How One Canned Ingredient Turns A Baked Potato Into A 10-Minute Comfort Meal

It's easy to make a baked potato. Olive oil, salt, and a little patience (it takes as little as eight minutes to cook in the microwave) are all you need. There are plenty of ways to enhance this savory spud, and one of those is to turn the potato into the base of a chicken pot pie by only adding one canned ingredient: chicken pot pie soup. Campbell's makes a chunky version of this hearty classic; once heated and poured over a baked potato, it creates an effortless, savory dish that's easier to make than homemade chicken pot pie (and it even tastes better than some store-bought pot pies).

This dish only takes a few steps. Once the potato is fully cooked, gently cut the skin to open it, and press it down to expand the surface area of the potato. Then, spoon the soup over the top of the baked potato, season it however you want, and this dish is ready to go. It's best prepared in a bowl to avoid the soup going everywhere.

The concept is easy enough, but there are ways to elevate it if you have extra ingredients around. Once you pour the soup on top of the potato, top it with shredded cheese, such as cheddar or Parmesan. The heat from the soup and potato should melt the cheese quickly, or you can pop it in the oven for a couple of minutes (just make sure your bowl is oven-safe). Add some Tabasco over the pot pie soup for a little spice, or stir it right into the soup as it heats. 

Fresh seasonings, such as chopped thyme and rosemary, can also enhance the soup as it cooks. If you use whole sprigs, remove them once the soup is heated. Another option is to turn the baked potato into mashed potatoes by mixing a bit of the soup into the potato in place of heavy cream. Then, pour the remaining soup over the top of the mashed potatoes like a gravy.