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It wasn’t too long ago that jacket potatoes were considered an unfashionable and unimaginative dish, relegated to the bottom of the league of British dishes.
But now the humble spud is having a moment in the culinary spotlight thanks to social media, with even Waitrose reporting a 178% increase in searches for jacket potatoes on its website last year.
Among those driving the comfort food’s comeback is Anthea Malialis, a higher-level teaching assistant turned cooking influencer, otherwise known as the “Jacket Potato Queen” for her viral jacket potato topping recipes, such as hog roast dinner and creamy garlic king prawns.
Under the handle @superhomecook, the 45-year-old has amassed a following of 673k on Instagram, 438k on Facebook and 165k on TikTok since starting by posting pictures of her family dinner in the garden several years ago.
But it was when she published a jacket potato recipe that the mother-of-three’s social media truly blew up. “It went absolutely mental, like over a billion views easily,” she recalls.
Now, though, on reflection, Malialis isn’t surprised the internet’s attention was captured by the spud as they’re “budget-friendly, comforting and easy to make”.
“I feel like I’ve come up with so many different topping ideas; it [proves] the jacket potato doesn’t have to be boring,” adds Malialis, who’s produced a cookbook, Super Home Cook, featuring many of them.
Not one to gatekeep the secrets of perfecting the jacket potato, Malialis shares her top tips, from how to cook the best spud to the quickest toppings for time-poor home cooks.
How to cook the best jacket potato
While there is lively debate about the best cooking method for a jacket potato, the key to the comfort dish lies in the potato itself, according to Malialis.
“You’ve got to have the best potato,” she says. “I’ve tried all the different supermarket potatoes, but I always come back to the same one, and that’s Tesco’s loose baking potatoes. It just works every time. It’s golden, crispy and soft in the middle.”
As for her go-to cooking process, Malialis bakes her potatoes in both the microwave and air fryer. She starts by piercing the potato and wrapping it in a kitchen towel before heating it in the microwave for six to eight minutes, depending on the size, at 200°C.
Next, once the potato has cooled, she seasons it with olive oil and salt, covers it with tin foil and then bakes it in the air fryer at 180°C for 45 minutes. After removing the tin foil, she continues cooking the uncovered potato in the air fryer at the same temperature for a final 10 minutes to finish the “perfect” jacket potato.
Quick and easy jacket potato toppings
Jacket potatoes are already a quick meal, but you can cut even more time by batch-cooking toppings, Malialis says.
Instead of cooking the portion you need for one meal, consider doubling the amount and storing the rest in the freezer for later use.
“Put the portions in a Ziploc bag, flatten it down and put it in your freezer and it’ll last up to three or four months,” Malialis says. “With leftover curry, they taste even better the next day, so if you freeze it and defrost it, it would be even better.”
If you’re really strapped for time, Malialis suggests cold toppings to eliminate the cooking process entirely. Tuna or chicken and sweetcorn mayonnaise are Malialis’ top picks for easy-to-assemble but delicious toppings.
“They’re so easy to put together, particularly if you have a leftover rotisserie or roast chicken from a previous day,” she says.
Malialis goes as far as to say that her chicken sweetcorn mayo recipe is her favourite from her cookbook. “It reminds me of my school days,” Malialis says, perfect for those wanting a taste of nostalgia with their meal.
Wowing dinner party guests with jacket potatoes
There is a misconception that jacket potatoes are only suitable for a speedy lunch or dinner with family, as they can make an excellent dinner party dish, according to Malialis.
But rather than serving singular jacket potatoes to guests, Malialis suggests creating a jacket potato traybake. “I put around six in a tray and then cover them with a topping like chicken alfredo or Philly cheese steak,” she says.
Not only is this a crowd-pleaser, but it’s easy to whip up before guests arrive, meaning you can spend more time in their company rather than labouring in the kitchen.
The biggest mistake made by home cooks
Malialis feels that home cooks are missing a trick by not exploring their spice and herb cupboards to elevate both jacket potatoes and other meals.
Malialis says different seasonings can add unique flavours to otherwise bland meals. “It doesn’t have to be boring. You can get a piece of chicken breast and season it with your heart. It might not work, but it might be the best meal you’ve ever made. Just don’t be scared. That’s what I do; I literally just wing it,” she says.
Malialis recommends always keeping seasonings like Adobo, oregano, mint, thyme and pimento seed in your kitchen to jazz up meals.
Even if your fridge is empty, Malialis says you’ll likely have all the ingredients for a snack or a meal in your store cupboard, so you won’t need a trip to the shops.
“I’ve put things like pesto and sun-dried tomato in a pitta bread, brushed it with olive oil and some herbs, then fried it,” she says.
“You could also put in some leftover chicken or cheese, if you have it, and it literally takes like pizza but for half the price and is done in seconds.”
Super Home Cook by Anthea Malialis is published in hardback by Ebury Press, priced £22. Photography by Hannah Hughes. Available now.
