Ah, the humble jacket potato. A food that often splits the nation in two – those who crave it and those who loathe it. Often, when people loathe it, it’s down to the feelings it conjures up: school dinners, soggy skins, undercooked flesh and lukewarm baked beans. A complete insult to a jacket potato if there ever was one.
But we can get them back onside. They just need to experience a proper jacket potato: crispy skin, fluffy centre, butter seeping out of the sides – it’s a match made in potato heaven.
But if you really want to get hearts racing, you need to step it up a notch. The classic tuna mayonnaise, and baked beans and cheese will always have a place but in a time when customers are more adventurous than ever, it’s time to step it up a notch. In fact, a recent survey shows that 42% of people are looking to try ‘new ideas’, and a further 56% are more than ready to get back to their favourite catering outlets. So let’s give them something to get excited about.
A potato is a key element of a person’s diet. It’s rich in fibre and vitamin B, minerals such as potassium, magnesium and iron. It’s also a complex carbohydrate, which means it will take longer to break down, keeping you fuller for longer. Of course, what we put on it can have quite the effect on its health benefits but it’s all about balance, right? And having a good mix of options on our menu ensures we’re catering to the whole jacket-potato-eating audience.
Our friends over at Bannisters farm have got the art of the jacket potato down to a T. Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the side, these inspirational crowd-pleasers take just 5-10 minutes to prep and come out perfectly every time.
These recipes may seem a far cry away from the traditional jacket potato but times have changed and so have people’s tastes, needs and wants. By all means, keep the one loaded with cheese and beans but offer options like these too – you may be surprised just how popular they are.
Glorious Greens (Vegan)
Ingredients:
- ¼ ripe avocado
- Juice of 1/4 lime
- ¼ tbsp olive oil
- ¼ tsp dried chilli flakes
- 10g chopped baby spinach leaves
- ½ spring onion, trimmed and chopped
- 10g mixed seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, chia and flaxseed)
- ¼ tsp balsamic vinegar
- Salt and pepper to season
- 1 Bannisters Yorkshire Family Farm Baked Jacket Potato
Method:
- Halve the avocado, remove the stone then scoop out the flesh into a bowl.
- Very lightly mash with lime juice, olive oil, chilli and salt and pepper.
- Throw in the spinach and onions to the mix with the seeds and gently fold together, making sure the spinach leaves are coated well in the oil dressing.
- Divide the mixture between the hot potatoes and scatter with a few seeds to add a bit of extra crunch. Finish off with a splash of balsamic.
Hey Pesto
Ingredients:
- Knob of butter
- 100g feta cheese
- A handful of cherry tomatoes
- 2 tbsp of fresh green pesto
- Fresh basil
- 1 Bannisters Yorkshire Family Farm Baked Jacket Potato
Method:
- Grab a hot fluffy jacket potato, cut it down the middle, add a little butter and let it melt.
- Crumble over some feta cheese, a few cherry tomatoes (seasoned with salt and pepper) and a lovely big dollop of pesto.
- Add some fresh basil to garnish.
Simple Squash
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/2 red onion, peeled and sliced
- 200g butternut squash, peeled and deseeded
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- ½ tbsp medium curry paste
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ can coconut milk
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 105g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 25g spinach leaves, roughly chopped
- Salt and pepper to season
- chopped coriander to garnish
- 2 Bannisters Yorkshire Family Farm Baked Jacket Potatoes
Method:
- Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and fry until soft.
- Cut the butternut squash into 2cm cubes, stir into the onion with the garlic, curry paste and turmeric.
- Add the coconut milk, lime juice, chickpeas and season.
- Bring to the boil. Simmer uncovered for 20 mins or until the squash is tender.
- Stir in the spinach and simmer until wilted.
- Adjust the seasoning then spoon the mixture into hot baked potatoes with a scattering of chopped coriander.
Easy Peasy Potato Pizza
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ red onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 clove garlic
- A handful of cherry tomatoes halved
- A handful of torn basil leaves
- 5 pitted black olives, chopped
- 10g Prosciutto ham, chopped roughly
- 30g mature cheddar, grated
- 1 Bannisters Yorkshire Family Farm Baked Jacket Potatoes
Method:
- Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onion and fry until soft.
- Stir in the garlic and cherry tomatoes and continue to fry for a minute.
- Reduce the heat and cook until the tomatoes have softened slightly but not losing their tomato-ey shape, and the mixture is juicy.
- Remove from the heat, stir in the basil, olives and ham then season to taste.
- Open out the cross on the top of each potato and fluff up the centre.
- Spoon in the tomato mixture, then scatter each with cheese.
- Pop under a hot grill for a few minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden.
- Scatter with extra basil leaves for added freshness!
Zesty Herb Chicken
Ingredients:
- 1 Bannisters Yorkshire Family Farm Baked Jacket Potato
- 1 small chicken breast
- Olive oil
- Grated zest of ½ lemon
- 1 tsp of finely chopped fresh tarragon
- 1 Red pepper
- Salt & pepper
Method:
- Take the chicken breast and cut it into strips.
- To marinade the chicken, mix 1 tablespoon of olive oil with the lemon zest and finely chopped tarragon. Coat the chicken in the marinade and leave overnight or for a few hours (the longer the better).
- Bake the red pepper whole on a baking tray. Rub with olive oil and salt then bake in a hot oven at 180°C for 20 minutes until soft, turning occasionally.
- Once cooked, place the pepper in a bowl and seal with cling film to trap in the steam. Once the pepper is cool, remove and peel off the skin.
- Cut the pepper in half, remove the stalk and seeds then wash thoroughly.
- Cut the red pepper into strips and keep to one side.
- When you’re ready to cook the chicken, pour 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil into a frying pan and place over the heat.
- Fry the chicken strips until cooked through properly, turning frequently to prevent overcooking on one side, then mix in the peppers.
- Pile onto a piping hot baked potato and season with salt and pepper.
- Crumbling over a little feta or serving with some cheddar isn’t a bad idea either…
Feel The Beet:
Ingredients:
- 50g broccoli florets
- 15g walnut pieces
- 50g cooked beetroot in natural juice / 1 small beet.
- 50g goats or feta cheese, crumbled
- 1 tbsp of a lemon
- 1/2 tsp wholegrain mustard (gluten-free)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper to season
- 1 Bannisters Yorkshire Family Farm Baked Jacket Potato
Method:
- Cook the broccoli in a pan of boiling water for 3-4 mins or until just tender.
- Rinse in cold water and drain well.
- Toast the walnuts in a baking tray under a hot grill, shaking regularly until golden.
- Drain the beetroot, reserving the pack juices.
- Cut the beetroot into 1 cm cubes and place in a large bowl with the broccoli, walnuts and cheese.
- In a bowl, place 1 tbsp beetroot juice, a twist of lemon juice, mustard and olive oil, then whisk together with a fork.
- Season to taste.
- Add the dressing to the bowl and gently fold everything together, taking care not to break down the beetroot chunks.
- Divide the mixture between hot potatoes and scatter with a few extra walnuts and a drizzle of olive oil.
