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Cheap Student Grub-How to Make The Ultimate Baked Potato

Updated on April 23, 2017
4.8 stars from 5 ratings of The Ultimate Baked Potato
The humble spud - you can get one in the UK for about 20p.
The humble spud - you can get one in the UK for about 20p.
Baked Potato With Cheese, Beans & Jalapenos with Side Salad
Baked Potato With Cheese, Beans & Jalapenos with Side Salad

Skint? Need A Meal Which is Cheap and Nutritious? Look No Further!

This recipe - no real cooking involved unless you count making the cup of tea or coffee to drink whilst you're waiting for the microwave to ping - is delicious and nutritious and it will cost you next to nothing.

Baked Potatoes provide us with a wonderful 'canvas' for other foods because in general, potatoes are a fairly bland vegetable.

I tried this recipe first with my daughter who has now learnt to make it herself.

She loves the ease of it, all ready to eat in half and hour.

I'm a bit sneaky because I actually cook the potato in the microwave before finishing it off in the oven.

If you crisp up the skins in the oven, it makes a huge difference to the taste of the potato but the microwave is invaluable in making this a very quick meal.

I have suggested it as a cheap meal for students but it equally suits teenagers at home - no real hard work involved and even the daftest teenager can usually manage to work out how to grate cheese and mash potato.

I hope you enjoy this ultimate baked potato, with or without the Jalapenos, I know not everybody likes spice.

An alternative would be to replace the Jalapenos with bacon bits which also work really well with beans and cheese.

Cook Time

Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ready in: 30 min
Yields: One person, easily multiplied for more

Ultimate Baked Potato Must Haves - Keep It Cheap!

  • 1 Baking Potato, Rooster, Maris Piper, cheapest
  • 1 Tin of Baked Beans, cheapest you can find
  • 30g Mature Cheddar, cheapest you can find
  • 6-8 chopped Jalapenos, depends how spicy you like it!
  • 1 Bag of mixed salad, cheapest you can find
  • 15g Butter or margarine, it's usually already in your fridge
  • Tablespoon Olive Oil or Vegetable Oil
  • Pinch, sprinkle, shake? Salt and Pepper to taste
Baked potato, fresh out of the microwave, sliced in half.
Baked potato, fresh out of the microwave, sliced in half.
Score the potato with a knife, makes it easier to scoop out of the skin.
Score the potato with a knife, makes it easier to scoop out of the skin.
Cheesy potato mash
Cheesy potato mash
Back in the skins
Back in the skins
Beans ready for the microwave - cover them up before you cook them.
Beans ready for the microwave - cover them up before you cook them.
Chopped Jalapenos - chop them with a knife and fork, stops your fingers from getting spicy.
Chopped Jalapenos - chop them with a knife and fork, stops your fingers from getting spicy.
  1. Put your salad on the plate and place in fridge ready to place the potato on when its cooked. Switch on your over - 220 degrees Celsius (425F).
  2. Wash 1 baking potato, dry and stab both sides with a fork.
  3. Wrap potato in 1 sheet of kitchen towel and microwave on a plate for about 8 minutes (depends on size, check it after 6 minutes).
  4. Grate cheese & leave to one side, chop Jalapenos and leave to one side. Pour beans into a bowl ready to microwave later.
  5. Ping! Take potato out of microwave. Leave to rest for 5 minutes.
  6. Cut potato in half, score the potato with a knife, this makes it easier to scoop out with a tablespoon into a bowl. Be gentle, you need to keep the potato in one piece.
  7. Pour half the cheese into the potato, add the butter and mash with a fork or a potato masher if you have one. Add black pepper and salt to taste.
  8. Place your potato skins on a baking tray and lightly pour a tablespoon of olive oil over the skins. Rub in with a piece of kitchen towel. Place potato skins in oven for 2 minutes.
  9. Remove potato skins from over. Place the mashed potato, cheese and butter mash into the potato skins. Place back in oven. Cook for 5 minutes, 220C/425F.
  10. Place beans in microwave when the potato has been cooking 3 minutes, cook beans for 2 minutes on full power.
  11. Take plate out of fridge, add potatoes, pour over the beans and add the remaining cheese, sprinkle over the chopped Jalapenos. Eat!

Baked Potato Health Facts - Did You Know

Next time to pick up a humble spud from the veggie section, bear this is mind:

The average baked potato has five and a half times more fibre in it than a banana!

and......you would need to eat 3 avocados to get as mch vitamin C as you'd find in 1 baked potato.

All in all, the humble spud is a pretty nutritious food - so get cooking!

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