Give your basic baked potato a gourmet upgrade with one of these three baked potato toppings. There’s a smoky one, a spicy one and a classic to choose from, and they take just minutes to adorn your jacket spud with. I’m not saying goodbye to reliable baked beans and cheese, but these baked beauties are just evolved.
While these baked potato topping ideas make for meals themselves, try these loaded potato skins with chorizo and bravas sauce for more of a party canapé vibe.
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So, here’s something we had to get used to: on this side of the Atlantic, the Brits eat baked potatoes, or jacket potatoes as they are known here, as a main meal. They are the meal. Yes, so hallowed is the bulbous spud, it is rarely- if ever, relegated to a side dish as we were accustomed to in North America.
On moving here, I immediately embraced this as a dinner option, especially when my kids were small. Let’s face it, baking potatoes are inexpensive, easily accessible, moderately healthy, and so versatile! I probably served baked potatoes on rotation (tuna mayo, cheese, or baked beans) week in week out for the last ten years!
But it occurred to me recently that they needn’t be so basic. I mean, one of my kids is at university- why am I still eating cheesy beans jacket potatoes??
Baked potato ideas
These no-cook, low-prep suggestions are sublimely tasty adult-worthy alternatives to the child-friendly staples and work equally well on a baked sweet potato.
New York Bagel: deliciously smoky and salty salmon, sparked with green onions, capers and dill, topped with a spoonful of sour cream.
Try this on the fluffy orange flesh of a sweet potato.
Tex Mex: cool guacamole and hot pico de Gallo, with sour cream and cheese. I top mine with crushed up tortilla chips for extra crunch and flair, and if I have any, some Mexican chorizo.
The contrast of spiciness from the salsa and tangy cheddar cheese is even more vibrant on a colourful baked sweet potato.
Classic: velvety sour cream, salty bacon, and cheese, sprinkled with sliced green onions and black pepper.
To be quite honest, my kids would have eaten every one of those toppings for baked potatoes. Shame I hadn’t thought of them sooner. Sorry, kids!
Recipe tips and notes
- It all starts with the right potato. Choose a floury, rather than waxy variety, they’ll yield a fluffy centre and a crispy skin. Russet, Vivaldi, Kind Edward and Desiree are prime potatoes for baking.
- Before cooking, poke the raw potatoes a few times with a sharp knife or fork. These holes allow for steam to escape while cooking and will stop them exploding. Yes, it could happen.
- We’ve all left it too late to put a spud in the oven, so here is a tried and tested shortcut: bung it in the microwave! 10 minutes and it will at least halve the usual oven time.
- And the secret to a crunchy and golden potato skin? Give the potato an oily massage before popping it in the oven.
Serving suggestions
In the UK, a jacket potato will come with a salad garnish. But if we’re upscaling our baked potato, why settle for a garnish? I’ll take an indulgent side salad.
The New York Bagel baked potato goes beautifully with a creamy dill, cucumber, radish and egg salad. Or if the egg is overkill, just a cucumber salad.
TexMex is the perfect partner for black bean and corn salsa, which I frequently serve as a salad.
The Classic needs something with tomatoes to offset the richness of cream and cheese, like summer tomato salad with herbs.
Storage and leftovers
Baked potatoes are at their fluffiest and crunchiest straight from the oven. When they are left to cool, they shrink and shrivel sadly, so leftover jackets are not the one.
However, if you happen to cook one or two extra, they can easily be repurposed; slice into wedges and air fry or scoop out the centres for buttery mash or hash recipes.
Other side dishes to try
- Chicken Caesar Crostini
- Lemon Butter Green Beans
- Roasted carrots with Garlicky Lemon Tahini Sauce
- Jacket Potatoes with Spicy Baked Beans and Chimichury Sauce
Baked Potato Toppings
Ingredients
For the New York Bagel topping
- 2 slices smoked salmon
- 2 tbsp sour cream or cream cheese
- 1 green onion sliced
- 1 tsp capers
- 1 tsp everything bagel seasoning mix
- salt to taste
For the Tex Mex topping
- 2 tbsp sour cream
- 2 tbsp guacamole
- 2 tbsp pico de gallo or salsa
- 2-3 tortilla chips crushed
- 1 tsp hot sauce I used Cholula
- salt to taste
For the Classic toping
- 2 tbsp sour cream
- 2 strips bacon cooked and chopped
- 1 green onion sliced
- 1-2 tbsp grated cheddar cheese
- black pepper to taste
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Bake white or sweet potato. If using white potatoes, wash and prick them with a fork all over, put in the microwave for 10 minutes until mostly cooked through. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Now take the potatoes out of the microwave and brush with olive oil, then put in the oven directly on the rack and cook for 15-20 minutes.
- If using sweet potatoes, wash and dry the potatoes and prick them with the tip of a sharp knife all over. Microwave for 5 minutes on high. Meanwhile preheat the air fryer to 200C/400F. Place the sweet potatoes in the air fryer and air fry for 10-12 minutes until soft and fluffy on the inside. To check for doneness pierce with a knife there should be no resistance. (The timing will vary depending on the size and circumference of your sweet potatoes. The thicker ones will take longer. If that is the case, simply add a couple of minutes of cooking time
- Cut in half lengthwise and fluff the flesh with a fork, season with salt before adding the suggested above toppings.
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