One of the foods out here in the UK I’ve grown to love is a Jacket Potato. If you Americans are wondering what a Jacket Potato is… well, it’s another name for a Baked Potato.
Back home, a Baked Potato is simply a potato that has been tossed in the oven for an hour or so. Among my family, it’s a common side-dish (we usually have baked potatoes whenever we have Steak). Baked potatoes are typically split open, and have butter spread inside the potato. As far as toppings go, the following toppings were common in my family.
    Sour Cream
    Chives
    Bacon Bits
Overall, a baked potato is really just a side dish, nothing special.
Jacket potatoes, on the other hand, or a whole different affair.
Jacket Potato with Beans and Cheese
I’ve found Jacket potatoes to be more the main part of the meal itself. Jacket potatoes in the UK are topped with a whole lot more toppings as well! Some of the jacket potatoes I’ve tried have been topped with…
    Beans & Cheese (Sausage Optional)
    Tuna and Corn
    Mexican Tuna (a spicy type of Tuna)
    Salmon and Cream Cheese
As you can see, the British are much more creative with their potato toppings! In fact, check out this site - http://www.studentcook.co.uk/TenJacketPotatoes.html
Some of their suggestions for Jacket Potatoes…
    Mushrooms & Cream
    Prawns with Mayonnaise
    Curry
I’m no expert on the matter, but I’ve been told that a Jacket Potato with Beans & Cheese is a ‘very english lunch’. If that’s the case, you can say I’ve “gone native” as I LOVE a jacket potato with beans and cheese. There’s a small cafe near my work that sells jacket potatoes with Beans, Cheese, and Sausage, and boy is it good!