4.5 stars (out of 5 - a bit of a hassle to make, but worth it in the end!)
These are one of my all-time favourite sides. They are a bit fussy to make (specifically, I tend to burn my hands trying to hollow out the baked potatoes), but I think worth it in the end. They are a great side dish to a meal (albeit filling!), and I sometimes even eat these as a small meal on their own (or with a salad).
Ingredients (for 2-4 people):
2 large potatoes*
~1 cup grated old cheddar cheese**
~2/3 cup chopped green onion**
1 1/2 cups broccoli**
Sour cream***
Milk***
Salt and pepper***
{*Note. 2 large potatoes will make enough for 4 people if you give them each half (as part of a bigger meal). I usually do 2 potatoes for SB and myself alone, as I will eat a whole one myself (in the place of meat) or save it for lunch the next day.}
{**Note. These amounts are all approximate. You can see the amounts from the pics below, but I do it all to taste. I end up putting quite a bit of green onion in, as the flavour isn't very strong. I just have one suggestion, which is to stir in the broccoli gradually (see below), so that your mixture doesn't end up too dense.}
{***Note. These are suggestions for making the mashed potato part of the recipe. You can use whatever you normally use to make mashed potatoes.}
1. First, I baked the potatoes in the microwave. This usually takes about 6 minutes. Don't forget to pierce them with a fork first!
2. While the potatoes were cooking, I chopped and steamed the broccoli. I usually cook it until it is tender, rinse under cool water (to prevent them from continuing to cook and turning into mush), and set them aside.
{**Note. These amounts are all approximate. You can see the amounts from the pics below, but I do it all to taste. I end up putting quite a bit of green onion in, as the flavour isn't very strong. I just have one suggestion, which is to stir in the broccoli gradually (see below), so that your mixture doesn't end up too dense.}
{***Note. These are suggestions for making the mashed potato part of the recipe. You can use whatever you normally use to make mashed potatoes.}
1. First, I baked the potatoes in the microwave. This usually takes about 6 minutes. Don't forget to pierce them with a fork first!
2. While the potatoes were cooking, I chopped and steamed the broccoli. I usually cook it until it is tender, rinse under cool water (to prevent them from continuing to cook and turning into mush), and set them aside.
3. I also prepare the cheese and green onion during this time.
4. Once the potatoes were cooked, I (carefully!) cut them in half, leaving the skin intact, and let them cool for a little while. Watch out, they're hot!
5. Once the potatoes were cooled to a point I could handle them, I scooped out the inside, leaving a few millimetres around the edge and on the bottom, and placed the extra potato in a medium-sized bowl.
6. I then added the sour cream, milk, salt, and pepper to the potato, and mashed them together. You can add whatever ingredients you wish, and make the mashed potatoes your regular way (e.g., with butter, etc.). Just make sure they're not too runny.
7. After making the mashed potatoes, I stirred in the broccoli, chives, and 1/2 the cheddar cheese, and added salt & pepper to taste.
8. I then scooped this mixture into the potato shells...
9. ... and sprinkled them with the remaining cheese.
10. I baked them at 425F for about 20 minutes (until hot).
Although this recipe can be a bit time-consuming to make, I think it's worth it. In addition, I have made this recipe for company before, and it was very stress-free, as I could prepare them ahead of time, put them (covered) in the fridge, and then pop them in the oven 20 minutes before we were ready to eat. I also like how you can play around with the ingredients to your own taste. Overall, a nice, substantial complement to a meal!
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