Sloppy Joe Jacket Potatoes

Sloppy Joe Jacket Potatoes

Okay, we are genuinely obsessed with this one. A crispy, golden jacket potato loaded up with a smoky, saucy, plant-based sloppy joe filling; it's the kind of meal that feels like a proper treat but comes together in about 40 minutes. The sauce is rich and a little tangy, with just enough heat to keep things interesting, and it soaks into that fluffy potato in the best possible way. It's comfort food done right, and it's the sort of thing we find ourselves craving on a cold weeknight when we want something satisfying without a massive amount of effort. Make this tonight, seriously.

Cook: 40 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Preheat oven to 220°C
  • Large baking tray
  • Baking potatoes pierced & drizzled with olive oil

Ingredients

  • 4 baking potatoes
  • olive oil for drizzling
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 x 350g plant-based mince
  • 1 x 200g tin of chopped tomatoes
  • 275ml Cola
  • 125g tomato ketchup
  • 35g Marmite
  • pinch of dried oregano
  • 2 tbsp plant-based butter
  • 50g plant-based cheese
  • 1 spring onion
  • 4 slices of pickled jalapeños

Method

1

Prepare the potatoes 

  • Pierce each potato a few times with a fork
  • Drizzle each potato with olive oil and rub it into the skins
  • Season with a good pinch of salt and pepper and rub it into skins
  • Place the potatoes on the baking tray, put the tray in the oven and bake for 30 minutes
  • Turn the heat down to 190ºC and bake for a further hour until the potatoes are golden brown and crispy
2

Make the sloppy joe sauce 

  • When the potatoes have 20 minutes left in the oven, warm the oil in a pan over medium heat
  • Crumble in the mince and fry for 2-3 minutes
  • Add the chopped tomatoes, cola, ketchup, marmite, hot sauce, oregano and simmer until thick and rich (approx 12-15 minutes)
  • Taste and season to perfection with salt and pepper
3

Finish and serve 

  • Trim and finely slice the spring onions
  • Dice the jalapeños
  • Take the potatoes out of the oven and allow them to rest for 5 minutes
  • Cut criss-crosses in the top of the potatoes and push the skins to fluff up the flesh
  • Put the potatoes on plates
  • Add a little vegan butter to each potato, top with a little cheese, top with sloppy joe sauce, sprinkle over the jalapeños, a little more cheese the spring onion and serve immediately

Tips & Variations

  • Get crispy skins: Don't skip rubbing the oil and salt right into the skins. It sounds fussy but it genuinely makes a huge difference to how crispy they get in the oven.
  • Make the sauce ahead: The sloppy joe filling actually tastes even better the next day once everything has had time to get to know each other. Make a big batch and keep it in the fridge for up to three days.
  • Load it up: We love topping these with a dollop of vegan soured cream or some pickled jalapeños. A little freshness cuts through all that rich sauciness really nicely.

Why This Works

The trick here is getting the potato skins properly crispy before you pile on the filling. Rubbing them with olive oil and seasoning, then giving them a full bake at high heat first, means you get that contrast between the crunchy skin and the soft, steaming inside. The sloppy joe sauce does the rest. It's bold, saucy and clings to everything, which is exactly what you want.