The humble jacket potato truly is a culinary canvas. Nutritionally balanced, jacket potatoes can be transformed into a delicious and satisfying meal. Whether you're looking for a quick lunch, an easy dinner, or a comforting classic, the right toppings can make all the difference. Your local SPAR has an array of fantastic options to take your jacket potato game to the next level.
Grated Cheese: Melted butter and cheese over a steaming jacket potato is pure bliss. Our conveniently grated cheese melts beautifully, creating a gooey, flavourful blanket. Choose from mature cheddar for a strong taste or a milder variety like mozzarella for a kid-friendly option.
Baked Beans: A warm jacket potato, melted butter and baked beans is a comforting classic for a reason. Our Baked Beans are rich, hearty, and perfectly seasoned, creating a warming, saucy topping that fills every bite with flavour. Whether spooned generously over a fluffy potato or served on the side, they bring a satisfying balance of sweet and savoury.
Coleslaw: Looking for a topping that’s creamy, crunchy, and refreshing? Coleslaw adds instant texture and a cool contrast to warm jacket potatoes. For a lighter option, try our reduced fat coleslaw, it delivers the same satisfying crunch with fewer calories. Perfect for balancing richer toppings while still keeping things delicious.
Red Kidney Beans: Looking to add a fresh, colourful, and nutritious element? Our red kidney beans are a fantastic addition. These pre-cooked beans add a lovely texture and a subtle, earthy flavour. They're excellent on their own or mixed into a vibrant salsa with red onion, coriander, and a squeeze of lime juice for a lighter, healthier option.
Slow Cooked Pulled Pork: For a substantial and incredibly flavourful topping, look no further than our tender pulled pork. Slow-cooked to perfection and swimming in a rich, smoky sauce, it turns your jacket potato into a truly indulgent meal. It's surprisingly easy to prepare and tastes like you've been slaving in the kitchen all day!
Tuna & Mayo: Another classic topping, tuna mayo is a fantastic source of protein and a wonderfully creamy topping. Create your own tuna mayo with our quality tuna flakes and a smooth mayonnaise, ready to spoon straight onto your potato. For a refreshing twist, stir in some finely chopped red onion or sweetcorn.
1. Traditional Oven-Baked
If you want that traditional, slow baked taste, the oven method wins. It may take longer, but the skin becomes beautifully crisp and the inside turns soft and cloud like. Simply rub with oil, salt, and pepper and bake at 200°C for 60-90 minutes.
2. Convenient and Crispy Air Fryer
The air fryer offers ultra crispy skin and a fluffy centre with minimal effort. Simply rub with oil and salt and cook at 200°C for 35–45 minutes (or 15–20 minutes if you’ve pre microwaved)
3. Microwave + Oven Combo
The best of both worlds, it’s fast and delicious. Microwave for 6–10 minutes until soft then finish in the oven (or air fryer) for 15–20 minutes. Cuts cooking time in half while still giving you that proper crispy jacket.
Smoked Red Kidney Beans
A comforting, smoky, protein-packed topping piled onto fluffy baked potatoes. It’s simple, affordable and uses minimal ingredients. The secret is letting the beans gently simmer so the sauce thickens and becomes rich and smoky.
For the topping you will need
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ onion, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp chilli powder
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 x 400g tin SPAR red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 x 400g tin SPAR chopped tomatoes
- 100ml vegetable stock
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 50g SPAR grated mature cheddar cheese
- Fresh parsley or spring onion, chopped
Method
- Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Sauté onion for 5 minutes until soft, then add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add red pepper, smoked paprika, chilli powder, and tomato purée. Cook for 2 minutes to deepen the flavour.
- Stir in kidney beans, chopped tomatoes, vegetable stock, and brown sugar. Simmer gently for 15–20 minutes until thick and rich.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Slice open your baked potatoes, fluff the centres with a fork, spoon over the smoky beans, and top with cheddar and herbs. Serve.
