The humble jacket potato is considered a very simple and somewhat overlooked option for lunch or dinner. However, as (the brief British) summer is upon us, the jacket is a simple and quick option that is perfect either hot or cold when you want something easy to eat – leaving you to get back to the sun. They also make great additions to a picnic.

Season’s Eatings has collated five of our favourite ways to eat jackets, each of which is delicious and interesting. There’s no need to open a can of baked beans for these recipes. Here is the fifth and final of our five recipes.

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 x jacket potatoes (medium-sized)
• 1 can cannellini beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1 can cherry tomatoes in juice
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 100g lardons
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• Small handful of fresh basil leaves
• Salt
• Pepper

Recipe:

1. Pop both jackets in the microwave for 10 minutes on a medium-high setting.
2. Once cooked in the microwave, the potatoes should be reasonably soft inside. Transfer them whole to a pre-heated oven at 200ºC for approximately 15 minutes to finish cooking them and allow their skins to become crisp.
3. Whilst in the oven, fry off the lardons over a medium heat, adding just a little oil. When just turning golden brown, drain off the oil retaining the lardons in the pan.
4. With the frying pan still at the same temperature, add the red wine vinegar to, which will de-glaze the pan and help lift off all the flavourful bits that would otherwise be stuck to the pan. Allow the vinegar to reduce before adding the beans, cherry tomatoes (including their juice) and tomato purée.
5. Mix well together and allow the mixture to just come to the boil, then turn the heat down low and leave to simmer for about 10 -15 minutes until the liquid has reduced by about half.
6. By now the potatoes should be ready so transfer from oven to plate.
7. Slice up the basil leaves, stir through the tomato and lardon mixture with a little salt and freshly ground pepper and serve on the jackets.