These Broccoli Cheddar Stuffed Potatoes might not be the prettiest things in the world, but who cares? We’re talking about CHEESE AND POTATOES. Plus a healthy dose of broccoli, because life is all about balance. These Broccoli Cheddar Baked Potatoes are, IMHO, the perfect half way point between comfort food and good-for-you food. And I like compromise.
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What Else Can I Add to My Stuffed Potato?
This is yet another great “base” recipe that you can customize to fit your wallet and taste buds. The original version posted below is so good that it made my feet wiggle, but if you want to add more, here are a few fun things you can add in or on top:
- bacon bits
- grilled chicken
- jalapeños
- sriracha
- sliced ham
- sliced green onion
Empty out the fridge and use up leftover ingredients as toppings. Anything that is good on a loaded baked potato would probably also be good on these, so that might give you a place to start experimenting.
How to Add More Flavor to Cheese Sauce
The cheese sauce in this recipe is a fairly mild and creamy cheese sauce, so if you like a cheese sauce with a little more punch, I’ve got some options for you. To add “tang” to the cheese sauce, you can add a ½ tsp Dijon mustard, or ½ tsp mustard powder. To add tang AND heat, try adding a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce. Or you can go the black pepper route and add a hefty dose of freshly cracked pepper.
Meal Prep It!
These Broccoli Cheddar Stuffed Baked Potatoes reheat really well in the microwave. I just reheated one for second breakfast and it was AWESOME. (“Second Breakfast” is to early birds what “fourth meal” is to you night owls). So make a whole batch and pack them up for your lunches throughout the week!
How to Save Money on Cheese
Always check the prices of larger blocks of cheese compared to the smaller blocks. At my local store they’re almost always just about the same price per ounce, but this week the large 16oz. block was only $3.88, which is a GREAT deal. The large block can be cut into smaller chunks and stashed in the freezer. Just make sure to wrap them tightly to prevent freezer burn.
Choose Block Cheese Instead of Pre-Shredded
For this recipe and any cheese sauce recipe, try to get cheese in a block and shred it yourself. Pre-shredded cheese is usually coated in an anti-caking powder that can prevent it from melting nicely into the sauce.
Love stuffed baked potatoes? Check out the long list of baked potato topping ideas in How to Make Baked Potatoes!
Broccoli Cheddar Stuffed Baked Potatoes
Servings 4Ingredients
BAKED POTATOES
- 4 russet potatoes (about ¾ lb. each) ($2.35)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.16)
- Salt ($0.02)
BROCCOLI CHEESE SAUCE
- 1/2 lb frozen broccoli florets ($1.19)
- 3 Tbsp butter ($0.39)
- 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour ($0.03)
- 3 cups whole milk ($1.27)
- 1 tsp salt ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder ($0.02)
- 6 oz. medium cheddar, shredded ($1.28)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Take the broccoli out of the freezer and allow it to thaw as the potatoes bake. Once thawed, roughly chop the broccoli into small pieces and then set aside until ready to use.
- Wash the potatoes well, then dry with paper towel or a clean dish towel. Use a fork to prick several holes in the skin of each potato. Pour the olive oil into a small dish, then use your hands to coat each potato in oil. Place the oil coated potatoes on a baking sheet, and season with a pinch of salt. Bake the potatoes for about 60 minutes, or until tender all the way through.
- When there is about 15 minutes left in the baking time for the potatoes, begin to prepare the cheese sauce. Add the butter and flour to a medium sauce pot. Place the pot over a medium flame and whisk the butter and flour together as they melt. Allow the mixture to begin to bubble and foam, whisking continuously. Continue to cook for 2 minutes more to remove the raw flour flavor, but do not let the flour begin to brown.
- Whisk the milk into the butter and flour mixture. Bring the milk up to a simmer, whisking frequently. When it reaches a simmer, it will thicken. Once thick enough to coat a spoon, turn off the heat. Season the white sauce with the salt and garlic powder.
- Begin to whisk the shredded cheddar into the sauce one handful at a time, making sure the cheese is fully melted into the sauce before adding the next handful. Once all of the cheddar has been melted into the sauce, stir in the chopped broccoli.
- When the potatoes are finished baking, carefully slice them open. Use a fork to slightly mash the insides of the potatoes. When ready to serve, place each potato on a plate or in a bowl and ladle the broccoli cheese sauce over each potato. Serve warm.
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Nutrition
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How to Make Baked Potatoes with Broccoli Cheese Sauce – Step by Step Photos
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Wash then dry four russet potatoes (about ¾ lb. each). Use a fork to prick the skin of the potatoes several times on each potato. Place 1 Tbsp olive oil in a dish, then use your hands to coat each potato in oil. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet or in a baking dish (with plenty of room around each potato), then season each potato with a pinch of salt. Place the potatoes in the preheated oven and bake for about one hour, or until they’re tender all the way through.
While the potatoes are baking, thaw and chop ½ lb. of frozen broccoli into small pieces.
Shred 6 oz. cheddar cheese.
When there is about 15 minutes left in the bake time for the potatoes, begin the cheese sauce. Add 3 Tbsp butter and 3 Tbsp butter to a sauce pot. Heat and whisk over medium heat, allowing the butter to melt and form a paste with the flour. When the paste begins to bubble up and sizzle, continue whisking and cooking for about 2 minutes to slightly toast the flour.
Whisk 3 cups milk into the flour and butter mixture. Continue to cook and whisk until the milk reaches a gentle simmer.
When the milk reaches a simmer, the starch molecules from the flour will swell and thicken the sauce. When it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, turn off the heat. Season the white sauce with ¼ tsp garlic powder and 1 tsp salt.
Begin whisking in the shredded cheddar, one handful at a time, allowing the residual heat of the sauce to fully melt the cheese before adding the next handful.
Once all the cheese is melted in, the sauce will be considerably thicker.
Stir the thawed and chopped broccoli into the cheese sauce.
Once the potatoes are baked and tender all the way through (use a fork or a small knife to pierce the center to test the doneness), slice each potato lengthwise, then pinch each end and push in toward the center to open the potatoes. Use a fork to slightly mash the potato in its skin.
Spoon a generous amount of cheese sauce onto each baked potato. For best results, place each potato in its own serving dish before topping with broccoli cheese sauce, so any runoff will stay in the dish and can be eaten with the potato.
Dig in!! Or check your fridge for any other toppings that you might want to pile on!
Really good! Took longer than expected to make the broccoli cheddar “soup” but it came together nicely. I had small potatoes though so I have a ton of leftovers. Is there a way the soup can be frozen or any ideas on how to use it other than on more potatoes?
You could try to freeze, but sometimes cheesy things can get a bit grainy when you reheat. You could add some broth to the mix to thin it out and eat it like regular soup, or use it to mix in with rice and make a cheesy broccoli rice side dish.
This is missing any instructions to cook the broccoli. Also, I cut down the milk quantity as it didn’t thicken as it should have.
You don’t have to cook the broccoli! Frozen broccoli is already par-cooked so all you’d need to do is follow the thawing step. :)
Did not work… cheese sauce was horrible looking and tasted bad.
So Delicious and so easy to make.
Can you use fresh broccoli?
Yes! Just chop and pop the florets into a microwave safe bowl with a few tablespoons of water. Microwave until tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. XOXO -Monti
Normally, my family complains if a meal doesn’t include meat. Still, I persist in an attempt to make them a tad healthier. But, oddly enough, no one brings up the lack of meat when I make this recipe. ;) I think that speaks for itself!
This was absolutely delicious. Didn’t want the potato to end. LOL!
I made this tonight using a 12 oz bag of frozen broccoli and it was amazing!!!
Delicious but either I didn’t cook the bechamel enough or there is like, 2-3x the amount of sauce needed for the potatoes. Not upset because cheese sauce is good on everything, but keeping the brocolli the same, I think you could half the cheese sauce easy if you’re low on supplies. Either way, delicious and will def make again since it’s a good simple recipe.
I used unsweetened macadamia nut milk and it turned out great. I had blanched broccoli & asparagus I needed to use up. Served this over brown rice for a yummy lunch. Oh, and the hot sauce was a nice addition!
I made this recipe exactly as listed and it was delicious! Will add some hot sauce to the leftovers tomorrow
Would it turn out the same if you used Almond Milk?
Probably not, almond milk is not nearly as rich as whole milk.
What about coconut milk??
I’m not sure, I’ve never tried to make a cheese sauce with coconut milk. There’s definitely a bit of chemistry at work to get the cheese to emulsify, so I’m not sure if coconut milk will have quite the right make up for that. :)
I just made this with almond milk last night and though it wasn’t as thick as I’m sure it would be with whole milk, it was very tasty! It turned out great for me. I didn’t have to use as much almond milk though, so a cup or more less than the recipe calls for. Coconut milk would probably be even better too!
I halved the cheese sauce and still had a lot (about half a cup per potato). I served it as a side with the ham & bean soup.
The sauce recipe made WAY too much for the amount of potato we had (tiny potatoes I guess??) which was GREAT because 2 days later I shredded a carrot into it and BAM I had a very Panera-esque broccoli cheddar soup and it was FABULOUS and super SUPER budget friendly!! I had enough for 2 giant bowls. So so yum!! thanks Beth! :)
it was tasty, but the sauce never got thick and the broccoli was still a tad cold.
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would, and my family REALLY liked it. I had a huge bag of fresh broccoli florets, so I filled my instant pot steamer basket up (1/2 cup water) low pressure for 0 min, and quick release….. this will make sense to someone familiar with the IP. I served the potatoes with halibut, but kept thinking meatloaf would be a great companion to these potatoes. I used small russet potatoes.
I only have sharp cheese & the stores barely have any food in them , how much of a difference would it be if I used sharp ? Is there anything I can use to mellow the sharp out?
I use sharp all the time, it’s what my family likes, and this recipe has come out just fine!
okay, thank you so much ! i was just afraid that it wouldn’t taste good.
Can this be made into a broccoli cheese soup? If so, how would I do that? I’ve been searching your site for a recipe and I’m unable to locate one ( I’m probably missing it).
Every recipe that I try from you is delicious! Thank you for all that you do.
Hi Ranee! Broccoli cheese soup is on my list of recipes to try this fall (you’re not missing it, I don’t have one on the site right now). I don’t think there’s a simple way to change this into a soup, though. I’d need to develop a recipe starting from scratch.
100daysofrealfood.com has the best real ingredient “broccoli cheese soup (with bacon)”. recipe. I use fresh broccoli (florets and stalk) since it is frequently cheaper then frozen, but frozen could be substituted. The bacon adds a nice smoky flavor, but could be omitted and replaced with olive oil. This recipe replaced my previous favorite recipe.
Thank you very much! I’ll be making it this weekend :)
We had extra filling left so when I reheated on the stove I added milk and it was a really good soup! I didn’t have enough to put away and try again later but for the one serving it was really good!
This recipe was a hit! So easy! I made just the sauce for a crowd, so I tripled the broccoli. 1 1/2 lbs of thawed frozen broccoli added to the cheese sauce! It was perfect! Because I added more broccoli, I also added a little more salt, garlic powder and some dried mustard. Definitely bookmarking this one! Thank you for sharing!
How do I leave as left over for tomorrow if my potato is already baked? How do I reheat the potatoe? And can I put the cheese sauce in the refrigerator? Sorry for so many questions!
Yes, you definitely need to refrigerate the leftovers and your best bet for reheating would be in the microwave.
Can you freeze the left over sauce?
Cheese sauces tend to not freeze well, unfortunately.
Delicious! I added dry ranch seasoning, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. It turned out wonderfully and my husband loved it.
Love this and have made it numerous times, but this last time I had leftovers and when I went to reheat the cheese sauce it split. Any ideas why and how to prevent it from happening?
Cheese sauces that use flour as a thickener, like this one, can “break” if they’re over heated, so I’m guessing that’s what happened.
Loved this! Super simple and easy to make and absolutely delicious. I used unsweetened soy milk since that’s what I had on hand, and it worked out just fine. Thank you!
Yum, yum, yum! I have seen this on the menu at several places but never ordered or made it! I love stuffed potatoes! Potatoes are so versatile, one of my favorite things to eat! I also love anything broccoli cheese! Thanks so much for this great simple recipe!
I made this for dinner a couple of nights ago, and it was awesome! I used light milk and fresh broccoli, and I used 250g of cheddar in total lol. We ended up having enough sauce to have on pasta with some cooked chopped bacon. Very nice, will make it again!
Can you use Nacho Cheese?
Sure, if you prefer to do that, you can replace the homemade cheese sauce with nacho cheese.
Made this for dinner and it turned out great. My son who likes neither broccoli our potatoes ate out right up. I switched out all purpose flour for gluten free flour mix and it thickened up just fine. Other than that I followed the recipe exactly, even using a kitchen scale to measure it the right amount of cheese (6 is is less than you expect) I did have leftover cheese sauce, but I’ll just add done broth and onions to it and have soup for lunch tomorrow. Thanks for another cheap yummy dinner!
Is there any other milk I can use instead of whole milk like almond or soy ?
Unfortunately I haven’t tried any other type of milk, but if you do decide to try one, make sure to use the creamiest non-dairy milk you can find. I think almond milk would be way too watery.
I made it with unsweetened almond milk and it worked perfectly :)
Do you need to do anything different if you use fresh broccoli instead of frozen?
You’d probably want to par-boil them (just a few minutes, until they turn bright green and are a little tender) so they are at least a little soft and that raw edge has been taken off. :)
Would you freeze these with the topping stuffed inside of them?
Thank you look very good. I will test.
I love the recipe but I can’t seem to get the thickness I remade it twice and it was still watery is there a technique to get it thick.. I believe I followed the steps correctly.. TIA
Did you bring the sauce all the way up to a simmer? When it reaches a simmer the flour molecules swell (similar to what happens to pasta when you boil it) and thicken the sauce.
Do you think this would turn out okay with nonfat milk instead of whole milk?
No, you really need the creaminess from the whole milk.
Looking for a similar recipe I THINK I saw on this site, but more of a twice-baked potato type thing with broccoli, sour cream, etc. I can’t seem to find it. This one looks good too but the other was more useful to me because the potatoes were highly portable! (In other words, able to be eaten on the NYC subway with no utensils if necessary–feel free to judge me. 😉) Any idea what I’m referring to? Thanks!
Ahh, I think I know which recipe you’re referring to. I’ve started cleaning out some of the REALLY old files that aren’t quite up to par with what my current content represents. But, I can always email the pdf of the recipe to you! Just email me at budgetbytes (at) gmail.com
What a great way to serve baked potatoes! We really loved it, especially the cheese sauce with crunchy broccoli bites. Thank you for this recipe :)
I did it and it’s absolutely delicious! Even my kids that didn’t like broccoli loved it!! Thanks for sharing.
Como puedo traducir al español…pliss
Disculpen mi ignorancia
Se ven demasiado ricas las recetas
Saludos
Dale copy y ve a google buscas google translate y le das paste alli!
Can you use 2% milk instead of whole milk?
The sauce won’t be as creamy, but it will technically “work”.
Is there anything I can substitute for the whole milk? Anything aside from cow’s milk?
Unfortunately I haven’t tried making a cheese sauce with any non-dairy milks, so I’m not sure. :(
I’ve tried making a bechamel sauce (which is the base of this one) with cashew milk, and it worked out fine. No reason you couldn’t use other kinds of nut milk, goat milk, or lactose-free milk instead. Heck, you can even use broth instead of milk if you want to.
The flavour will be different if you make a substitution, but the texture comes from the interaction of the butter and flour, so as long as you’re not using a milk substitute that’ll scald (like coconut milk) it should work out.
This recipe looks delicious but where on earth are you getting these prices? This certainly isn’t a “budget” meal, at least not with that much cheese and milk. On what planet are you able to get cheese and milk that cheaply? (Also on what planet are potatoes that expensive? All these prices are backwards!). This recipe would easily cost at least twice the amount that you claim it would cost to make.
For more information on my pricing, check out my post about Pricing and Portions.
This recipe is such a rich and filling meal! I really enjoyed it and my fiance did too. I wasnt expecting to have to make a roux and so that made me very nervous but I got lucky and it turned out perfect.
I made a full load of sauce and only 2 potatoes, so we saved the rest of the sauce.
Putting the leftover sauce on some noodles is a great mac and cheese meal. crunch up some cheez its and bam! 2 recipes in one!
I decided to modify the recipe a bit, upped to to 4 cups of milk, used 1/4 cup butter and flour. And a bit extra cheese. Turned this into a soup! Added a dash of onion salt. Pretty good for the most, I’m not sure I cooked the broccoli enough first (used fresh).
I also used 1% milk and it turned out great. Now if only I could heat anything milk based without scorching the pot :/
Do you have to use whole milk or can I use 2% Milk? Its what i have on hand.
Thanks!
2% will still work alright. I wouldn’t go as low as skim, though. :)
mmm… yummi~!
thx for ricepe~~!
Beth, this was awesome! I’m here to compliment two of your recipes actually! I steamed some fresh broccoli in the microwave and then made these potatoes. Then the next night I made your slow cooker shredded beef ragu with some pasta and that was awesome too. Today I decided to pair some of the shredded beef sauce with one of the potatoes and it was delicious together! Thank you for the ideas! I’ve been reading your blog for years and truly trust your advice and taste buds. :D
Made this tonight. Used a combination of broccoli, cauliflower. and carrots, substiituted 3oz bacon for the butter. Delicious.
Sounds delicious! I’ve been trying to find some new recipes to spice up our weekly dinner menu and I think these will be a hit in our house. Thanks for sharing!!
XO – Sarah
https://beautyandblooms.com/
Silly question – is the broccoli stirred into the cheese sauce raw or cooked? I have leftover steamed broccoli that I’d love to use for this!
If it’s already steamed you can just stir it in as-is. :) I used thawed frozen broccoli, and frozen vegetables are briefly blanched before freezing, so they’re already slightly cooked.
Hi from Lafayette! Made this tonight after seeing it in my inbox tonight! It was so freaking good. I’m hoping to freeze the left over cheese sauce in individual portions. Any clue if sauces like this freeze well?
From what I’ve read, cheese sauces can separate when frozen and thawed. I haven’t ever tried it, but it’s usually on “doesn’t freeze well” lists.
In reality, this was so delicious that I ate it all over a few days before it could even make it to the freezer for a test.
Great recipe, I will try it for sure in the future :-)
Cheese, broccoli, and potatoes are some of my faves, so this recipe ticks all my buttons — looks absolutely scrumptious!
Well now I kind of want to know what he said they looked like!
Me too!
What did he saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy?
(btw this cheese sauce is great, not too flour-y but not straight melted cheese.)
It had something to do with aliens, babies, and excrement. LOL. :P
My only question for you is what did your boyfriend think this looked like?
I love me a good baked potato – and I’m always on the lookout for a great topping so thanks for this!
Can I offer a tip? When removing the potatoes from the oven, wrap them in a towel (I’d use a tea towel, but I’m not sure you have them there – any clean towel, basically), and then administer a sharp karate-style chop with your hand.
As if by magic, when you cut into them, the insides will have that light, fluffy texture we all love.
Credit goes to my old work mate P Monaghan.
(Oh, and I’m writing here in Ireland, where we know a thing or two about spuds… *nods smugly*)
Ha! Plus it sounds like a lot of fun! :D Thanks for that tip. :)
This is really similar to how we do baked potatoes. We use your slow cooker baked potatoes (running the oven at 400 for a hour is a lot of heat, especially in summer), steam fresh broccoli (on sale), and crumble a strip of bacon per potato. Seriously, the slow cooker is the way to go.
I usually just make the traditional cheddar cheese with bacon baked potato, but this looks delicious. I’m going to have to try this recipe.
These look delicious, and I will definitely be making these soon. One question, is it 1.5 cups of whole milk or 3 cups like it says in the directions under the pictures?
Oh wow! Thanks for catching that! It’s three cups. :) Fixing now. Thanks again!