Bonfire Night Food Without a Packet: Chilli, Jacket Potatoes and Sausages
Bonfire Night is on 5 November, and the food is the easy part if you plan it. It is usually cold, you are standing in a field or a back garden, and everyone wants something hot they can eat with a spoon or in their hands. Here is what people eat, and how we would make chilli, jacket potatoes and sausages without reaching for a packet mix.
Why do we have Bonfire Night?
On 5 November 1605 a group of English Catholics plotted to blow up the Houses of Parliament on the day King James I was due to open it. The plot, led by Guy Fawkes, was discovered and the men were caught. To celebrate the king's survival, people were ordered to light bonfires, and we have been doing it ever since, with fireworks and a Guy on the fire. The night marks the failed attempt, not a tribute to Fawkes.
What food do you eat on Bonfire Night?
The food is warming, hearty and humble. Hot baked potatoes filled with butter and cheese, sausages and onions, burgers, chilli and soup are the usual suspects, and toffee apples and parkin (a favourite in the north of England) come after. Good Bonfire Night food is made in advance and is easy to eat standing up, from a mug, a spoon or your hands.
1. A chilli you make the day before
Chilli is the best make-ahead dish for the night. It is a one-pot dish, it feeds a crowd, and it is better if it has had time to sit. Our Mexican Chilli Con Carne blend (Blend No.9) is made of cumin, garlic, onion, celery salt, oregano, smoked paprika, paprika, chilli flakes, black pepper and coriander (contains celery). It tastes smoky, savoury and warming, with a gentle chilli kick. It is not too fiery as it is, and it is easy to add more chilli if you like it hot.
The method is simple:
- Brown your mince.
- Stir in the blend with tomatoes and beans. One to two teaspoons is plenty for a family meal for four or five.
- Add the blend early and let it simmer low and slow.
- If you can, make it the day before. It is even better.
You will find our Mexican Chilli Con Carne recipe on the Recipes blog. The blend works with mince, chicken or a meat-free option, so you can make a pot for everyone.
2. Jacket potatoes that actually crisp
A hot baked potato is the classic Bonfire Night food, and it is the best thing to put a ladle of chilli on. For the oven, this is the method from one well-tested recipe:
- Heat the oven to 200°C fan (220°C conventional).
- Prick the potatoes all over with a fork, rub them with olive oil and scatter over flaky sea salt.
- Put them directly on the oven shelf rather than a tray, so the air can get round them.
- Bake for about 1 hour 15 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes. They are done when the skin is crisp and a knife or skewer goes in with no resistance.
Do not wrap them in foil in the oven, because it traps steam and makes the skin soggy. If you are cooking them in the fire itself, they are usually wrapped in foil, split open and filled with butter, salt and pepper. Butter and cheese is a classic filling, and chilli on top turns it into a meal.
3. Sausages, cooked all the way through
Sausages with onions are one of the most popular Bonfire Night dishes, and the thing that matters most is that they are cooked through. The Food Standards Agency says sausages, burgers and minced meat must be cooked all the way through, and pork needs to be fully cooked too. Test the thickest part with a thermometer if you have one: the middle should reach 70°C for 2 minutes (or 75°C for 30 seconds). Without one, check that there is no pink meat and steam rises when you cut into one.
If you are doing burgers too
Burgers are on every Bonfire Night list. Our Ultimate Burger Spice (Blend No.22) was the very first blend we created ourselves. It is made of light brown sugar, smoked paprika, paprika, onion granules, celery salt, cracked black pepper, garlic, basil, oregano, chilli flakes and tomato flakes (contains celery). Work 1 to 2 teaspoons through the mince for a family meal for four or five, shape the patties and grill, fry or barbecue them. The same rule applies: burgers should not be served rare or pink at home. For the full burger-night spread, see our Ultimate Burgers with Tray-Baked Sweet Potato Wedges & Burger Sauce.
A simple plan for the night
- The day before: make the chilli.
- About an hour and a quarter before you eat: put the jacket potatoes in the oven.
- Just before: cook the sausages or burgers, check they are cooked through, and warm the chilli through.
- To serve: split the potatoes, add butter and cheese, and spoon the chilli on top.
Questions people ask
What food is traditional on Bonfire Night?
Baked potatoes, sausages, burgers, chilli and soup for the main course, and toffee apples, parkin and bonfire toffee for afterwards.
Can I make chilli the day before?
Yes. It is better that way. Add the spices early, simmer it low and slow, and it will taste even better the next day.
How long does a jacket potato take in the oven?
About 1 hour 15 minutes at 200°C fan, depending on the size of the potato. Check with a knife or skewer.
Should I wrap jacket potatoes in foil?
Not in the oven, because the foil traps steam and makes the skin soggy. In the fire, foil is the usual way.
How do I know sausages are cooked?
The middle should reach 70°C for 2 minutes (or 75°C for 30 seconds). Without a thermometer, check there is no pink meat and that steam comes out when you cut one open.
