When you want something to warm up, what could be better than a crisp, fluffy baked potato? For me, it’s a mashed stuffed potato studded with broccoli florets and crowned with a melted cheddar cheese topping. This is the dish you may want to eat on a chilly day: It’s creamy, comforting, and satisfying. It’s not bad, either, if you’ve had a tough day. Sometimes, we just need a dish that answers our wish for our well-being and contentment.
Easy to make up ahead and just finish in a hot oven, this potato-vegetable mashup is wonderful as an entrée on its own (especially if you choose to do a whole potato for each serving) or as a side to any simple chicken, fish, or meat dish. This is also a wonderful luncheon main course served along with a crisp green salad.
Choose medium-sized russet baking potatoes for the best texture and even cooking time. Rubbing the potatoes with vegetable oil will help crisp the skin.
You can either split these baked spuds in two or just cut off the top of the potato to produce either 4 or 8 servings. The potato pulp should be hot when mashed with butter, milk, and cheese; then stuffed back into the potato skin. Make sure to keep a thin potato barrier when you scoop out the pulp so the potato skin will not split and stays intact.
The potato filling is enhanced with broccoli florets that add a slightly crisp textural complement. You can put your own signature on this American classic with different melting cheeses and other vegetables like mushrooms or zucchini.
Broccoli Cheese Stuffed Potatoes
Serves 4 to 8
