Broccoli Cheese Baked Potatoes
Try this Broccoli Cheese Baked Potatoes recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Broccoli Cheese Baked Potatoes recipe, or contribute your own.
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup whole milk
- sea salt and fresh black pepper
- 4 large baking potatoes (like russet or idaho)
- 4 cups broccoli florets (before steaming)
- 2 cups shredded cheese (i use a mix of gouda and extra sh
- 2 - 3 slices crispy crumbled bacon optional
- Carbohydrate 24.1175874841638 g
- Cholesterol 94.559375039243 mg
- Fat 35.5736937648047 g
- Fiber 0.251999988555908 g
- Protein 2.10708125015515 g
- Saturated Fat 22.443010009376 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (104g)
- Sodium 259.400000105135 mg
- Sugar 23.8655874956079 g
- Trans Fat 2.55010875103638 g
- Calories 414 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 400 degree F.
- Wash potatoes, prick with a fork a few times and wrap each one in aluminum foil.
- Bake until fork tender about 1 hour.
- About 40 minutes into potato cook time steam the broccoli until tender.
- When broccoli is cooked, melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat, add garlic and saute until fragrant, whisk in flour, cook for 2 to 3 minutes, whisking often.
- Turn heat up to medium and slowly whisk in milk.
- When the milk starts to boil add cheese and stir until completely melted.
- Remove from heat.
- Stir in cooked broccoli.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Turn off the heat and put a lid on the pan to keep warm until the potatoes are ready.
- To serve slice potatoes lengthwise and spoon a generous amount of broccoli cheese sauce over top.
- Garnish with bacon if desired.
The Russet Potato Foundation
High-starch russet or Idaho potatoes contain less moisture and more granular starch than waxy varieties, yielding a fluffy interior texture when baked at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately one hour. Wrapping potatoes in aluminum foil traps internal steam, which softens the skin while cooking the flesh evenly. Pricking the skin with a fork allows built-up steam to escape, preventing the tubers from bursting inside the oven enclosure. Selecting potatoes of uniform size ensures they reach fork-tender doneness simultaneously.
Starch Control and Cheese Behavior
Cooking the butter and flour roux for two to three minutes eliminates the raw flour taste before the milk is introduced. Whisking cold milk into a hot roux over medium heat requires steady agitation to prevent scorching and lump formation. Gouda melts into a smooth emulsion due to its high fat content and low moisture, whereas overly aged cheeses can separate into pools of oil when exposed to sudden heat. Adjusting the ratio of milk to cheese allows cooks to control the viscosity of the sauce without compromising its structural integrity.
Common Pitfalls and Substitutions
Undercooked roux remains the primary reason cheese sauces turn out grainy or thin. Steaming the broccoli separately and folding it into the finished sauce prevents the florets from releasing excess water into the dairy base and diluting the flavor. Substituting heavy cream for whole milk yields a richer consistency, but requires lower cooking temperatures to prevent curdling. Bacon should be cooked until completely crisp before crumbling, as soft fat will compromise the textural contrast of the dish.
