Yesterday I was feeling really sick and rundown as the result of too many late nights and pints of Shiner Bock while back in Texas for a friend’s wedding over the weekend. Whenever I’m sick, I always crave baked potatoes filled with lots of cheddar cheese and broccoli.
Last night I managed to feel better enough to make Twice Baked Potatoes with Cheese and Broccoli, a decadent twist on my usual comfort food. This recipe feeds 4 as a side dish at $1.12 per serving.
Twice Baked Potatoes with Cheese and Broccoli
2 large russet potatoes
grated cheddar cheese
1 small head of broccoli
milk
sour cream
butter
salt and freshly ground black pepper
My favourite way to bake potatoes is to first stick them in the microwave and then in the oven, so the cooking time is faster. Rinse the potatoes with water and use a fork to poke a few holes all over the potatoes. I then wrap up each potato in kitchen roll and place them in the microwave.
Microwave the potatoes on high for 9 minutes, then turn them over and put them on for an additional 9 minutes. After the potatoes are finished in the microwave, they are pretty much cooked but they taste so much better after sitting in the oven for a while getting crispy.
Remove the potatoes from the kitchen paper towel and put them straight on the rack of a preheated 400 degree F oven. Let the skins crisp up for around 15-20 minutes.
Cut up the broccoli into small florets and steam them. Normally I would never advise this, but overcook the broccoli so it will mash up easily with the potatoes.
Remove the potatoes from the oven and cut them in half lengthwise. Scoop out the cooked flesh of the potato and put it in a medium bowl to mash later.
Once you have scooped out all the flesh, put the potato skins on a baking sheet and place them back in the oven while you are making the potato filling.
Take the bowl of potatoes and mash them with some milk and butter. How much butter and milk you use is up to you, but lots of butter makes really good mashed potatoes. Once you have the base for the mashed potatoes, add the cooked broccoli and mash everything together.
Add the grated cheddar and some sour cream to the potatoes and mix. Be sure to season with lots of salt and freshly ground pepper. Lots of salt really brings the flavours together, so don’t be afraid to put a bit more than normal in the mash.
Take out the skins from the oven and place the mashed potato mix inside the skins. Return the potatoes back to the oven for around 10 minutes so that the cheese and butter can melt together. I switched on the broiler for the last few minutes so the top could get a bit browned.
The end result was gooey and creamy, plus it must have had medicinal powers since I’m feeling great today!
