Baked potatoes are a favorite of mine this time of year. They’re easy to make, super inexpensive and the oven heats up the house as it cooks dinner- a nice little bonus in my opinion!
Things to know about this recipe
I baked my potatoes “Alton Brown” style– its quite possibly the easiest method and it makes the spuds taste so good!
Note that the larger your potatoes, the longer they’ll need to bake. Mine weren’t terribly large and they were perfect after 1 hour. If you have the giant baking potatoes, you’ll need to cook them an additional 20 minutes or so.
If your family goes through milk as quickly as mine does, you can switch out the 2 cups of milk in the cheese sauce for a 12 ounce can of evaporated milk and 1 cup of water.
Do I have to poke holes in baked potatoes?
You want to make sure that you poke holes in potatoes to help pierce the skin to allow the steam to vent. This “escape hatch” is essential for preventing exploding potatoes inside your oven (or microwave for that matter).
What is the best potato for baking?
Different potatoes have different starch levels and as such, they will have a different taste when they’re done being cooked. Red and yellows do great for roasting but Russets are excellent for baking and boiling because they give that soft and light texture.
What Ingredients will you need for these baked potatoes and cheese?
-2-3 Russet Potatoes
-2-3 TBSP Olive Oil
-Kosher Salt
-3 cups broccoli florets
For the cheese sauce you’ll need these ingredients:
-¼ cup butter
-¼ cup flour
-2 cups cold milk**
-Pinch nutmeg
-Pinch cayenne
-½ tsp thyme
-8 oz cheddar or cheddar jack cheese
-Salt and Pepper to taste
How to Make Baked Potatoes With Broccoli and Cheese Sauce
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and place a piece of foil on the lower rack of your oven to catch drips.
Scrub each potato clean and place them on a towel to dry.
Pierce each for several times with the prongs of a fork, I usually do 2 on each side, making 4 total.
Brush each potato with olive oil and shake a little Kosher salt over the top.
Bake the potatoes for an hour, or longer (this depends on the size of your potato) check with a fork for the desired doneness after an hour.
While the potatoes are baking, making the cheese sauce.
How to make the cheese sauce with thyme
In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and make sure that the milk is ready to go before the butter finishes melting.
After the butter has melted, begin whisking in the flour a little at a time.
After the flour has been added, slowly pour in the milk and continue to whisk until incorporated.
Add in the spices and continue cooking over medium heat until the sauce begins to simmer.
Reduce heat to low and add cheese, small handfuls at a time while whisking to remove lumps. Continue until cheese has melted and sauce is smooth.
Serve immediately.
After cheese sauce has been made, put 3 cups of broccoli florets and 2 tbsp water in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 6-8 minutes.
After the potatoes have cooled for 5 minutes, cut them lengthwise down the middle and to X’s on each end. Squish the potato open and top with broccoli florets and a few ladles full of cheese sauce.
Ingredients
- 2-3 russet potatoes
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- kosher salt
- 3 cups broccoli florets
Cheese sauce
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 cups milk** can sub (1) 12oz can evaporated milk+1c water
- pinch nutmeg
- pinch cayenne
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 8 oz cheddar or cheddar jack cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and place a piece of foil on the lower rack of your oven to catch drips.
- Scrub each potato clean and place them on a towel to dry.
- Pierce each for several times with the prongs of a fork, I usually do 2 on each side, making 4 total.
- Brush each potato with olive oil and shake a little Kosher salt over the top.
- Bake the potatoes for an hour, or longer (this depends on the size of your potato) check with a fork for the desired doneness after an hour.
- While the potatoes are baking, making the cheese sauce.
How to make the cheese sauce with thyme
- In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and make sure that the milk is ready to go before the butter finishes melting.
- After the butter has melted, begin whisking in the flour a little at a time.
- After the flour has been added, slowly pour in the milk and continue to whisk until incorporated.
- Add in the spices and continue cooking over medium heat until the sauce begins to simmer.
- Reduce heat to low and add cheese, small handfuls at a time while whisking to remove lumps. Continue until cheese has melted and sauce is smooth. Serve immediately.
- After cheese sauce has been made, put 3 cups of broccoli florets and 2 tbsp water in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 6-8 minutes.
- After the potatoes have cooled for 5 minutes, cut them lengthwise down the middle and to X’s on each end. Squish the potato open and top with broccoli florets and a few ladles full of cheese sauce.
Should baked potatoes be wrapped in foil?
Wrapping a baked potato in foil to cook will steam the potato in order to cook it which will give a “boiled taste” as opposed to the flavor created when unwrapped. Not only that but keeping your potatoes unwrapped when baking will result in a nicer and slightly crisped skin.
You can wrap your potatoes in foil to keep them warm after baking though! Perfect for baking large amounts or making them in advance.
Can you bake potatoes ahead of time?
You can bake potatoes ahead of time and they do pretty okay too. After baking, you can keep them warm for up to 6 hours or you can place them in the fridge and reheat before eating if you want to make them a day or two in advance.
Should leftover baked potatoes be refrigerated?
Yes, always keep leftover (cooled) baked potatoes inside your fridge to prevent the growth of germs and bacteria. If you don’t want to eat the leftover baked potato as a baked potato, you can use it for other dishes such as potato salad. You can also shred a cold baked potato and use it like you would a bag of freezer hashbrowns although you may want to freeze the baked potato for a few hours to make it even easier to use on a cheese grater.
Potatoes make fantastic Side Dishes! Here are more for you to check out:
Baked potatoes with broccoli and cheese sauce is an amazing side dish to compliment any meal but you can just as easily consider them a meal on their own. Packed with vitamins, minerals, and cheese you can’t go wrong with these on your plate!
Kari Lindsay says
You are very clever…adding that bit of thyme! Thyme goes perfect with broccoli and/or potatoes. Yummo!
Alex says
That looks soooooo good!
mpierce says
Does the cheese sauce stay "saucy" or does it harden up at all?<br /><br />Thanks!<br />
fernadele says
Yummy! This is exactly how I make our baked potatoes. Never tried the thyme! I think I'll try that tonight 🙂