One British-Style Topping Ensures Heartier Baked Potatoes With Triple The Flavor

A meal of meat and potatoes just may be as old as the fire invented to cook it on. Every good meal features a starch or vegetable and a protein. But what we are about to suggest may be a pairing that you have never considered putting together, especially here in the U.S. But thankfully you don't have to, and we didn't either. We have Le Cordon Bleu London and teacher Rosemary Hume to thank for Poulet Reine Elizabeth, known more commonly as Coronation Chicken — a curried chicken mixture that is commonly served stuffed in a potato in the U.K.

Coronation Chicken was created for the coronation luncheon of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. While the ingredients were quite extravagant at the time, today it is an easy and inexpensive dish to make. A simple recipe for Coronation Chicken includes mayonnaise, curry powder, lemon juice, some spices, and poached chicken. Imagine it like a savory chicken salad. Stuffed into a potato, known in the U.K. as a "jacket potato," it creates a stick-to-your-ribs kind of meal that is the perfect comfort food.

The mayonnaise creates a creamy texture in the potato much like sour cream. The chicken offers a meaty, dense texture that pairs perfectly with the smooth potatoes. The crisp of the skin is playful and savory. And the array of spices, heat from the curry, and the zest of lemon juice provide a flavor sensation to rival any stew or shepherd's pie.

So, there still may be some hesitance behind adding coronation chicken to your baked potato. But with so many curries already made with potatoes, what is the difference? Many yummy dishes are served over rice or with softened potatoes. You have beef stew, pot pies, corned beef hash, and many breakfast meals. Pairing saucy, savory meats with tender, hearty potatoes is the basis of so many comfort dishes we love. So, it's time to look beyond the common stateside loaded potato — butter, sour cream, cheese, and bacon — and start taking advantage of this new meal option.

Just as pleasing as soup served in a bread bowl, a baked potato is a simple and tasty vessel for so many fillings. It's also an option for a cheap, easy, filling meal for however many are sitting at your table. You simply start by covering your potato skin with oil, salt, and pepper, and roast it uncovered so the skin will crisp. Split it open, allow the steam to escape, add some butter, and then use your imagination.

Some French-inspired baked potato toppings that we highly recommend include French onion soup. In Sweden, baked potatoes are commonly served stuffed with a shrimp salad. Imagine instead of having hash browns or pan-fried potatoes with your morning meal, you simply stuff a potato with cheese, eggs, gravy, and all your breakfast faves. There's no need to reserve the baked potato for dinner. So, get to stuffing!