If you want a quick and easy meal, and don’t have any time to cook, then try a jacket potato! Yes, it’s not the most exotic food, but it’s simple and is hands free. Here’s my “recipe” for cooking the perfect jacket.
First, start by getting a reasonable size baking potato and scrubbing it to get rid of dirt. This should only take a few minutes, but is an important step. Once you’ve scrubbed it, make sure you dry it carefully using a kitchen roll.
Next, put it in the microwave for 10 minutes. This will help to cook the centre of the potato, and will also speed up the process. Putting it in the microwave for 10 minutes cuts down on around 30 minutes cooking, and gives you a better end result.
Once the potato has been in the microwave, carefully put a small amount of oil on the skin making sure you don’t burn yourself. Then transfer it to the over. The oil will help to make the skin of the potato as crispy as possible, and the centre should be soft from the microwave.
Leave the potato in the over for around 20 minutes, until the skin is crispy. If you want to make sure it’s cooked through then put a knife through the middle. If it’s soft all the way through, then the potato is done.
Now the toppings! I usually keep it simple with butter, grated cheese, baked beans and ham, but you can put almost anything with it. Left over chilli con carne or even curry will go well with a baked potato.