't necessarily need to be a complicated one - you get a great result with canned pumpkin puree and store-bought pie crust. Of course, you can customize it to suit your preferences by using fresh pumpkin or a homemade pie crust for that from-scratch taste. Plus, it can be made ahead of time and refrigerated (or frozen) until you're ready to serve! Your search for the perfect pumpkin pie ends here.

How to Make Pumpkin Pie

Here's what we love about this recipe: This pie is incredibly approachable, even for novice bakers. You'll find the full, step-by-step recipe below - but here's a brief overview of what you can expect:

1. Make the filling.

2. Pour the mixture into the crust.

3. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat and continue baking.

Test Kitchen Tips

"This is not only the perfect pumpkin pie recipe, it'll be the easiest one you make all year," says culinary producer and test kitchen expert Nicole McLaughlin. Here are some of her best tips and tricks for perfecting this easy recipe:

If the unbaked filling has any bubbles after you pour it into the pie shell, you can give it a gentle tap or two on the counter. They should disappear easily.

Letting the pie cool completely before slicing is essential. Nicole prefers her pumpkin pie cold, so she chills it in the fridge after letting it come to room temperature.

"Only homemade whipped cream will do" for this perfect pumpkin pie, according to Nicole.

Do You Need to Blind Bake the Pie Crust?

Blind baking refers to baking pie crust, either partially or completely, without filling it. Why would you do this? Pie with a custard-based filling, such as pumpkin, generally requires little oven time, which means you may want to give your crust a bit of a head start to ensure you don't end up with a raw, soggy bottom.

Several reviewers suggest blind baking the pie crust in the recipe, particularly if you're using a homemade pie crust. Learn step-by-step how to blind bake a pie crust, whether store-bought or homemade. If you're using a frozen pie crust, you can often find instructions for blind baking on the package.

Fresh or Canned Pumpkin in Pumpkin Pie?

Note that this recipe calls for canned pumpkin, not "pumpkin pie filling," which is already spiced. If you plan to use the spices and sweeteners called for in this recipe, go for unflavored canned pumpkin.

While there's no shame in using canned pumpkin, some folks prefer the flavor and satisfaction you get from using fresh pumpkin. If that's you, use this recipe for making pumpkin puree from scratch. A 1 ½-pound pumpkin yields about 2 cups mashed pumpkin, the same as a 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree.

Can You Use Pumpkin Pie Spice?

Several reviewers call out using ready-made pumpkin pie spice - a combination of ground cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and sometimes cloves and mace - and additional cinnamon in place of the spices called for: "I followed a suggestion that someone else had made and used 2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice and 2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon instead," says reviewer Devin. Some folks prefer the taste of the store-bought pumpkin pie spice to the individual spices, but ultimately it's a matter of personal preference (and convenience!).

Does Pumpkin Pie Need to Be Refrigerated?

Yes, pumpkin pie needs to be stored in the refrigerator as it is an "egg rich pie," according to the USDA. Do allow your pie ample time to cool before refrigerating it (this will also give the filling time to set), but don't leave it out at room temperature for more than 2 hours, otherwise there's a risk of bacteria growth. Pumpkin pie will last up to three to four days in the fridge. If you plan to make pumpkin pie in advance, we'd suggest making it one to two days in advance and refrigerating - this way you'll still have a couple days for leftovers, too!

Can You Freeze Pumpkin Pie?

Custard-based pies freeze remarkably well, so you can absolutely make pumpkin pie ahead of time and freeze it for up to one month in advance (hello, stress-free holidays). If you go this route, we do suggest baking your pie in an aluminum pie pan.

To freeze pumpkin pie, bake your pie and allow it to cool completely. Then wrap it in several layers of plastic wrap, and follow with an additional layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to one month. When you're ready to serve, remove the aluminum foil and allow the pie to defrost overnight in the refrigerator.

How to Make Whipped Cream for Pumpkin Pie

Cracked pie? Whipped cream to the rescue! Use homemade or store-bought whipped cream with a sprinkle of cinnamon to cover any imperfections on your pie. To make homemade whipped cream, follow this top-rated whipped cream recipe.

Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise

"Outstanding flavor and very easy to make. Two combinations I love," says reviewer TaoWine.

"I used fresh pumpkin puree instead of canned pumpkin, which I would recommend because it is fresher and gives more texture," suggests reviewer MadameD. "Also, if you are using a homemade pie crust, I recommend you bake it a tad before adding the filling."

Editorial contributions by Melanie Fincher

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Smooth, creamy, and delicious, this easy pumpkin pie made with sweetened condensed milk makes the perfect Thanksgiving dessert.

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This dish is called ants on a log. What this dish consists of is raisin peanut butter. The reason that this dish is included in the stems category is because celery is one main food in this food group. When making this dish you are getting nutritional value by adding peanut butter you are getting protein and by adding raisins your getting a source of fiber.

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This recipe fits the flower category because it has Cauliflower. We can also see that the Brocili has added texture and flavor to the recipe. The cheese also adds fat into the recipe and while that might seem like a bad thing we need fat in our diet.

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Making this recipe for simple steamed cauliflower with herbs is so easy. All you have to do is chop the cauliflower and steam it. Then drizzle it with a bit of olive oil, herbs and salt and pepper. It's a naturally low-calorie, low-carb side dish to round out your dinner.

This cauliflower recipe is so simple, it hardly warrants a long intro. Steam veg, season. Done!

The Best Ways To Cook Cauliflower

Roasting

This is one of the most popular ways to prepare cauliflower because roasting it makes it browned, sweet and nutty tasting. I like to add curry to my roast cauliflower and squeeze on a bit of lemon. I also make Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli with Cheese on top.

Steaming

This recipe here in this post will walk you through how to do that. It is so simple and one that I use for busy nights because it is the fastest way to cook cauliflower!

Casserole

For something a bit comforting or for a make-ahead side dish, you can also make cauliflower casserole. Here's my recipe for Cauliflower and Broccoli Casserole. It can be made ahead so I like it particularly for the holidays.

Sauté

I don't sauté cauliflower on the stove top very often because it needs a bit of moisture to cook it through. One workaround is to sear it in oil to get some color, then add liquid (like broth) cover it and let it steam for a bit to soften it.

Mashed

If you've ever been on a low carb diet, then you'll definitely know about the magic of mashed cauliflower. It is a great stand in for mashed potatoes. Here is a great version.

Now let's get into this cauliflower recipe.

How to make Simple Steamed Cauliflower with Herbs

Remove the leaves from the outside of the cauliflower head.

Cut the head in half and remove the core with a knife. I like to cut it out by making a triangular shaped cut.

Cut the cauliflower into large florets. You want them to be roughly the same size so they cook evenly. Cut through the stems, and try to leave the head intact so they do not crumble.

Set up your steamer basket by filling the bottom of the large pot with water. You don't want the water to be any higher than the bottom of the basket, but you need to add enough water so it won't boil away.

Add the cauliflower to the steamer basket, cover and cook it until it is tender. To check if it is tender, try piercing the thickest part of the cauliflower stem with the tip of a pairing knife. It should go in and out without a ton of resistance. Keep in mind you do not want to go overboard and over cook the cauliflower. Overcooking it will make it sulfurous and watery.

Once it is tender, take the basket out of the pot and set it aside for a second. Then get rid off the cooking water. Then dump the cauliflower back into the pot. This saves a dish! Yay!

Drizzle on olive oil, salt pepper and herbs and toss until the oil and seasonings coat the cauliflower and get into the nooks and crannies.

The key is using a higher ratio of tender herbs (those with stems such as dill, tarragon, chervil, cilantro and basil) to woody herbs (those with stick like stems such as thyme and rosemary) as generally woody herbs are stronger in flavor. Sage and oregano When in doubt- cut which ever herb you use 50% with parsley.

Steps To Make This Recipe For Simple Steamed Cauliflower with Herbs

More Cauliflower Recipes

Thanks so much for reading. If you make this recipe for Steamed Cauliflower, please come back and leave a star rating and review.

Happy Cooking!

~Katie

simple steamed cauliflower with herbs

Author: Katie Webster

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 7 1x

Category: side dish

Method: Stove Top

Cuisine: American

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Making this recipe for simple steamed cauliflower with herbs is so easy. All you have to do is chop the cauliflower and steam it. Then drizzle it with a bit of olive oil, herbs and salt and pepper. It's a naturally low-calorie, low-carb side dish to round out your dinner.