I’m not here to tell you that there’s anything wrong with a basic baked potato. There’s certainly not. They’re deliciously fluffy on the inside and you can dress them up with any manner of amazing toppings. But these Scored Seasoned Baked Potatoes are like a baked potato that’s scaled new heights. See, with this method you’re brushing the potato with flavor before you even start to bake it, so the flavor cooks down into the flesh of the potato. Because of that, there’s no need for extra toppings since the potato itself is incredibly tender and flavorful, down to the very last bite.

These are a bit like a Hasselbeck potato since you’re still slicing into a potato without cutting all the way through, but in this case, those slices are a bit thicker and you’re not trying to fan the potato out at all. It’s really just a method to get all that flavor down into the potato. (And it works wonders.)

You’re brushing each potato with a mixture of melted butter, garlic salt, black pepper, and paprika and then baking them in a low oven for almost an hour so they get wonderfully tender.

All they need when they come out of the oven is an extra drizzle of butter to moisten up the golden brown top and maybe a sprinkle of chopped parsley.

You can use this method with so many different herbs and spices (and maybe even some cheese!) but this seasoning combination is one that works with any manner of main dishes. Your basic baked potato will always be there, but these are a great way to switch things up – a seasoned, tender, oh-so flavorful baked version that makes the humble potato seem not so humble after all.