Healthy Baked Potatoes
This healthy baked potatoes recipe combines gooey cheese, broccoli, and cauliflower for a satisfying and hearty meal. With vegetarian comfort food like this, you get the perfect combination of taste and texture. Ready in just one hour, this is a kid-friendly and gluten-free recipe the whole family will enjoy!
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 149.1kcal
Ingredients
- 4 medium russet potatoes 18 oz
- 2 cups chopped broccoli florets about 2 heads of broccoli
- 2 cups chopped cauliflower about 1 large head of cauliflower
- ½ cup low fat buttermilk
- 2 tbsp sour cream
- ½ tbsp butter
- ½ tsp salt more to taste
- ⅛ tsp pepper more to taste
- 1 tbsp minced chives or green onions
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese or any shredded cheese you like
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Pierce the potatoes several times with a fork. Place in the microwave and use your baked potato setting until the potatoes are cooked through, turning half way. (Or you can bake 1 hour in your oven at 425° F)
- While the potatoes are baking, chop all of your veggies (chives, broccoli, cauliflower, etc)
- In a medium saucepan, combine cauliflower and broccoli with a little salted water and cook, covered for about 3 minutes. Remove the broccoli with a slotted spoon and set aside in a bowl, continue cooking the cauliflower until soft, about 5 more minutes. Drain and set aside in a separate large bowl.
- Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop the flesh out into the large bowl with the cauliflower, leaving a ¼" shell. Place the potato shells on a baking sheet.
- Mash the flesh with a potato masher or puree with a hand blender along with the cauliflower. Add the buttermilk, sour cream, butter, pepper, and salt, mash until smooth. Fold in half of the shredded cheddar (and chives if desired).
- Spoon the potato/cauliflower mixture back into the shells. Top with the cooked broccoli and remaining cheese on top.
- Bake for 5-10 minutes, or until heated through and the cheese is melted.
Notes
Baked Potato Recipe Variations
This is where you get to be creative! There are so many ways you can change up the toppings for these vegetarian baked potatoes, but here are some of my favorites:
- Veggies: Try zucchini, roasted red peppers, olives, tomatoes, or onions! Any veggie that holds up well to baking will work in this recipe.
- Cheeses: Try parmesan, or a Mexican shredded cheese blend, or even a crumbled cheese like feta.
- Seasonings and Toppings: Try chili powder, taco seasoning, salsa, paprika, or cumin for extra flavor!
- Extra Protein: Lentils can add a nice meaty texture to your baked potato filling, and black beans would work great as well!
- Try Sweet Potatoes: They bake up faster than russet potatoes and are so delicious!
- Make it a Vegan Baked Potato: Use vegan butter, coconut milk, and replace the cheese & sour cream with a giant scoop of guacamole and salsa!
- Don’t forget to poke holes in the potato with your fork before baking to allow steam to escape. Otherwise your potatoes might explode in your oven or microwave!
- If you want more flavor on the potato skin, feel free to coat the potatoes in olive oil and kosher salt before putting in the oven.
- To test if your potatoes are ready, give them a squeeze. If they are decently soft when you squeeze them, they’re ready to go! If not, put them in for a few more minutes and try again. The larger your potatoes, the longer they will take to bake.
- Make sure to mix the filling ingredients really well, and mash up that cauliflower into a potato like consistency so it tastes just like mashed potatoes once it's baked!
Nutrition
Serving: 1half of a potato with toppings | Calories: 149.1kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 7.5g | Fat: 5.2g | Saturated Fat: 3.4g | Cholesterol: 15.2mg | Sodium: 273.8mg | Potassium: 727.3mg | Fiber: 4.3g | Sugar: 3.9g