We’ve got the perfect jacket potato recipe with a smoky, cheesy filling. Of course you can opt for baked beans, but why?

Prepare

less than 30 mins

Cook

1 to 2 hours

Serve

Serves 2

Dietary

Healthy

Ingredients

• 2 fat, floury potatoes (Maris Piper, King Edward or Marfona are all good bakers)
• olive oil
• flaked sea salt

For the smoked fish melt filling

• 2 smoked mackerel or trout fillets
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or chives
• 2 handfuls grated mature cheddar
• 1 tsp hot horseradish sauce or English mustard
• 2 large knobs of butter
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the American hot

• 60–65g/2¼oz diced chorizo
• 1 large garlic clove, crushed
• 1 x 200g/7oz tin chopped tomatoes
• 25g/1oz mature cheddar, coarsely grated
• few green jalapeño pepper slices from a jar

For the margherita

• 60–65g/2¼oz fresh mozzarella, torn, or 55g/2oz grated mozzarella
• 12–14 cherry tomatoes, halved
• pinch dried oregano
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• 8 large basil leaves (or equivalent small), roughly torn
• pinch sugar

For the green goddess

• ½ lemon, zest plus 1 tsp juice
• 1½ tbsp basil pesto
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or oil from the artichoke jar
• 75g/2¾oz artichoke hearts from a jar
• few green olives, stones removed and halved or quartered
• small handful spinach leaves
• Parmesan shavings (or similar hard cheese), to serveMethod

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

Wash the potatoes well, dry them and prick several times with a fork. Pour some olive oil into your hands and rub over the potatoes, then scatter over some sea salt which should stick to the oil. Place directly on the shelf in the oven and bake for 1¼-1½ hours, depending on the size of the potato. When cooked, the potato should be golden-brown and crisp on the outside and give a little when squeezed. Serve split open with lots of salted butter or try one of the fillings below.

Preheat the grill to medium-high.

Split the baked potatoes in half and scoop out most of the fluffy flesh with a fork into a bowl. For the filling, flake in the smoked mackerel and add the parsley or chives, three-quarters of the cheese, the horseradish or mustard and butter and stir with the potato flesh until just combined. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Spoon back into the potato skins, sit on a baking sheet and scatter over the remaining cheese. Grill until the cheese is bubbling and pale golden-brown.