These Broccoli-Cheddar Loaded Baked Potatoes are the PERFECT dinner! Imagine a savory, seasoned baked potato stuffed with chopped broccoli, cheddar cheese, and bacon... then topped off with a beautiful homemade cheese sauce. They look so fancy but are really simple to make!
These loaded baked potatoes are great for a cool Fall day, a weeknight dinner option, or a luxury steakhouse dinner at home. Most of the cooking is hands-off, so you can sit down and relax or prepare the rest of your meal in the meantime!
The Coined Breakdown
- Total Cost per serving: $2.61
- Total Cost (4 servings): $10.44
- Those Other Guys: $15.99 per serving
Ingredients
- Russet Potatoes - Grab some large russet potatoes for the base of this recipe.
- Cooked Broccoli - Whether you steam or roast it, we're going to use chopped, cooked bacon as our green veggie.
- Shredded Cheddar - Shred this fresh from a block of cheese for better melting.
- Milk - You can use nondairy milk if you prefer.
- Bacon - We normally use beef bacon, but pork or turkey works well too!
- Sour Cream - For extra creamy potatoes, you can use either sour cream or unflavored Greek yogurt.
- Turmeric - Optional, to make the cheese sauce a bit more orange in color.
- Cornstarch - To quickly thicken up the homemade cheese sauce!
Variations and Substitutions
Philly Cheesesteak Loaded Baked Potatoes: Top the twice baked potatoes with thinly sliced cooked steak, sautéed onions and peppers, and either a homemade cheese sauce or melted provolone cheese.
Baked Sweet Potatoes with Chai Butter: For a sweeter variation - bake sweet potatoes and top with ground cinnamon and a homemade whipped chai butter.
Chili-Stuffed Baked Potatoes: Take a recipe like my savory pumpkin chili and stuff baked potatoes! Topped with extra cheddar cheese, it's a really comforting meal.
Making Broccoli-Cheddar Loaded Baked Potatoes with A Homemade Cheese Sauce
Step 1: Start out by washing and scrubbing the skins of large russet potatoes. Coat them with a bit of veggie oil, and bake at 450°F for 45 minutes.
Step 2: Scoop out the potato insides into a large bowl. Add in chopped broccoli, shredded cheddar, milk, bacon, sour cream, and spices. Mix well.
Step 3: Use a spoon to scoop the loaded potato mix back into the potato skins. Bake this for another 10 minutes.
Step 4: Meanwhile, melt together milk, freshly shredded cheddar, hot sauce, and cornstarch until it forms a silky smooth sauce. I add a pinch of turmeric for a brighter pop of orange color.
Serve your loaded potatoes with cheese sauce drizzled on top, plus extra bacon and chives.
Recipe Pro Tips
- Wash and scrub your potatoes. The skin of potatoes have tons of fiber and nutrients in them. Be sure to scrub off any excess dirt or grime before baking, so you can eat the entire potato!
- Use a block of cheese and shred. I recommend shredding your own cheese instead of buying it pre-shredded. The bagged stuff has tons of extra cellulose or other anti-caking agents which makes it harder to melt smoothly.
Recipe FAQs
Actually yes! Prepare the potatoes according to Step 2 below. Add them to a microwave-safe plate and microwave for about 5 minutes. Remove, and poke them with a fork to see if they have softened all the way through. You can add them back in for another 2 minutes or so until fully done.
Make sure you add the cornstarch to help thicken it up! I usually cook it on medium until some of the moisture boils away and it becomes a sauce consistency.
Other Fall Dinner Ideas You'll Love!
If you tried this Broccoli Cheddar Loaded Potatoes Recipe, or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you! Thanks for visiting!
Broccoli Cheddar Loaded Baked Potatoes (with Cheese Sauce)
Equipment
- Fork
- Sheet Pan
- Aluminum Foil
- Chef's Knife
- Saucepot
- Silicone Spatula
Ingredients
Loaded Potatoes
- 4 count large russet potatoes
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 ½ cups broccoli florets steamed or roasted
- 5 strips cooked bacon
- ⅔ cup sour cream or unflavored Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ cup cheddar cheese finely shredded
- ½ tablespoon salt more to taste, if needed
- ½ tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper more to taste, if needed
Cheese Sauce
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup cheddar cheese finely shredded
- 1-2 tablespoons cornstarch for thickening
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric (optional - for color)
Instructions
Loaded Potatoes
- Preheat your oven to 450°F.
- Wash and scrub the outside of the potatoes with a vegetable brush. Brush with vegetable oil, and poke holes all over the potatoes using a fork.
- Place them on an aluminum foil-lined sheet pan. Bake on 450°F for 45 minutes.
- While the potatoes are cooling, chop up the cooked broccoli and cooked bacon into small pieces.Set aside some chopped bacon for topping.
- Scoop out the insides of the potato into a large bowl.
- Mash together the potato flesh, chopped broccoli, chopped bacon, sour cream, milk, and ¼ cup of 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.
Homemade Cheese Sauce
- While the loaded potatoes are baking a second time: add the milk, cheddar cheese, cornstarch, and hot sauce to a saucepan on medium-low heat.
- Stir continuously until everything is melted and it has a smooth consistency.Optional: for more orange color, add a few shakes of turmeric powder.
- Serve the loaded potatoes with cheese sauce, extra sour cream, chives, and more crumbled bacon on top. Enjoy!
jordyn says
i was nervous about making the cheese sauce, but everything turned out great! we all went back for seconds!
Shani W. says
Thank you for commenting Jordyn!