This dish is a British classic and here I’ll show you the most delicious way to make it!
And if it wasn’t obvious by now, this post is a little tongue and cheek! Don’t get me wrong, I unashamedly eat this all the time, but a recipe for it is quite extravagant. But here we are. Let’s talk potatoes! Follow me…
Jacket Potato
For those wondering what on earth is going on here, potentially those outside the UK, this dish is a British staple (and yes fellow Brits, I am talking on behalf of all of us right now 🤣). It’s exactly what it says on the tin – a jacket potato (baked potato) with baked beans and grated cheese on top. Yes, it’s better than it sounds 😂
Tips for the best jacket potato
Given the potato is the bulk of the recipe, I recommend treating it right. Yes, that means stepping away from the microwave. We want crispy, fluffy potatoes!
I’ve got an entire post dedicated to tips on baking the perfect potato, so do check that out if you’ve got a second. But in short, make sure the potatoes are big, floury potatoes (like Maris Pipers). Then make sure they’re stabbed with a fork and coated in olive oil & salt. From there they’re going to get a long roast at 180C/350F then a quick blast at 220C/430F to get them ultra crispy.
Process: prep potatoes (photo 1), bake potatoes (photo 2).
Baked Beans
Look! 1 of your 5 a day they say! It all seems so much more justifiable now, doesn’t it?! 😋
I’m always team Heinz, but any decent brand will do the job. I typically simmer these on the stove until they’re piping hot & the sauce has reduced. HOT beans are crucial so the residual heat melts the cheese.
Worcestershire Sauce
Okay, is it just me that adds a few lashings of Worcestershire sauce on their beans? I hope not. Because it absolutely completes the dish. Use it if you can, not a deal-breaker if it’s not there!
Jacket Potato with Beans and Cheese
When it comes to putting everything together, here are two tips:
- Butter & Salt – Open the jacket potato up then add in a good dollop of butter & a good pinch of salt. Use a fork to rough up the filling and spread all that goodness around.
- Cheese top and bottom – I always put some cheese underneath the beans AND on top. There’s no such thing as too much melted cheese.
Process shots: add potato to plate (photo 1), slice open (photo 2), add butter and salt (photo 3), mash into potato then add cheese (photo 4), add beans (photo 5), add cheese and Worcestershire sauce (photo 6).
Serving Jacket Potato with Beans and Cheese
This is the meal. Nothing else is needed. Sometimes in a Cafe they’ll do a side salad, but quite frankly we’ve just piled carbs on carbs with cheese – don’t insult me with lettuce.
For another baked potato recipe check out my Tuna Baked Potato!
Okay, let’s tuck into the ‘recipe’ for this jacket potato shall we?!
How to make Jacket Potato with Cheese & Beans (Full Recipe & Video)
Jacket Potato with Beans & Cheese
Equipment
- Baking Tray (for baking potatoes)
- Small Pot & Wooden Spoon (for beans)
- Box Grater (for cheese)
Ingredients
- 2x large Baking Potatoes (approx 350g/12oz EACH)
- 1x 415g/14oz tin of Baked Beans
- 100g / 1 cup Cheddar, grated
- 2 tbsp Butter
- Worcestershire Sauce, as needed (optional)
- Olive Oil, as needed
- Salt, as needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
- Place the potatoes on a baking tray and stab them a few times all over with a fork. Coat in a drizzle of olive oil and a good pinch of salt, then place in the oven for 1 hour 20 mins (should be fork tender all the way through at this point). Crank up the heat to 220C/430F until ultra crispy, then remove.
- Just before the end, add the beans to a pot over medium heat and simmer until they’re piping hot and the sauce thickens up.
- Slice potatoes down the centre and push them open. Add 1 tbsp butter and a good pinch of salt to both. Fluff up with a fork to get the butter & salt in and around the potato.
- Top with a pinch of cheese, followed by beans, followed by more cheese then finished with a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce.
Video
Notes
b) Cheese – I prefer a mature/sharp cheddar, but mild or medium will work just fine if you prefer that. Either way, it’s gotta be cheddar. No other cheese is allowed!
c) Beans – I typically simmer these for a little longer than the tin suggests. Just to reduce the sauce so they don’t spill all across the plate. Plus they’ll be piping hot, which helps the cheese melt!
Nutrition
The post Jacket Potato with Beans & Cheese appeared first on Don’t Go Bacon My Heart.