To not realise that McCains baked potatoes are nothing special.

[boredwfh]

So my DD is a fussy eater however decided she wanted a jacket potato this week with cheese and bean. As it was a last minute request but eager to find new meals she likes, I only had some sad looking potatoes that were starting to sprout but managed to make one and she thoroughly enjoyed it. I decided whilst doing the weekly shop online & after reading a recent thread where everyone said McCains frozen baked potatoes were good, to add them to my basket thing they’d be good to have in as a quick meal if my DD asks again. Now I don’t know what I was expecting, maybe that it had been part cooked so it would be faster for me to bake, or maybe it had some special seasoning on the jacket. But AIBU to be bemused that it literally is just potato with vegetable oil on the outside & it still needs cooking for 45-55 mins! So no less effort than me just getting a spud and cooking it myself?! Am I the only one who doesn’t get the point of them?!

They are delicious but I'm not sure microwaved I always bake them I will check the box if you like

Why would you have to buy 4 bags of potatoes? Most supermarkets sell loose potatoes or bags of 4 baking size ones. You can always use the ones you don't bake for any other potato meal.

That's ok thanks, I'd probably do them in the air fryer anyway. Just wanted to know if they were worth trying.

They do a bacon and cheese I think as well but I'm vegetarian so get the cheese ones and they are nice and 🧀y i get mine from home bargains freezer I'm sure you will like them

Those will be processed potatoes and covered in chemicals o expect so just get some big spuds, microwave 10 mins, spray oils, salt, bake for 20-30 mins .. perfect

What’s a ‘processed potato’? 😁
Im pretty sure they’re just potatoes.

You’re missing the point. If I wanted to spend 40 minutes cooking I certainly wouldn’t choose to cook a jacket spud. You can get a decent meal almost cooked in that time.

McCains jacket is purely for the ‘I can’t be bothered to cook tonight meal’. Shove it in the microwave 4.5 mins and mix up a tuna crunch topping whilst the spuds doing its thing. Dinner on plate for kids in 5 mins tops.

They’re not processed

Honestly. Do people think ingredient lists lie?

Best just do your own. 👍

Perfect lunch if you have an oven and a microwave and more than 30 mins to make and eat lunch.

For those who don’t the ‘processed potato covered in chemicals’ (it’s a potato with olive oil on) is a good quick alternative.

Well that’s the issue, unless I buy a single potato of the right size which would be tricky as we tend to do online shopping, I am stuck with either another 3 or the remainder of the bag.
DH doesn’t really eat potatoes as he’s on a low carb diet so they won’t be used for other potato meals. I also don’t have them often as they are so carbarific but do occasionally fancy one. Maybe I could try cooking a batch and freezing them, but it sounds a bit of a hassle.

They are prebaked? They are prebaked and then frozen so you get a microwaved potato that's more like an oven baked one

They are better than the equivalent uncooked potato microwaved. They are good for lunches to have in the freezer for a quick, healthy meal. Or if you get home late from work. Cooking an actual decent baked potato takes ages

How are you baking them for so long? 45 mins in an oven at 200 and done, or 10 mins microwave and 20 mins in an air fryer/oven. Very crispy.

Maybe there's some confusion people think they are frozen raw ? Not sure but they are super for a nice lunch at work with a bit of salad and some cheese melted on when your lunch break is only 30 minutes

This thread has inspired me to have one. Took 5 mins 30 seconds.

Yes, that was my confusion, sorry! I have never had one but assumed they were pre baked, then read the OP and thought she was saying that they were just a raw potato covered in oil! I now know that they are indeed pre baked 😊

This is the ingredient info for them….

Ingredients
British Potato (99%), Olive Oil (1%)

At least the Bannister's ones come ready with cheese/onion/bacon or whatever on them. Get them out the box, put them in the microwave, get them out of the microwave and they're ready to eat.

With the McCain's ones, it sounds like you still have to go to the effort of getting out your cheese grater and whatever other topping(s) you want - assuming most people won't just want a plain dry potato.

@AWeeCupOfTeaAndAnIndividualFruitTrifle the filled ones are ‘potato skins’ so half a potato scooped and refilled rather than a whole intact potato I guess they’d be okay microwaved at a push but they are better baked so the top goes crispy 🐷

It's just potato and oil. The "process" is freezing them. Why would they need to do anything else?

I just put a couple of slices of cheese or maybe tuna on them. Not complicated

I personally like them but everyone has their own tastes.

I found the frozen ones really powdery inside and not a patch on a proper baked spud.

I do in microwave and then 10 mins high heat in oven to crisp up skins