Twiced Baked Potatoes with Broccoli and Cheddar

I just love potatoes in any form- scalloped, baked, mashed, roasted, and whatever else you can come up with, but my I think my favorite way is twice-baked.  This was the first time I actually made them myself, but my mom has made them many times, mostly as a side for special meals like Easter or birthday dinners.  When I saw this particular combination, I knew that it would be delicious.  I like broccoli and cheddar together, and when added to potatoes, you can’t go wrong!

I made these on a night after David had been sick for a few days and was starting to get his appetite back, and I was in the mood for a lighter meal.  If you eat a whole potato, these are a great one-dish meal, but you could also have half of a potato and serve it as a side dish.  I omitted the scallions because I didn’t have them on hand, but next time I will be sure to include them because they would add even more flavor to this dish.  The potato filling was perfect- light and fluffy, and baked just right.  I love the crisp bites of cheese that form a crust on the outside of a potato, and the mixture of the cheese and broccoli is just right.  Bridget notes that this is heavy on broccoli, but I really enjoy broccoli, so I kept the same proportions she used.  These are the best twice-baked potatoes I’ve ever had, and I will continue to use this combination in the future.

Twice-Baked Potatoes with Broccoli, Cheddar, and Scallions
Source: The Way the Cookie Crumbles

Serves 2

2 medium to large baking (russet) potatoes
2 small (or 1 large) broccoli crowns, cut into 1-inch florets with stems no longer than 1 inch
½ teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon butter, softened
½ cup buttermilk
1 scallion, sliced then
1 ounce (¼ cup) cheddar, plus ½ ounce (2 tablespoons)
salt
black pepper

1. Move an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Scrub the potatoes and stab them several times with a fork. Place them on the oven rack and bake until a fork inserted into the potato meets no resistance, 60-75 minutes.

2. Remove the potatoes from the oven and set them aside until they’re cool enough to handle. Heat the broiler. Meanwhile, bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Place the broccoli florets in a steamer basket and put the steamer basket in the saucepan, making sure that the water does not come into contact with the broccoli. Cover the pot and steam for 4 minutes, until the broccoli is just crisp-tender. (You want it more on the crisp side, since they’ll continue to cook as they cool, plus they’ll spend some time under the broiler.) Remove the steamer basket with the broccoli from the saucepan and discard the water in the pot. Dump the broccoli into the pot and season with a pinch of salt and the lemon juice.

3. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh of the potatoes, leaving a thin coating on the potato skin. In a medium bowl, use a potato masher to mash the potato flesh with the butter. Stir in ¼ teaspoon salt, a pinch of ground black pepper, the broccoli, plus the remaining ingredients, except ½ ounce cheddar.

4. Spoon the filling into the potato shells and top with the remaining cheddar. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and broil until the cheese is spotty brown and the tops are crisp. Serve immediately.