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Original poster

a quick question about 'jacket' potatoes

67 replies

caperplips · 13/03/2019 14:12

I am curious about something. Whenever I read a 'what's for dinner' thread I always see jacket potato mentioned.

I am not from the UK and have a few questions about this. By jacket potato does this mean baked in the oven?

When I was growing up a jacket potato was one boiled or steamed in it's skin, usually only in summer with new potatoes. And potatoes cooked in their skins in the oven were called baked potato.

We would only ever have had baked potatoes as a side dish with something like casserole / stew. It would NEVER have been served as the main component, especially not for dinner.

So if you serve them for dinner do you literally just have that? I sort of can't imagine just serving a baked potato on the plate for dinner so my upbringing is ingrained into me!

I love them with lots of real butter and salt and would have them with a stewy type dinner.

How do you eat them?

OP posts:
GreatDuckCookery6211 · 13/03/2019 17:02

I would only have them on their own for lunch, usually with butter, cheese and finely chopped spring onion or beans and cheeese or tuna and coleslaw.

For dinner I bake them and then scoop out the middle and add cheese/bacon/butter and put them back in the oven till the filling has cooked. Love JPs!

MrsCatE · 13/03/2019 17:05

Ooh. Good tip is to save time by start off in microwave for 5 - 10 mins (depending on size of potato). I wash well, stab a few places with sharp pointed knife and wrap in wetted (paper) kitchen towel.

Then rub / roll (hot!) Potatoes in a little oil, salt and pepper. Should take a further 30 - 40 min in hot oven for lovely non-soggy skin (jacket) and fluffy interior.

In UK, King Edward and Maris Piper are common and good varieties to bake.

JenniferJareau · 13/03/2019 17:05

I microwave them then, if the oven is on for something else, I'll crisp them up in there. I have mine with veg, salmon and parsley sauce.

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MakeAWhish · 13/03/2019 17:07

DD1 has hers with tuna mayo and cheese
DD2 with beans and cheese
DP with coronation chicken and a side salad
Me with king prawns in Marie Rose sauce and a side salad.
DELICIOUS!
OP, you're missing out by not trying the beans/cheese combo.

GreatDuckCookery6211 · 13/03/2019 17:10

Has anyone tried the McCain Jacket spuds?
They’re on offer atm so I bought a box of four, out of curiosity more than anything.

They are SO nice. Frozen but already cooked, pop them in the oven for about an hour and they’re lovely and fluffy on the inside but crispy in the outside. Was pleasantly surprised.

isseywithcats · 13/03/2019 17:11

i do mine in the microwave till they are just cooked then crisp the skin in the oven, if im having a filling like cheese i tend to have just that for lunch but will do a plain one with butter instead of boiled potatoes to go with a dinner

kaytee87 · 13/03/2019 17:12

I call them baked potatoes (Scottish, hardly anyone calls them jacket here that I know of).
I'd have one with chilli or something like that.

RogueV · 13/03/2019 17:16

Jacket potato with cheese then coleslaw on top with a side salad is my absolute favourite dinner 😋

With chillin con carne and cheese is good- also curry.

Tea tonight is sorted!

Angie169 · 13/03/2019 17:17

Ooh caperplips you should try try them with cheese and beans . Have you ever had cheese and beans on toast ? Double that tasty pleasure! Be generous with the amount of beans cheese I would say for a large potato use half a tin of beans and a large handful grated strong cheese if you're feeling adventurous mix in some spring onions or a little bit of curry powder or some sweet chilli sauce with the beans before putting it on your spud .

RogueV · 13/03/2019 17:18

GreatDuckCooker

The McCain ones are pretty good - obviously not as good as the proper slow home cooked oven ones but great for a quick dinner for after work as they only take 5 mins in the microwave

whyohyou · 13/03/2019 17:18

we're having them for tea tonight. cheese and marmite for me, cheese and beans for dp.

Imacliche · 13/03/2019 17:21

I really really want a jacket potato now. Nothing better than one with crisp skin where the inside goes all sweet.
I personally do then completely in the oven however out of impatience the other week started in the microwave and finished in the oven. So yum! And so much quicker

Imacliche · 13/03/2019 17:21

Tuna and beans is my fav topping

Bubblysqueak · 13/03/2019 17:21

Yesterday I jacket (baked) potato with tuna, sweetcorn and salad. Today I had jacket sweet potato with curried veg.

Really love them especially with chilli, curry and beans.

Lwmommy · 13/03/2019 17:24

Jacket potato with cheese and beans is wonderful.

The cafe near work does a.full.english jacket potato with beans cheese, bacon, sausage, mushrooms and a fried egg, thats an afternoon killer, did it once and couldnt focus on work because i was too full of stodge and sleepy.

Longdistance · 13/03/2019 17:27

I was just deciding on what to have for dinner. Jacket potato with cheese and beans it is 😋

sleepyhead · 13/03/2019 17:34

It needs to be a decent sized potato to have as a main meal, not the little ones you'd have as a side.

Anyone remember Spud U Like? A staple of the '80s food court scene 😁

gingercat02 · 13/03/2019 17:38

I think jacket potato is an English thing. Always called baked potato when I was growing up in Ireland. We have them as a potato side dish with stew/casserole as a main meal, or with fillings (cheese/beans/cottage cheese/tuna mayo) as lunch

JenniferJareau · 13/03/2019 17:48

GreatDuckCookery

I was given one for lunch without knowing it was McCain's and it was lovely.

GreatDuckCookery6211 · 13/03/2019 17:52

Yes I didn’t tell DH they were McCains as he would have pulled his face, after he’d eaten all it I asked him if he’d enjoyed it and he said it was the best he’d ever had Shock

I do think they need to be oven baked though as opposed to being microwaved for the best taste.

BuggerOffAndGoodDayToYou · 13/03/2019 17:57

We are having jacket potatoes for dinner tonight. With chilli con carne and cheese and a side salad.

I have a combi oven so they are part microwaved, part oven baked. Three large baking potatoes take about 25 minutes, fluffy inside crispy outside yum

MadameJosephine · 13/03/2019 17:57

Jacket potato with cheese and beans is bloody lovely, you must try it. DD loves it so we have it for dinner at least once a week. Cheap, easy and delicious. I’m quite envious that you get to taste it for the first time

Confusedbeetle · 13/03/2019 18:11

Rub the potatoes with oil and salt and bake in the oven, Serve as a side dish or filled with absolutely anything your heart desires ( except not chocolate that would be awful)

gamerchick · 13/03/2019 18:14

A side? They're far too big to have as a side. They're fine with all things listed.

Meet0nTheledge · 13/03/2019 18:28

We never have them as a side either, they are eaten with toppings. DD likes them with cheese and beans, I like them with just salty butter or with cheese and ham. I'm fussy though, I never have butter with any other fillings, hate melted cheese on them, not keen on tuna mayo even though I love it in a sandwich.

The best baked potatoes are those done in foil in the ashes of a campfire.

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