My family's favorite Loaded Baked Potato Recipe is stuffed with crispy bacon, cheddar cheese, and broccoli. It's a classic comfort food that you're sure to love!
Prep Time15 minutesminutes
Cook Time1 hourhour10 minutesminutes
Total Time1 hourhour25 minutesminutes
Ingredients
4large russet potatoes, scrubbed clean
2 to 3tablespoonsolive oil
¼teaspoonkosher salt
¼teaspoonground black pepper
2cupsbroccoli, cut into small florets
4tablespoonsbutter, sliced into 4 pieces
6slicesbacon, cooked until crispy, then chopped
4ozcheddar cheese, freshly shredded
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Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a medium size baking pan with aluminum foil.
Poke the potatoes multiple times with a fork and then place them on the baking pan. Drizzle potatoes with the olive oil, salt, and pepper and rub it into the potatoes.
Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a knife slides out easily when inserted into the center of the potatoes.
In the meantime, bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan or medium pot. Add the broccoli and cook for 3 minutes, then drain it right away to prevent the broccoli from getting too soft. Set aside.
Slice the potatoes open and let them cool until you can handle them, a couple of minutes.
Fluff the inside with a fork then place a slice of butter on top to melt.
Sprinkle the bacon evenly between the potatoes then sprinkle on the broccoli and cheese.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted on top.
Serve topped with freshly minced chives, for garnish, if desired.
Notes
Storing and Reheating: Leftover potatoes are best stored without the toppings. To store, wrap them in foil and keep them in the refrigerator. They will keep for 2 - 3 days. Reheat in the oven at 350°F until warmed through.
Bake on the Oven Rack: You can also make these potatoes with no pan at all - in fact, baking them right on a clean oven rack can result in even crispier skin. (This may cause your rack and oven to get a little messy, if the potatoes leak moisture from the holes you poke with a fork, but this is usually not a problem with Russet potatoes.)
Make Extras: Leftover baked potatoes can be refrigerated for another use later on: throwing into a curry, making into a quick skillet hash, or gently tossing with dressing to make potato salad, fast. If any of these options sound good to you, make some extras to use later in the week.
Budget Extra Time: One thing to remember about baked potatoes is that the cooking time can vary quite a bit. It will depend on the size and density of your potatoes, and also on your oven. To keep things on schedule, try starting your potatoes about 15 minutes early. That way, you have extra time if you need it. If not, then your potatoes will be done a little early, but that's no problem! They are easy to keep warm for a short time, as needed.