10 Easy but popular jacket potato toppings

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Is there anything better on a summer evening than a jacket potato? It is super simple to make and the topping choices are pretty limitless!

This is one of the quickest and simplest ideas you can have for your lunch or dinner. They can be cooked pretty quickly or easily depending on the method you cook them, but we will get to that shortly. Personally, I like to cook them quickly in the microwave and then pop them in the oven to give them a crispy potato skin. For me, this is the best way to make a great baked potato, simple with a little bit of olive oil and a crack of sea salt and pepper.

When we make our potatoes, we make a baked potato bar with our favourite toppings for everyone to pick from. As well as the toppings, I always put out a selection of sauces such as chilli jam, Worcestershire sauce and buffalo sauce.

The real choice comes when you have to decide what topping you are going to have, the humble jacket potato lends itself well to hot and cold topping, alongside leftovers that you may have in the fridge. Simply, nothing is off the table when it comes to topping the humble potato, it just depends on what you have in the house and are in the mood for.

Top 10 jacket potato fillings UK

1. Butter – Simple and no effort required. This is one of the classic toppings that everyone goes for, just a simple pat of butter, yummy!
2. Cheddar cheese and beans – Super simple and what can only be described as the “classic” topping for the potatoes! If you want something a little different why not try with mozzarella cheese, cream cheese, feta cheese or cottage cheese?
3. Tuna – Another popular choice, you can adapt this to your taste such as with mayo, salad cream or maybe spring onions.
4. Chilli Con Carne – This is a great option and perfect for using up any leftovers you may have for the night before. Topped with cheese and sour cream, then you are on to a winner.
5. Chicken mayo and sweetcorn – Again, this is a great dish for using up leftover chicken from Sunday roast or even a pot of premade mix from sandwiches. This works well for leftover rotisserie chicken.
6. Bolognaise – Either veggie or meat, both taste delicious on top.
7. Rarebit – Fancy something a little different from rarebit on toast, how about having it on a jacket instead?
8. BBQ beans – If you want to spice up your dinner a little, how about adding a bit of BBQ sauce to your beans to give them a new flavour.
9. Ham & cheese – For a topping with minimal fuss, try out a jacket potato with ham and cheese. With a little side salad, it is the perfect summer dish.
10. Fajita chicken – This one is perfect if you have leftovers from the night before, you can either warm through thoroughly or eat it cold.

How to cook a jacket potato

Now this part is not complicated at all and comes down to just 2 simple questions, how much time do you have and how do you like the skin?

If you are limited on time, your quickest option is to cook it in the microwave. An average-size baking potato will take you about 10 minutes in the microwave and once you set it off, you can leave it to cook with minimal effort. Simply prick the top of the potato a few times with a fork and place it on the edge of the microwave plate, set off for 8 minutes and leave it to cook. When it is done come back and check if it is cooked enough, you do this by gently poking it with a fork to see if it is cooked. If not, pop it on for another few minutes until it is done.

For those of you who like your jacket with crispy skin, it will need to go in the oven. Now, this does take a bit longer, however, I do cheat by popping ours in the microwave for 5 minutes before I then stick it in the oven on the middle oven rack. Following the steps above, I pop it in the microwave for 5 minutes whilst the oven warms up at gas mark 6. Then when it is done, I give it a little spray of oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. This is then placed straight onto the oven shelf for cooking which takes about 20-30 minutes until it is cooked all the way through, twice-baked potatoes are the best thing.

How long can you store a jacket potato in the fridge?

Once you have cooked the potato in the microwave, let it cool completely and then pop it in an airtight container. They can be stored in the fridge like this for a few days, just make sure it is cooked all the way through when you plan to enjoy them.

Can you use sweet potatoes instead?

Yes, you can and it makes a delicious alternative.

Can you cook potatoes in the air fryer?

Absolutely! It cooks just as well in the air fryer as it does in the oven or microwave. Another alternative is to cook them in the slow cooker, all are great options.

Another great way to make a delicious dinner is with potatoes recipes a similar way is to make potato skins, you cook them as you do above for the jacket potatoes, then when they are cooked, you scooped out the middle, and mix it with your favourite fillings such as green onions, bacon bits, parmesan cheese, spring onion or a dollop of sour cream.  These loaded baked potatoes are perfect on their own as a main course, in fact, I would go as far as to say they are the ultimate comfort food. However, they are also a great option for a side dish too, served alongside your BBQ or chicken.

Most popular jacket potato fillings?

Without a doubt, here in the UK, the most popular jacket potato fillings have to either be beans or cheese. It is the one you see on the menus up and down the country and the one most of us turn to at home! It is one of those traditional jacket potato fillings that we all turn to and is a real comfort food choice.

Having jacket potatoes for a meal doesn’t need to be challenging, in fact, it should be one of those meals you turn to after a long day when you just want something filling and delicious to finish the day. Sometimes the simple jacket potato fillings are the tastiest and you don’t realise how much you enjoyed them until you have them again. Fill up your plate with your favourite salad and enjoy your dinner after a long day. 

Don’t forget you can check out more of our savoury meal suggestions over on the blog here, if you are after some inspiration from more meals though, why not check out our Pinterest account.