Description
Cheesy Baked Potatoes with Broccoli Cheese Sauce is a comforting and flavorful dish featuring crispy roasted russet potatoes topped with a creamy, cheesy broccoli sauce. This easy recipe combines classic baked potato textures with a rich cheddar cheese sauce infused with tender broccoli florets and mild spices, making it a perfect vegetarian main or side dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Potatoes
- 2 large russet potatoes
- Olive oil for drizzling
- Kosher salt or sea salt for sprinkling
- Black pepper to taste
- Fresh chives or scallions for seasoning to taste
Broccoli Cheese Sauce
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 cup milk (whole or 2%)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 5.5 ounces freshly grated medium cheddar cheese (about 3/4 block)
- 2 cups finely chopped broccoli florets (small pieces)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Potatoes: Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Thoroughly wash and scrub the potatoes, then poke each potato several times with a fork. Drizzle and brush olive oil over the potatoes and sprinkle them evenly with kosher or sea salt.
- Bake Potatoes: Place the potatoes on a sheet pan and bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes until the inside is tender when pierced with a fork and the potato yields slightly to gentle pressure.
- Make Broccoli Cheese Sauce: About 5 minutes before the potatoes finish baking, prepare the sauce. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and continue whisking as the mixture bubbles and darkens slightly. Slowly whisk in the milk and add cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Cook over medium heat until the sauce thickens and begins to simmer.
- Add Cheese and Broccoli: Lower the heat to the lowest setting and gradually whisk in the grated cheddar in small handfuls, making sure each addition melts smoothly into the sauce. Stir in the finely chopped broccoli and remove the pan from heat.
- Prepare Potatoes to Serve: When the potatoes are done, let them cool for a few minutes on the pan. Slice each potato lengthwise and fluff the insides with a fork. Season with black pepper and fresh chives or scallions to taste.
- Assemble and Serve: Pour the warm broccoli cheese sauce generously over each potato. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately while hot and enjoy!
Notes
- For a quicker meal, microwave potatoes for 6-9 minutes, though the skin won’t crisp up as in the oven.
- Nutrition estimates are based on serving each potato as a main dish; you can serve smaller portions by dividing the sauce among three smaller potatoes or serving half a potato as a side.
- Use freshly grated cheese for the best melting and smoothness in the sauce, avoiding pre-shredded bagged cheese.
- Feel free to substitute milk with a lactose-free or plant-based milk to make it low lactose or vegan (with cheese alternatives).
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 stuffed potato with sauce
- Calories: 550 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 18 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg
