Recipe: Jacket Potatoes
Jacket Potatoes is the British term used for baked potatoes with a crispy salted skin and light fluffy interior. While the American baked potato is generally served as a side dish, the popular British version is loaded with toppings to make it into a hearty meal. Unquestionably, the most popular topping is baked beans. Whenever I serve it with baked beans, I stir fry the beans with some chopped onion, garlic, green chillis with a flavour of cumin to “masalafy it”.
Memories
When did I have my first jacket potato? Undoubtably, in London at Debenhams – the Harrow Branch, in their cafeteria. My sister in law worked there and I met up with her during her lunch break. She suggested I try out the jacket potato. Indeed, I was truly amazed at how the humble baked potato was transformed into a wholesome meal with so many toppings. Haven’t looked back since then. A friend of mine once organized a jacket potato party. We all just had that with a huge choice of toppings. What a fun idea. My kids loved jacket potatoes and it was a weekly meal. Every week the toppings would change.
Sharing Jacket Potato Recipe With The Group Sunday Funday
August 19th is Potato Day! Our host for this Sunday suggested the following “Let’s share any recipes that feature potatoes. Roasted, mashed, sliced, fried, whatever!” Today I am sharing Jacket Potato with pizza topping. Yes, you heard right, pizza topping without the bread base. Instead we’re going to enjoy it with baked potato. Trust me it makes a delightful and filling meal. redoing an old post with topping and better photos. First posted on 15/08/2012
Evidently, potatoes are everyone’s favourite. Baked, boiled, fried or steamed they can be an excellent accompaniment to a dish or as a main dish. Used in stews, curries, soups, salads, breads etc, the humble potato is truly a versatile vegetable.
Check Out Some Potato Recipes
How To Bake The Potatoes
Actually, about 10-15 years ago the most common way to bake potatoes was to wrap them up in a foil. Nowadays it is a different story. The recommended way is to bake the potatoes without any foil. With the foil method the potatoes were more steamed rather than baked. But, baking made the skin to thick and chewy for us. My family would scoop out the inner soft fluffy part and leave the skin. Then I thought of baking the potatoes in foil for about 40 minutes and the without the foil for the rest 20-25 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes. This resulted in a crisp almost crackly skin which everyone happily ate.
Oil |Grease The Potatoes
I prefer brushing the potatoes with a nice layer of olive oil. This helps to crisp up the skin. Alternately can brush butter all over the potatoes before baking.
Sprinkle Salt
Add a generous pinch of salt. Some of it will stick to the skin on baking them.
Split The Baked Potatoes Immediately
As soon as the potatoes are out of the oven, make a long slit on top lenghtwise. Fluff up the inside using a fork. If you allow the potato to cool or sit, then the inner part becomes all gluey and sticky.
Topping Ideas
Masala Baked Beans And Cheese
Stir fry some chopped onion, garlic, ginger and green chillis. Add the baked beans. Add turmeric, cumin, coriander powders. Add red chilli powder if you want to. Add the masala baked beans on the slightly mashed baked potatoes. Add grated or shredded cheddar cheese.
Feta, Mushroom & Spinach Topping
Heat about 1 tbsp olive oil. Saute some chopped garlic, add mushrooms and cook till they become a bit brown. Add chopped spinach. Mix till the spinach wilts. Add white sauce. Add mushroom spinach mixture and top with crumbled feta or cheddar cheese.
TexMex Topping
Add Chile of your choice. Sometimes I add a mixture of black beans, corn and mushrooms sautéed together.Top with some sour cream, salsa, guacamole and cheese.
Meat | Seafood
Add leftover chicken and a salad of your choice. Can add leftover chicken curry. Add crispy bacon and eggs, sliced sausages, minced meat, garlic prawns, etc.
Leftover Curry
We love to add leftover chickpea curry, lentil curry, , paneer makhani or pav bhaji. Add some cheese or paneer on top.
Mediterranean Topping
Cooked quinoa, couscous, roasted vegetables, feta. falafel, tahini, hummus, pesto, tzatziki, etc
Check Out Recipes With Potatoes By Members Of Sunday Funday
- Appe Batata Vada by Sneha’s Recipe
- Baked Herby Potato Wedges by Sizzling Tastebuds
- Baked Potato Soup by Sid’s Sea Palm Cooking
- Budget-Friendly Potato Soup with Fresh Dill by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
- Campfire Potatoes by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Copycat Baked Arby’s Curly Fries by Amy’s Cooking Adventures
- Creamy Mashed Potatoes Without Butter or Cream – Yes! by Culinary Cam
- Jacket Potatoes by Mayuri’s Jikoni
- Marmite Roast New Potatoes with Sausage and Butter Beans by Food Lust People Love
- Three-Color Potato Salad with Vegetables by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Warm Potato Salad by A Messy Kitchen
Ingredients Required For Jacket Potatoes
Potatoes
Above all, it is important to choose the right type of potatoes for baking. In the UK the potatoes that are starchy, floury are Maris Piper or King Edward. In Kenya I prefer to use Meru Potatoes. In the US and Canada the best are the Russet potatoes. Choose fairly large potatoes that clean, without any bruises and not old. Scrub the potatoes well with a clean brush to remove any soil or dirt. In fact, allowing the potatoes to soak in cold water helps to loosen up the soil or mud.
Butter
We need some butter to add to the baked potatoes and also to cook the mushrooms. I have used salted butter.
Olive Oil
To rub on the potato skin before baking. Also need some to cook the mushrooms.
Salt
Sprinkle on the potatoes before baking. Some to add to the baked potatoes and the mushroom.
Pepper
Add some to the baked potatoes. Best to use freshly cracked black peppercorns.
Mushrooms
About 200g mushrooms. Clean them by giving them a quick wash or wiping with a damp towel. Slice the mushrooms.
Garlic
Peel and finely chop or mince 2-3 cloves of garlic.
Onion
Need some finely chopped onion as a topping. About 2-4 tbsp is enough.
Marinara Sauce
I have used ready made Marinara Sauce. Feel free to use homemade or any other type of pasta sauce. Need some as the topping and to serve extra on the side.
Sweet Corn
Fresh, frozen or canned. Cook the fresh corn before adding as a topping.
Olives
Any of your choice. Slice them.
Cheese
Preferably a mixture of any cheeses. Mozzarella, cheddar and parmesan is my choice. Use any grated cheese of your choice.
Chilli Flakes
Optional. Add on top to add a bit of heat.
Other Ingredients
Add toppings of your choice. Pepperoni, sliced cooked sausages, cooked meat, chicken, chile, leftover curry, baked beans, mushroom spinach feta. TexMex topping, Mediterranean style, etc. The options are endless.
JACKET POTATOES
Ingredients
- 2 large potatoes Russet, Meru, Maris Piper, Yukon
- 1 tbsp olive oil or butter
FOR THE TOPPING
- 200 g mushrooms sliced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp garlic finely chopped
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup Marinara Sauce
- 4 tbsp onion finely chopped
- 4 tbsp cooked corn
- 2 tbsp olive slices
- ½ cup shredded cheese mozzarella, cheddar, gouda, parmesan
- ½ tsp black pepper coarsely ground
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp butter
Instructions
BAKE THE POTATOES
- Preheat the oven to 200°C.
- Scrub the potatoes thoroughly. Pierce them all around with a knife or fork.
- Rub or grease the potatoes with some olive oil or butter.
- Sprinkle generous pinch of salt over both the potatoes.
- Wrap each potato with aluminum foil piece.
- Place them on a baking tray and put them in the oven to bake.
- Bake for 40 minutes. If the potatoes are smaller, bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove the foil from the potatoes. Return the potatoes to the baking tray.
- Bake for another 20-25 minutes. This will help to crisp up the skin.
- While the potatoes are getting ready, cook the mushrooms.
PREPARE THE MUSHROOMS
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter in a wide pan over medium heat.
- Saute the garlic for 1 minute.. Add the mushroom slices.
- Add ¼ tsp salt and mix well.
- Spread the slices out and allow them to cook till they begin to become a bit brown at the bottom.
- Turn the slices over and allow them to brown for 2-3 minutes.
- Take the pan off the heat once there is no water left.
ADD TOPPING
- Remove the potatoes from the oven.
- Insert a knife in the middle. If it goes in easily then the potatoes are cooked.
- Immediately make a slit lengthwise.
- Using two small kitchen towel pieces, squeeze the potatoes from the sides. This opens up the potatoes wider.
- Fluff the inner soft potato a bit.
- Add 1 tsp each of butter in each potato.
- Sprinkle a little salt and pepper.
- Add about 2-3 tbsp each of the Marinara Sauce.
- Add the cooked mushrooms. I divided them between the two potatoes.
- Add the sweet corn, onion, olives and chilli flakes.
- Divide and add the shredded between the two.
- Return the potatoes to the oven.
- Bake for 7-10 minutes or till the cheese melts.
- Serve Jacket Potatoes with extra Marinara Sauce on the side.
Notes
- Bake the potatoes for half the time or more without the foil to get a crisp skin.
- Add toppings of your choice.
- Choose the right potatoes for baking. Best choice are Russet, Yukon, Maris Piper, King Edward, Meru.
- Baking time will vary according to the size of the potatoes. Make sure you choose similar size.
- Slit the baked potatoes immediately. Squeeze them from the sides for that fluffy creamy texture. Allowing them to cool down without slitting results in gummy gooey texture.
- Don't skimp on the butter. Add a generous amount for creamy fluffy texture.
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A Small Request
If you do try this recipe then please either
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