BEST BAKED POTATOES WITH BROCCOLI & CHEESE SAUCE

Best Baked Potatoes with Broccoli and Cheese Sauce is so savory and delicious, it is the perfect family-friendly meatless main dish. This Baked Potato recipe is sure to be a hit at your next family dinner and everyone will go crazy over the cheese sauce- it is so incredible!

This Cheese Sause recipe for Broccoli is a favorite in my house. When you try these baked potatoes with broccoli and cheese, you are going to see why!  This is possibly the best stuffed baked potato recipe and it is an inexpensive dinner. It is sure to warm up any house on a cold day and leave everyone full and satisfied!

The cheese sauce for this cheesy baked potato is a recipe I received from my mother in law, and it has a special secret ingredient you will want to see! It makes all of the difference!

Baking Potatoes for Dinner

I baked my potatoes using a simple method I describe below. It makes the spuds taste so good!

Note that the larger your potatoes, the longer they will need to bake. Mine were not terribly large and they were perfect after 1 hour. If you have the giant potatoes, you will need to cook them an additional 10-20 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.

Best Potato for baking:

Different potatoes have different starch levels and as such, they will have a different taste when they are done being cooked. Red and yellows do great for roasting but Russets are excellent for baking and boiling because they have that soft and light texture.

Ingredients will you need for these baked potatoes and cheese:

-Russet Potatoes: You will need 2-3 medium to large size potatoes, depending on your appetite and needs.

-Olive Oil: Use 2-3 TBSP of olive oil for a nice coating on the potato so the skin bakes beautifully.

-Salt: A pinch or two of Kosher Salt on the outside of the potato will give you the perfect results and flavor!

-Broccoli: You will need 3 cups broccoli florets for a hearty and healthy meal.

For the cheese sauce you will need the following ingredients:

-Butter: You need ¼ cup of butter for a lovely creamy and rich cheese sauce.

-Flour: Using a ¼ cup flour will give your sauce a perfect consistency.

-Milk: You will need 2 cups cold milk for the base of this creamy cheese sauce.

-Nutmeg: Using just a pinch of nutmeg will bring another layer of wonderful flavor to this recipe.

-Cayenne: Adding a pinch of cayenne seasoning will give this cheese sauce a kick of flavor you will love.

-Thyme: Using a ½ tsp of thyme will be perfect for added flavor.

-Cheese: You will need 8 oz of cheddar or cheddar jack cheese, whatever your preference is will work perfectly.

-Salt and Pepper to taste

How to Make Baked Potatoes With Broccoli and Cheese Sauce

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Also, 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.

Continue to pierce each potato several times with the prongs of a fork. I usually do 2 on each side, making 4 total pokes.

Next, brush each potato with olive oil and shake a little Kosher salt over the top.

Placed the potatoes in the preheated over and bake for 1 hour. Depending on the size of your potato you should check with a fork for the desired doneness after an hour.

About 30 minutes into the potatoes baking, start making the cheese sauce.

How to make Cheese Sauce for Baked Potatoes

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Make sure to have the milk ready to go before the butter finishes melting, this is important as to not burn your butter and flour mixture.

Then, once 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.

Next, add in the spices and continue cooking over medium heat until the sauce begins to simmer.

Reduce heat to low and add cheese, add small handfuls at a time while whisking to remove lumps. Continue until cheese has melted and sauce is smooth.

You will want to serve this dish immediately, the sauce is best when it is fresh and hot off the stove.

How to prepare the Broccoli

Put 3 cups of broccoli florets and 2 tbsp water in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 6-8 minutes. Test for doneness with a fork, they are best when the fork can easily be inserted.

Time to build the Best Baked Potato with Broccoli and Cheese Sauce!

Once the potatoes have cooled for 5 minutes, cut them lengthwise down the middle and two X’s on each end. Squish the potato open, add scoops of broccoli florets and a few ladles full of cheese sauce. Serve hot and immediately, enjoy!

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.

Do I have to poke holes in baked potatoes?

You do 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).

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 has browns 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:

• • Slow Cooker Sweet Potatoes & Cranberries
  • How to Bake Sweet Potatoes
  • Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Cinnamon Maple Butter Sauce
  • Loaded Baked Potato Rounds
  • Alfredo Twice Baked Potatoes
  • Loaded Sweet Potato Fries
  • Roasted Ranch Potatoes & Carrots

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!