Home > Side Dishes > Potatoes > Broccoli and Cheese Baked Potatoes Broccoli and Cheese Baked Potatoes December 26, 2022 | 2 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. These Broccoli and Cheese Baked Potatoes start with crispy baked potatoes that we stuff to the brim with a creamy, cheesy, broccoli-spiked sauce. If you love Broccoli Cheddar Soup you’re going to go crazy for this recipe! Next, give some of our other cheesy broccoli recipes a try: Broccoli Cheddar Quiche or this puff-pastry topped Broccoli Cheddar Pot Pie. Broccoli and Cheese Baked Potatoes It’s a fun challenge to convert a favorite dinner recipe into an equally delicious soup recipe. Like channeling all my favorite lasagna flavors into this Lasagna Soup, converting my favorite baked potatoes into this loaded Potato Soup, or using this delicious Chicken Pot Pie as inspiration for creating this Chicken Pot Pie Soup. Well, today I’m reversing the process and converting one of my favorite soup recipes–Broccoli-Cheddar Soup–into this delicious and comforting weeknight dinner recipe. And these Broccoli and Cheese Baked Potatoes do not disappoint. Crisp potatoes are loaded up with an ultra-cheesy, super savory, and ridiculously creamy broccoli sauce. To make a baked potato with broccoli and cheese, we’ve got to start by preparing the potatoes. How To Prepare the Potatoes If you’ve tried my baked potato recipe, you know the “secret” we use is to cut the potato in half BEFORE baking. This greatly cuts down the baking time of the potatoes and ensures an amazingly crisp exterior. We love baking potatoes that way! That said, prepare the potatoes however you like. If you have a way you love preparing baked potatoes in the pressure cooker, slow cooker, oven, air fryer, or even the microwave, it’ll be just fine for this recipe! We recently made the potatoes for these Broccoli and Cheese Baked Potatoes in the air fryer and they were amazing. The only drawback to air frying is there is a limit on how many potatoes can fit in the air fryer basket. So if you have an air fryer and are only cooking for a couple people, give this recipe a try! If you’re in a time crunch, use the microwave to cook a potato in under 10 minutes. Yes, it’s not as crispy, but this cheesy broccoli sauce is so incredible, you may not even notice! 🙂 The Sauce In Broccoli and Cheese Baked Potatoes Broccoli. We like to use frozen broccoli in the cheese sauce. Pull it out from the freezer before starting and by the time you’re ready to use it, it will have thawed enough to chop easily. Finely chop the broccoli to ensure it flavors and integrates in every bite instead of just having large chunks of broccoli swimming in a sauce. Cheese. This is the most important ingredient in this sauce! We’re looking for a block of sharp (or extra-sharp) Cheddar cheese to use in this recipe. For the best melt and flavor, grate cheese fresh off the block (pre-shredded cheese doesn’t melt as nicely). Why sharp Cheddar? This indicates a more aged cheese that will deliver a richer and more pungent flavor. If you’ve ever noticed your cheese sauces to be lacking flavor, it’s likely because the cheese wasn’t aged (or the sauce needed more salt to bring the cheesiness alive!). Use real milk. We prefer this sauce with whole milk, but 2% and 1% also work (the sauce is not as thick and creamy). We don’t recommend using skim milk or milk alternatives (like soy, almond, rice, etc.), as those milks will affect the flavor and consistency. Broccoli and Cheese Baked Potato Tips Add in cheese off heat and gradually. To avoid a grainy texture, only add a handful of the cheese to the sauce at a time. Gently stir in the cheese until it’s melted before adding more. Don’t underestimate the power of salt. If you find the sauce to be less flavorful than you’d like, try adding an extra pinch of salt! For more nuance in the flavor and a hint of heat, don’t skip the cayenne pepper! More Broccoli and Cheese Combos: Broccoli Pasta 20-minute dinner recipe Cheesy Chicken Broccoli and Rice one ONE sheet pan Broccoli Potato Soup with a delicious seasoning blend Broccoli Salad with a creamy dressing Cheesy Broccoli and Chicken made in foil packs! FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Broccoli and Cheese Baked Potatoes 5 from 2 votes - Review this recipe These Broccoli and Cheese Baked Potatoes start with crispy baked potatoes that we stuff to the brim with a creamy, cheesy, broccoli-spiked sauce. SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Broccoli and Cheese Baked Potatoes 5 from 2 votes - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe These Broccoli and Cheese Baked Potatoes start with crispy baked potatoes that we stuff to the brim with a creamy, cheesy, broccoli-spiked sauce. Course Dinner Cuisine American, Vegetarian Keyword Broccoli and Cheese Baked Potatoes Prep Time 25 minutes minutes Cook Time 1 hour hour Total Time 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes Servings 4 servings Calories 596kcal Author Chelsea Lords Cost $5.62 Ingredients▢ 4-6 large russet potatoes (depending on size of potatoes/how loaded you like them!)▢ Olive oil, fine sea salt, pepper▢ 3 tablespoons unsalted butter▢ 1/4 cup white flour▢ 1/2 teaspoon each: paprika, garlic powder, ground mustard powder▢ 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, optional▢ 3 cups whole milk▢ 2 cups finely diced frozen broccoli (Note 1)▢ 2 cups freshly grated sharp Cheddar cheese (Note 2)US - Metric USMetric InstructionsPREP: Prepare potatoes however you like (buy already baked potatoes, bake 'em, air fry, cook in slow cooker/pressure cooker, or even microwave) until fork tender. (See Note 3 for directions to bake potatoes our favorite way!) Remove broccoli from the freezer to begin thawing. Once broccoli has thawed a bit, very finely dice it and measure to get 2 full cups.CHEESE SAUCE: Heat a medium-sized pot on medium-low heat; add the butter. Once melted, sprinkle the flour on top and all the seasonings (1/2 tsp each paprika, garlic powder, ground mustard, 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, plus 1 tsp fine sea salt). Whisk continuously for 1-2 minutes or until very fragrant smelling--don't brown or burn the flour here, but we want to toast the spices for more flavor! SAUCE, CONT.: While whisking constantly, very gradually pour in the milk. Once all the milk is added and smooth, increase the heat to medium high. While whisking and scraping the bottom of the pot frequently, bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, boil for 1 minute (while whisking) or until nicely thickened (See Note 4). Once thickened, remove from heat. ADD CHEESE AND BROCCOLI: Off heat, gently stir in the shredded cheese a small handful at a time, making sure it's fully melted in the sauce before adding more. Once all the cheese is melted in the sauce, stir in the finely diced broccoli. Stir through and give the sauce a taste test--adjust seasoning to personal preference. STUFF POTATOES: When the potatoes are finished baking, cut in half and use a fork to slightly mash the insides of the potatoes. When ready to serve, place each potato on a plate or in a bowl and use a ladle to spoon the sauce over each potato. Enjoy immediately! Video Recipe NotesNote 1: Broccoli: We like to use frozen broccoli in the cheese sauce. Pull it out from the freezer before starting and by the time you're ready to use it, it will have thawed enough to chop easily. Finely chop the broccoli to ensure it flavors and integrates in every bite instead of just having large chunks of broccoli swimming in a sauce. Note 2: Cheese: Grab a block of sharp (or extra sharp) Cheddar cheese and grate fresh off the block (pre-shredded cheese doesn’t melt as nicely). Gently pack the cheese into measuring cups to get 2 full cups. Why sharp Cheddar? This indicates a more aged cheese that will deliver a richer and more pungent flavor. If you’ve ever noticed your cheese sauces to be lacking flavor, it’s likely because the cheese wasn’t aged (or the sauce needed more salt to bring the cheesiness alive!). Note 3: Preparing potatoes: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large, dark sheet pan with parchment paper. Don't skip the parchment paper; it really helps the potatoes cook evenly without the cut side getting too hard. Thoroughly scrub the potatoes using cold water to remove all the dirt and any debris. Completely dry the potatoes and cut in half lengthwise. Place the potatoes, flesh side down, on the sheet pan. Pierce the skin of the potato 3 to 4 times with the tines of a fork. Flip the potatoes flesh side up. Drizzle the oil over all the potatoes and take your time to rub the oil into both sides of the potatoes so all parts of the potatoes are sufficiently covered. Evenly sprinkle 3/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper over all the potatoes (3/4 teaspoon and 1/8 teaspoon for ALL potatoes, not each). Now flip again, so the potatoes are flesh side down. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt over all the skins of the potatoes and remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper on the skins. Bake flesh side down for 35-45 minutes, checking at 35 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a fork into the biggest potato. If it goes in easily, the potatoes are ready! If not, add an additional 5 minutes. Cook until fork tender, checking every 5 minutes. Note 4: Thickness check: The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Lift up the spoon and immediately trace a line across the back of the spoon with your fingertip. If the line retains a clear track, the sauce is thick enough. If not, the sauce needs to be cooked a bit longer. Nutrition information is calculated based on 6-ounce potatoes. Potato size varies greatly, so use this as a guide. Nutrition FactsServing: 1serving | Calories: 596kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 101mg | Sodium: 464mg | Potassium: 1197mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 1740IU | Vitamin C: 50mg | Calcium: 673mg | Iron: 2mg We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.
It’s ok but I don’t think I will make it again. Just not my flavor. It felt like I was eating broccoli soup. Reply
