Chilli-Cheese Jacket Sweet Potato
This is my cheat’s chilli cheese jacket potato with ballymaloe relish and it is a brilliant weeknight dinner for one. It gives you the same rich, spiced flavours you’d find in a slow cooked chilli con carne but in a quick 10 minutes sticky sweet chilli beef. And those flavours are amplified by the rich, spiced flavours in ballymaloe relish which adds depth and a slight sweetness to the beef- see I told you this recipe was easy. The soft potato is served up with cheese, the chilli, a creamy dollop of sour cream and of, course, more relish.
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This chilli-cheese jacket sweet potato is a quick, single-serve take on a classic chilli cheese baked potato, designed specifically for cooking for one. The sweet potato is baked until soft and fluffy, then topped with sticky spiced chilli beef made in one pan. It’s finished with melted cheese, sour cream and Ballymaloe relish for richness and balance. This is a one-portion, minimal-effort dinner that delivers slow-cooked chilli flavour in a fraction of the time. Perfect for solo weeknights when you want comfort without commitment.
Why You’ll Want to Make This Recipe
Single Serve
This recipe is perfectly portioned for one, meaning no leftovers, no waste, and no scaling maths. It’s indulgent without being excessive — exactly what solo dinners should be.
Quick & Easy
While the sweet potato does its thing in the oven or air fryer, the chilli beef comes together in under 15 minutes. It’s hands-off cooking with maximum payoff.
One Pot / One Pan Cooking
The chilli beef is made in a single pan, keeping washing up minimal. Once the potato is baked, everything comes together effortlessly.
Comfort Without the Fuss
You get all the richness and spice of chilli con carne, balanced by sweet potato, cheese and sour cream — cosy, satisfying, and deeply comforting.
Eleanor’s Top Tips for the Perfect Chilli-Cheese Jacket Sweet Potato
- Let the sweet potato rest after baking — this finishes the steaming process and gives you the fluffiest interior.
- Don’t stir the beef too much at first; letting it sit creates deeper caramelisation and better flavour.
- Ballymaloe relish replaces tomatoes and sugar here, adding sweetness, acidity and spice in one spoonful.
- Adjust the chilli flakes depending on your tolerance — this dish works just as well gently spiced.
- Sweet potato skins are sturdier than white potatoes, making them ideal for heavy toppings.
- Add the cheese while the potato is piping hot so it melts naturally into the flesh.
Ingredients and Tools You’ll Need
Essential Ingredients
For the Jacket Sweet Potato
- Sweet potato: the hearty, naturally sweet base
- Extra virgin olive oil: helps crisp the skin
- Salt: seasons the potato throughout
For the Chilli Beef
- Extra virgin olive oil: for frying
- Spring onions: mild sweetness and aroma
- Beef mince: rich, savoury protein
- Ground cumin: warmth and earthiness
- Ground coriander: citrusy spice
- Smoked paprika: depth and smokiness
- Dried oregano: herbaceous balance
- Chilli flakes: adjustable heat
- Red chilli: fresh spice
- Ballymaloe relish: sweetness, acidity and body
- Honey: balances heat and spice
- Salt & black pepper: seasoning
To Serve (Optional)
- Butter
- Grated cheese
- Sour cream
- Extra Ballymaloe relish
- Fresh red chilli
- Fresh chives
Essential Tools
- Oven or air fryer
- Baking tray
- Frying pan (20–24cm)
- Knife and chopping board
- Spoon or spatula
Dietary Variations
Gluten-Free
Naturally gluten-free!
Dairy-Free
Skip the cheese and sour cream or use plant-based alternatives.
Vegan
Replace beef mince with lentils or plant-based mince and use vegan toppings.
Adding Protein
This works beautifully with turkey mince or vegetarian mince if preferred.
Different Vegetables / Flavours
Try adding diced peppers or mushrooms to the chilli, or swap sweet potato for a classic white jacket.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Can I cook the sweet potato faster?
A: Yes — prick it and microwave for 6–8 minutes, then finish in the oven or air fryer for crisp skin.
Q: What’s the best pan size for the chilli beef?
A: A 20–24cm frying pan gives enough surface area for proper browning without overcrowding.
Q: Can I make this without Ballymaloe relish?
A: You can substitute with tomato purée plus a pinch of sugar and splash of vinegar, but the flavour will differ.
Q: Can I scale this recipe up?
A: Yes — simply cook multiple sweet potatoes and double or triple the chilli beef ingredients in a larger pan.
Q: How do I store leftovers when cooking for one?
A: The chilli beef keeps well in the fridge for up to 2 days and reheats beautifully.
Ingredients
For the Jacket Potato
1 Sweet Potato
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt
For the Chilli Beef
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Spring Onions, finely sliced
100g Beef Mince
1/2 Tsp Ground Cumin
1/2 Tsp Ground Coriander
1/2 Tsp Smoked Paprika
1/2 Tsp Dried Oregano
1/4-1/2 Tsp Chilli Flakes
1/2 Red Chilli, finely diced
1 Tbsp Ballymaloe Relish
1 Tbsp Honey
Salt
Black Pepper
To Serve
Butter
Grated Cheese
Sour Cream
More Ballymaloe Relish
Extra Red Chilli, finely sliced
Fresh Chives, finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat your oven or air fryer to 180ºC. Place the sweet potato on a tray and drizzle over olive oil. Scatter over a big pinch of salt and rub the olive oil and salt in.
- Bake for around 90 minutes, then turn the oven/air fryer off and let the potato rest for at least 30 minutes.
- To make the chilli beef, add a little olive oil to a pan over a medium heat. Add the spring onions and fry for around 3 minutes before adding in the beef. Season with salt then use your spoon or spatula to break down the beef and then let it cook without stirring for 4-5 minutes until brown. Stir and cook for a couple more minutes.
- Add in the spices and dried oregano and the diced red chilli. Cook for 3-4 minutes before stirring through the Ballymaloe Relish and honey. Let that cook for a final few minutes until the beef is slightly sticky. Taste and season with salt and black pepper.
- Serve the potato with butter and grated cheese then top with the chilli beef. Finish everything off with a spoonful of sour cream, Ballymaloe Relish and a scatter of chillies and chives.
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The perfect fresh, but still flavourful, summer salad! This is a beautiful fragrant salad with a creamy, zingy coconut milk dressing. With just a little bit of chopping and a minute of whisking, you’ve got a gorgeous summer lunch, perfect for working from home, taking lunch to the office or a sunny meal in the garden this weekend.
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Follow Eleanor on socials and knew I NEEDED this book immediately! SO glad I paid extra and had it shipped from the UK (to US). Eleanor's voice is loud and clear in every recipe. The pictures are beautiful, the instructions are perfectly clear, and I want to make EVERYTHING. I cannot recommend this book enough!
This is perfect, as far as influencer chefs go, I find this book refreshing in what has become a cohort of lauded influencers who really aren't doing much more than the bog standard meals most people make anyway, or making googled recipes and adding their own "flair". This book is different as it's your normal fare you'd likely make yourself, given a little bit of a twist to speed up the process / use less utensils / ingredients / food waste, in really creative and tasty ways, all perfectly portioned for one.
Great present! Bought this for my sister who cooks for one. She absolutely loved it finding it inspiring! So many great recipes to motivate and keep you cooking when it's just you eating!
Great present! Bought this for my sister who cooks for one. She absolutely loved it finding it inspiring! So many great recipes to motivate and keep you cooking when it's just you
Follow Eleanor on socials and knew I NEEDED this book immediately! SO glad I paid extra and had it shipped from the UK (to US). Eleanor's voice is loud and clear in every recipe. The pictures are beautiful, the instructions are perfectly clear, and I want to make EVERYTHING. I cannot recommend this book enough!
This recipe book is stunning and fulfils its role brilliantly in catering for individuals who want to eat delicious meals, but don't want to prepare family sized portions or devote their entire evening to cooking. Who'd believe you could make an entire roast for one person and only use one pan in the process! She is a genius and I couldn't recommend this book any more highly.
One of the best things about the book is that all the recipes are actually cooked in one pot - in a lot of other so-called books you still have to make your side dish in a separate pot. With these recipes, even if they include rice or pasta, it's all cooked together. No mountains of washing up!
This is the book I've been waiting for! I (very happily!) live alone, love to cook and read cookery books, but every recipe is for two people or more. This gorgeous book contains recipes perfectly proportioned for one person (and I'm always a very hungry one person!) which ensures more variety, less food waste, and pure, gluttonous joy.
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This book is like having all your favourite foods in one place with the added bonus of an old friend showing you the ropes. Congratulations Eleanor when can I pre-order the next one?