Let me set the scene: It’s the middle of the week. You’ve just gotten home from a long-ass day of pretending to be productive and really can’t be bothered to cook. Which, as a matter of fact, turns out to be a good thing because when you feebly rummage through your cupboards you find that there’s actually nothing there. Nothing but a sad old potato lurking in the shadows.
Great. Jacket potato and cayenne pepper, it is. Again, you think. Saying that, though, those baked beans you’d thrown on top last night and tin of tuna the night before hadn’t done all that good so maybe you’re better off with a dry, soulless spud, you muse as you drag your feet to the grime covered microwave, praying for a culinary miracle.
I get it. I’ve been there. I’m right there with you most nights of the week. But there comes a point when you have to put your foot down, comrades. We’re saying no to miserable mid-week jackets and we’re going to show you how to switch it up for very little money (because, lol, who has any?) and very little effort. Here are some things you can do to actually look forward to dinner time.
1. Stuffed Sweet Potato With Spinach And Feta
Sweet potato doesn’t have to be in the form of fries, guys. Swap your standard white one for one of these yummy fellas, split in half and do as Purple Avocado does and stuff with some super healthy spinach and feta cheese. If you can get your hands on some pine seeds then throw them into the mix to up the nutritious good stuff and give your dinner a bit of a crunch.
2. Broccoli Cheddar Baked Potato
There are some days where presentation doesn’t count for shit. Some days you just want to shovel something that tastes really good into your mouth so quickly that your plate is clean before the opening credits of Love Island have finished. Some days, what you need is the Budget Bytes baked potatoes with broccoli and cheese sauce. Broccoli costs about 50p and don’t be fooled, cheese sauce is super straight forward to make. Just be willing to stir for a couple of minutes.
3. Baked Sweet Potato & Egg Boats
This recipe by Will Cook For Friendis a great shout if you always find yourself becoming unbearably hungry while your sweet potato cooks. Once your potato is cooked, you scoop out the middle to make a little well for your egg to bake in and then pop it back in the oven. Which means you’ve got yourself a little sweet potato mash snack to keep you going until it’s all ready to plate up.
4. Mexican Jacket Potatoes With BBQ Pulled Chicken
If you really want to make your dinner more exciting, you’ll want to give this Cate In The Kitchen recipe a go. Yes, it does look like there are lots of components to making a dish that in any way resembles the picture, but there are so many corners to cut my lazy friends. That pulled chicken? Just some baked chicken thighs (one of the cheapest cuts) smothered in diluted BBQ sauce.
5. Spicy Tuna, Corn And Kidney Bean Jacket Potato
You didn’t think we’d forget about old trusty faithful tuna, did you? Because how else would you top your jacket in the summer months? We just recommend upping the ante a little bit and packing even more into your filling like the Coffee and Vanillarecipe does. Just some parsley, crème fraiche in addition to your usual mayo, red peppers, kidney beans and some hot sauce. A little goes a long way, etc.
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Follow Jazmin on Instagram @JazKopotsha
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.