Sunday, January 17, 2010

The Best Broccoli Cheddar Baked Potatoes



What makes these the best you ask? Fondue is my answer! I use the recipe for Hard Apple Cider Cheese Fondue for these amazing stuffed potatoes. What makes them so incredible is the extra-aged award winning Washington State University Cougar Gold Cheese that the cheese sauce is made from.


I would swim with piranhas for Cougar Gold Cheese. Big, fat, toothless, vegetarian piranhas. Ok, so I’m a chicken, but seriously, this cheese is super fantastic. But if you can’t get a round of it, any good aged white cheddar will work well.


The Best Broccoli Cheddar Baked Potatoes

4 Good sized Russet potatoes

Broccoli florettes, enough to cover 4 potatoes

Salt

Freshly Cracked Pepper

1 recipe Hard Apple Cider Cheese Fondue, below


1. Microwave Method: Scrub the potatoes, pierce with a fork, and place on a paper towel in the microwave. Cook on high, flipping over every 5 minutes until easily pierced with a knife. Set aside.


Oven Method: Preheat oven to 400 degrees, scrub potatoes, pierce with fork, rub with oil and place on the center rack of the oven. Place a foil lined baking sheet below to catch drips and bake for 45 minutes to an hour or until easily pierced with a fork.


2. Meanwhile, make the fondue and steam the broccoli.


3. Place the potatoes on individual plates. Cut with a sharp knife down the centers and squeeze potato together so the insides pop out a bit. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the broccoli on top of the potatoes and spoon the cheese fondue on top.


Hard Apple Cider Cheese Fondue

Ingredients

1 pound Cougar Gold (extra aged if you can get it), or other sharp white cheddar

2 Tablespoons flour

1 cup hard apple cider (Drink the rest while preparing fondue)

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar


1. Crumble or shred the cheese. In a bowl, toss together the cheese and flour.


2. In medium sized sauce pan bring the hard apple cider to a boil.


3. Reduce heat to low and add the cheese mixture a handful at a time, stirring until melted before adding more.


4. Add the vinegar and stir together. Spoon over baked potatoes.


Recipe & Picture by Laura Flowers.



25 comments:

Memória said...

Wow. I've never seen broccoli look so good. YUM!

Ciao Chow Linda said...

You could make a telephone book look appetizing. Now I'm hungry for baked potatoes with broccoli.

Sook said...

What a lovely creation! Broccoli and potatoes! Yum!

Simones Kitchen said...

What a great way to use broccoli! I love the look of this.

Anonymous said...

I want to eat that picture right off the screen!

Devon said...

The Pacific Northwest is like Nirvana. I've got my eye on Portland, OR and I'll bet I can find this cheese there too without the toothless piranhas.

Namitha said...

That would be a classic combo...looks too good :-)

Mary Bergfeld said...

That is one gorgeous looking dish. The colors are almost unreal and the recipe in intriguing. Very nice!

The Old White Barn said...

This looks ever so good! I like the change to using a sharp white cheese and cider. I'm going to be on the hunt for Cougar Gold!
Thanks-
Susan

Unknown said...

Ooh, that sounds amazing! Your picture is gorgeous!

Vrinda said...

i lov anything made with brocoli,nice picture,nice blog u have...

Maria said...

Love this. Great meal idea!

Fresh Local and Best said...

Hard cider fondue looks incredible! I don't know how you got the potato and broccoli to look so good, but you did!

Sherri Murphy said...

Looks amazing! I want to try it. I don't want to swim with man-eating fish though. I'm a big sissy.
Bookmarking again....

Pink Little Cake said...

Wow... I love bake potatos, specially if cheese some how is involved. I have to make this ones for sure. How are you? Did you get my last email regarding Chelsea Market in the city?

Patricia @ ButterYum said...

Big, fat, toothless, vegetarian piranhas - HAHA!!

:)
ButterYum

Trissa said...

And I can actually use the microwave to cook the potatoes? Fantastic! I love broccoli - such a wonderful vegetable.

Chef E said...

What a great idea for fondue, and I love baked potatoes with broccoli...and a little chili is nice too!

Ashlea Taylor said...

Wow, I have never been drawn to broccoli in a potato until now! This looks delicious!

Jennie said...

I love everything about this dish including the photo! Bookmarked!

Lisa said...

Okay, this is one gorgeous dish. I love the heartiness of it...and the cider cheese fonduejust brings it over the top. Love your beautiful recipes!

EMC said...

For anyone who wants the link to order Cougar Gold online, here it is:

http://cougarcheese.wsu.edu/wsu/shop

My husband just asked for me to make this next week--can't wait to blog about it!

Jamie said...

Wow! Love everything about this! But adding hard cider to a cheddar cheese fondue is magnificent! Make this for me when I visit? Please?

Chef Fresco said...

We've never made fondue - I am super tempted with your description of this cougar gold cheese! Looks absolutely amazing!

Federica Simoni said...

ciao! questi broccoli sono molto invitanti!!!

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