I’m a father of 9 – my 5 favorite potato recipes are ready in minutes and delicious too

Step up your baked potato game with the help of Spud Man’s Spudtacular Baked Potato Cookbook.

The brainchild of TikTok sensation Ben Newman, better known as Spud Man, this recipe book promises to transform the baked potato into a culinary classic with minimal effort and expense.

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Ben, 39, runs his own potato business in Tamworth, Staffs, with his wife Sarah – he calls her Spud Wife, of course – and their nine children.

Today Ben, who has 3.7 million followers on TikTok, shares some secrets to his recipes with Kirsty Spence so you and the family can try them at home.

THE STEAK SPUD

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THIS beats steak and fries hands down! And it’s much less troublesome and a little healthier.

You can prepare the steaks to your own preference, from rare to well done. Everything is allowed.

Add some chopped herbs, such as chives, parsley or tarragon, or sprinkle with some arugula or watercress. Grilled tomatoes, yes Nice with this too.

Serves 2

Preparation: 10 minutes

Cook: 20 minutes

YOU NEED:

For the fried onion and mushroom filling:

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• A knob of butter
• 2 large onions, cut into thin rounds
• 200 g button or chestnut
• Mushrooms, sliced
• 2 fried potatoes
• 2 x 150 g lean steak or entrecote
• Olive oil, for cleaning
• 2 large knobs of butter
• Mustard, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce or béarnaise sauce
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD: First prepare the fried onions and mushrooms. Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan over medium heat and add the onions.

Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, or until tender and golden brown.

Remove from the pan and keep warm. Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook, turning occasionally, for five minutes or until soft and golden brown. Remove and keep warm.

In the meantime, lightly brush the steaks with oil and season with plenty of salt and pepper.

Place a heavy skillet or ridged grill pan over high heat and if so smoking hot, add the steaks. Sear for two to three minutes on each side for rare to medium rare – longer if you like them well done.

Remove from the pan and let rest on a cutting board.

Cut a large cross in the top of each spud and gently press the sides to open.

Add a large knob of butter and season with plenty of salt and pepper. Pile the fried onions and mushrooms on top.

Cut the warm steaks into thin slices and arrange them on the onions and mushrooms. Serve immediately with a generous dose of mustard, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce or béarnaise sauce, or treat yourself to a combination of all four!

THE COTTAGE PIE BAKED POTATO

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THIS is a sensational two-in-one recipe – and these puddings taste as delicious as they look.

You can make the ground beef filling ahead of time and store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator until you are ready to go.

Serves 2

Preparation: 20 minutes

Cook: 40 minutes

YOU NEED:

• 2 fried potatoes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 200 grams of minced beef
• 200 ml hot beef stock
• Handful of frozen peas
• 2 tbsp tomato ketchup (or tomato puree)
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 15 g butter
• ½ teaspoon whole grain or Dijon mustard
• 60 g grated cheese
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD: Make the cottage pie filling. Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat.

Cook the onion, celery and carrot, stirring occasionally, for five minutes, or until soft. Stir in the minced meat and cook for five minutes until browned all over.

Stir in the stock, frozen peas, ketchup (or tomato paste) and Worcestershire sauce, and season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer for ten minutes or until sauce thickens.

In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with a little water to form a smooth paste. Stir in the mince mixture and cook gently for one to two minutes until thickened.

In the meantime, preheat the oven to 200C (fan 180C).

Cut the cooked pudding in half and scoop out the flesh, leaving a thickness of 5mm shell. Place the flesh in a bowl and mash it with the butter.

Beat in the mustard and grated cheese and season with salt and pepper.

Divide the mince mixture over the potato shells and cover with the mashed potatoes. Mash everything with a fork. Place on a baking sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes until the potato is crispy and golden brown.

TUNA MELT SPUDS

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MY take on tuna melt toasties. Swap the bread for spuds and you’ll never look back.

This will soon be a family favorite, and you can whip it up for your tea with a little (okay, a lot) of cheese and some pantry staples.

Serve this with a fresh green salad – cos or little gem lettuce, cucumber, avocado and chopped parsley.

Serves 2

Preparation: 10 minutes

Cook: 15 minutes

YOU NEED:

• Two jacket potatoes
• 15 g butter
• 60 g grated cheese
• 145 g can of tuna in spring water, drained and flaked
• A few sprigs of parsley, finely chopped
• 4 tablespoons canned corn, drained
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 spring onions, thinly sliced

METHOD: Preheat the oven to 200C (fan 180C). Cut the cooked pudding in half and scoop out the flesh, leaving a shell 5mm thick.

Place the flesh in a bowl and mash it with the butter. Season with salt and pepper and beat in most of the cheese. Reserve a spoon for the top. Then stir in the tuna, parsley and sweetcorn. Spoon the mixture into the potato peels and place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with the reserved grated Cheddar.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes until the shells are golden brown and the cheese has melted.

Serve piping hot with the onion sprinkled on top.

THE THAI CURRY IN A HURRY

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DO what it says on the package, this, if you fancy something spicy.

I used frozen shrimp, but you can substitute cooked chicken or extra vegetables, whatever you like.

Serves 2

Preparation: 5 minutes

Cook: 20 minutes

YOU NEED:

• 2 fried potatoes
• 1 tbsp peanut or olive oil
• 4 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 200 g mushrooms, quartered
• 1-2 tablespoons green curry paste
• 200 ml canned coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
• grated zest and juice of ½ lime
• Large handful of basil or coriander, finely chopped
• 200 g frozen raw king prawns, thawed
• 1 red bird’s eye chili pepper, finely chopped

METHOD: First make the Thai green curry topping. Heat the oil in a pan over a low to medium heat. Add the spring onions, garlic and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for five minutes, or until mushrooms are soft and golden brown.

Stir in the green curry paste and cook for 20-30 seconds. Then add the coconut milk, fish sauce, lime zest and juice and half of the herbs.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for eight to ten minutes. Add the shrimp and cook for two minutes until they turn pink.

Cut a large cross in the top of each spud and gently squeeze the bottom to open the top.

Place them all in a shallow bowl and spoon the curry over them.

Sprinkle with the chili pepper and the remaining herbs and serve immediately.

THE LEBANESE CHICKEN SHAWARMA SPUD

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THIS is for all the garlic fans out there. A kebab on a spud – that’s what dreams are made of.

Super easy to make and absolutely mint. These spuds taste great with a Lebanese salad, made with diced tomatoes, green pepper, cucumber, spring onions and parsley, tossed with an olive oil and lemon dressing.

Serves 2

Preparation: 10 minutes

Chill: 15 minutes

Cook: 10-13 minutes

YOU NEED:

• 2 fried potatoes
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, crushed
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 250 g chicken fillets, cut into strips
• 1 small red pepper, seeds removed, thinly sliced
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 4 tablespoons fat-free Greek yogurt
• A few sprigs of parsley, finely chopped
• A generous pinch of paprika powder
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD: Mix the garlic, ground herbs, a tablespoon of olive oil and the lemon juice in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper, add the chicken and turn it in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

Heat the remaining oil in a grill pan over medium to high heat and fry the red pepper and onion, turning occasionally, for four to five minutes, until soft and slightly charred. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the chicken to the pan and cook, turning occasionally, for six to eight minutes, until cooked through and golden brown.

Cut a large cross in the top of each spud and gently squeeze the bottom to open the top. Put them all in a bowl.

Gently mix the chicken and grilled vegetables with the yogurt and spoon this into and over the potatoes.

Sprinkle with parsley, dust with paprika powder and enjoy.