I love a jacket potato, but they have to have a crispy skin and be light and fluffy on the inside. Microwave a potato and it should be well cooked on the inside but the skin will be soft; cook in the oven and even after lengthy cooking the inside can still be uncooked in parts. I’ve found a way to combine both microwave and oven cooking for a speedy answer to the perfect jacket potato.

1. Switch the oven on to pre-heat at 220°C.
2. Microwave one potato on high for roughly 5-6 minutes (cook more than one potato in the microwave and add 5 minutes per potato)
3. Check potato is done in the microwave, it should be soft to the touch, if not cook it for a further few minutes.
4. Put the potato on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and bake in the oven, turning once, for roughly 20-25 minutes.

Try this out for a quick meal plan recipe with chilli con carne or cheese and beans. Please let me know if you think this method works and whether you were able to get the perfect jacket potato in just 30 minutes.