This dish is a British classic and here I’ll show you the most delicious way to make it!
And if it wasn’t obvious by now, this post is a little tongue and cheek! Don’t get me wrong, I unashamedly eat this all the time, but a recipe for it is quite extravagant. But here we are. Let’s talk potatoes! Follow me…
Jacket Potato
For those wondering what on earth is going on here, potentially those outside the UK, this dish is a British staple (and yes fellow Brits, I am talking on behalf of all of us right now 🤣). It’s exactly what it says on the tin – a jacket potato (baked potato) with baked beans and grated cheese on top. Yes, it’s better than it sounds 😂
Tips for the best jacket potato
Given the potato is the bulk of the recipe, I recommend treating it right. Yes, that means stepping away from the microwave. We want crispy, fluffy potatoes!
I’ve got an entire post dedicated to tips on baking the perfect potato, so do check that out if you’ve got a second. But in short, make sure the potatoes are big, floury potatoes (like Maris Pipers). Then make sure they’re stabbed with a fork and coated in olive oil & salt. From there they’re going to get a long roast at 180C/350F then a quick blast at 220C/430F to get them ultra crispy.
Process: prep potatoes (photo 1), bake potatoes (photo 2).
Baked Beans
Look! 1 of your 5 a day they say! It all seems so much more justifiable now, doesn’t it?! 😋
I’m always team Heinz, but any decent brand will do the job. I typically simmer these on the stove until they’re piping hot & the sauce has reduced. HOT beans are crucial so the residual heat melts the cheese.
Worcestershire Sauce
Okay, is it just me that adds a few lashings of Worcestershire sauce on their beans? I hope not. Because it absolutely completes the dish. Use it if you can, not a deal-breaker if it’s not there!
Jacket Potato with Beans and Cheese
When it comes to putting everything together, here are two tips:
- Butter & Salt – Open the jacket potato up then add in a good dollop of butter & a good pinch of salt. Use a fork to rough up the filling and spread all that goodness around.
- Cheese top and bottom – I always put some cheese underneath the beans AND on top. There’s no such thing as too much melted cheese.
Process shots: add potato to plate (photo 1), slice open (photo 2), add butter and salt (photo 3), mash into potato then add cheese (photo 4), add beans (photo 5), add cheese and Worcestershire sauce (photo 6).
Serving Jacket Potato with Beans and Cheese
This is the meal. Nothing else is needed. Sometimes in a Cafe they’ll do a side salad, but quite frankly we’ve just piled carbs on carbs with cheese – don’t insult me with lettuce.
For another baked potato recipe check out my Tuna Baked Potato!
Okay, let’s tuck into the ‘recipe’ for this jacket potato shall we?!
How to make Jacket Potato with Cheese & Beans (Full Recipe & Video)
Jacket Potato with Beans & Cheese
Equipment:
- Baking Tray (for baking potatoes)
- Small Pot & Wooden Spoon (for beans)
- Box Grater (for cheese)
Ingredients (check list):
- 2x large Baking Potatoes (approx 350g/12oz EACH)
- 1x 415g/14oz tin of Baked Beans
- 100g / 1 cup Cheddar, grated
- 2 tbsp Butter
- Worcestershire Sauce, as needed (optional)
- Olive Oil, as needed
- Salt, as needed
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
- Place the potatoes on a baking tray and stab them a few times all over with a fork. Coat in a drizzle of olive oil and a good pinch of salt, then place in the oven for 1 hour 20 mins (should be fork tender all the way through at this point). Crank up the heat to 220C/430F until ultra crispy, then remove.
- Just before the end, add the beans to a pot over medium heat and simmer until they're piping hot and the sauce thickens up.
- Slice potatoes down the centre and push them open. Add 1 tbsp butter and a good pinch of salt to both. Fluff up with a fork to get the butter & salt in and around the potato.
- Top with a pinch of cheese, followed by beans, followed by more cheese then finished with a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce.
Quick 1 min demo!
Notes:
Your Private Notes:
Nutrition:
6 Comments
Dee
February 4, 2024 at 1:38 amSo I saw this dish on TikTok (shout out to the spudman) and all day I was thinking I need to try this overly carb loaded oddity! I have a good deal of lineage from a cross the pond so perhaps I’m predisposed but it was DELISH in my book, wildly good considering it sounds maybe not so promising. I added the splash of Worcestershire sauce and it definitely brings it next level. Is it odd that I put a dollop of sour cream on it? Will be making again for sure! Much thanks for the insider tips!
Chris Collins
February 4, 2024 at 2:47 pmSo pleased it went down well, Dee! There’s no going back now C.
CAROL
February 18, 2023 at 12:14 amI was a bit stuck for something easy to whip up quickly tonight. I remembered coming across this recipe earlier and had a bit of beans left over from a day or two ago. Also had some leftover fried bacon.
Chopped up the bacon, baked a couple of potatoes in oven. Warmed up those beans with the bacon chopped up with them. When the baked potatoes were done I topped them with some nice amount of butter and those beans. Husband loved this simple dish. I will remember this for those times when I might feel like something warm and filling but easy to make.
Chris Collins
February 19, 2023 at 2:30 pmMmmmm that sounds like pure bliss with the bacon! C.
Kelly
December 15, 2023 at 6:35 pmHello Chris, In the US most of the canned beans are sugary and sweet. Can you specify what type /brand of beans you’re using? I am assuming they are more savory.
Chris Collins
December 16, 2023 at 10:49 amHey Kelly! I regularly use ‘Heinz Baked Beans’. ‘Branston Baked Beans’ is another popular brand. They are a touch sweet, but potentially more savoury than the canned beans in the US. C.