These Broccoli Cheddar Loaded Baked Potatoes literally gave me life on a super cold and dreary day.
It had been raining all day in Georgia, and my other friends in TX and MS are dealing with entire power outages/no water/general chaos from a crazy winter storm. So essentially, I was not feeling it!
I had some potatoes and thought about how low-maintenance they are – you can just set them in the oven and leave them alone while they bake. Voila, this dinner recipe was born!
My Broccoli Cheddar Loaded Baked Potatoes start out with a simple method of baking the potatoes for 45 minutes until the insides are soft. Then, scoop out the potato mash into a bowl. Add chopped cooked bacon (leave out if vegetarian), chopped broccoli, shredded cheese, and a bit of sour cream; stir it all together with some seasonings.
Throw that back in the oven and quickly make this homemade cheese sauce – which turned out way better and easier than anticipated. I’ve found that most recipes call for you to shred your own cheese and I just truly wasn’t feeling that lol. By using finely pre-shredded cheese, you can get a super smooth consistency that tastes delectable. I also added a bit of turmeric powder for a better orange color.
Pop these babies out the oven and pour that homemade cheese sauce on it – and you’re in heaven. For real. These are so easy, but super warm and filling. I’ve never been that person who would spend money at a restaurant for stuffed potatoes because they’re so simple to make – so you definitely have to give this homemade version a try!
Broccoli Cheddar Loaded Baked Potatoes (with Cheese Sauce)
Ingredients
Potatoes
- 2 ct russet potatoes
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 ct broccoli crown
- 4 strips bacon cooked (fried or baked)
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup cheddar cheese finely shredded
Cheese Sauce
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup milk/almond milk
- ½ cup cheddar cheese finely shredded
- 1 tsp hot sauce
Instructions
- Wash the outside of the potatoes throroughly. Brush with vegetable oil, and poke holes all over the potatoes using a fork.
- Bake on 450°F for 45 minutes.
- While the potatoes are cooling, chop up the broccoli and cooked bacon into small pieces.
- Scoop out the insides of the potato into a large bowl.
- Combine the potato mash, chopped broccoli, chopped bacon (save a bit to sprinkle on top), sour cream, and ½ cup cheddar cheese. Season to taste with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. The potato mixture should be smooth and even.
- Scoop the mixture back into the potatoes. Bake for another 10 minutes at 450°F.
- While the loaded potatoes are baking: add the heavy cream, cheddar cheese, and milk to a saucepan with the hot sauce.
- Stir continuously until melted and it has a smooth consistency. If needed, add a bit more milk to thin out the sauce.Optional: for a more orange color, add a few shakes of tumeric powder.
- Serve the loaded potatoes with cheese sauce, sour cream, and more crumbled bacon on top. Enjoy!
The Coined Breakdown
- Total Cost per serving: $2.61
- Total Cost (2 servings): $5.22
- Those Other Guys: $8.99 per serving
