Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Twice Baked Potatoes are a family friendly dinner that’s great for weeknights! A creamy mashed potato filling mixed with shredded chicken, roasted broccoli and plenty of cheddar cheese.
This recipe and photos have been updated since they were originally published on 3/18/2015.
I remember the first time I made twice baked potatoes. It was at my grandma’s house. I’d never heard of them and couldn’t understand why you would need to bake them twice. The only baked potatoes I’d ever had were split open and topped with butter, sour cream and maybe some green onions.
Well these twice baked potatoes at my grandma’s had all of those ingredients, but instead of the putting them on top of the potatoes, the insides were scooped out and mashed with the butter, sour cream and milk. The mashed potato filling then went back into the skins, were topped with cheese and baked again.
The result was one of the best potatoes I’d ever eaten. The filling was creamy, the skins were crisp and let’s be real, you can’t go wrong with melted cheese on top of potatoes. Typically these are served as a side dish, but I wanted a version that could be served as an easy weeknight dinner.
I finally landed on these Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Twice Baked Potatoes. They’re incredibly filling, have a great balance of carbs and protein, use kid friendly ingredients and taste great the next day if you’re into leftovers.
Ingredients needed to make broccoli cheddar chicken twice baked potatoes
- russet potatoes
- shredded chicken breasts
- broccoli florets
- cheddar cheese
- milk
- plain Greek yogurt
- garlic powder, onion powder and smoked paprika
The best potato for baking
Russet potatoes are what I use for baked and twice baked potatoes. They’re a higher starch potato that has a thicker skin which holds up well to the long baking time and the in the oven. The flesh is fluffy and absorbent and doesn’t hold together well, which makes it ideal for mashing.
The best way to bake potatoes
There are plenty of ways to bake potatoes, but if you’re planning to eat the skin or use them for twice baked potatoes, this is the method I recommend. First, start by scrubbing the potatoes clean with water. A vegetable scrubbing brush works great for getting the dirt off. Pat the potatoes dry with a towel and then rub the skins with olive oil.
Sprinkle the skins all over with salt, my preference is fine sea salt or kosher salt. Bake the potatoes on a sheet pan at 450° F. for 30 minutes and then flip them over and bake another 15-30 minutes depending on the size of them. When they’re done the skin should be crispy and a fork should be able to easily slide in and out of the flesh.
How to make broccoli cheddar chicken twice baked potatoes
Now that you know what potatoes to use for this recipe and the best way to bake them, let’s move on to the rest of the recipe. During the last 15 minutes of baking time for the potatoes, pull the sheet pan out of the oven and push the potatoes over to one side.
On the other side add the broccoli florets and drizzle them with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss them until they’re coated. Spread them into single layer and put the sheet pan back in the oven. The broccoli should be tender and have brown crispy edges when it’s ready.
Slice the baked potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh leaving a 1/4 inch border all the way around so the shells hold their shape. Put the potato flesh into a large bowl and add in the spices, salt, pepper, milk, Greek yogurt and half of the cheese. Mash everything together just as you would mashed potatoes.
You may find that you’ll need more milk and/or Greek yogurt to get the consistency you like. Be sure to taste the filling as you go to ensure it’s seasoned with enough salt. Potatoes need a lot of salt. Once the mashed potatoes taste the way you want them to, stir in the shredded chicken and roasted chopped broccoli.
Top with the remaining cheddar cheese and then put them back into the oven to bake for another 10 minutes or until the filling is heated through and the cheese is melted.
More Twice Baked Potato Recipes
cheesy chipotle lime twice baked sweet potatoes
bbq chicken twice baked sweet potatoes
Broccoli Cheddar and Chicken Twice Baked Potatoes
Twice baked potatoes stuffed with broccoli, chicken, and cheese are sure to please everyone in the family!
Ingredients
- 2 large russet potatoes
- 1 cup shredded chicken breasts
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup skim milk, more if needed
- 1/3 cup plain non fat Greek yogurt, more if needed
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450° F. and line a baking sheet with foil. Wash the potatoes, pat them dry and then pierce holes in them with a fork. Rub the potatoes with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place them on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 45 minutes, flipping them halfway through, then remove the pan from the oven.
- Push the potatoes to one side and add the broccoli to the other side. Drizzle the broccoli with olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss until coated and then spread out into a single layer. Put the sheet pan back in the oven and roast for another 15 minutes or until the broccoli is tender and crisp on the edges. If the potatoes still are tender, remove the broccoli and continue to roast the potatoes.
- Once baked, cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out the inside leaving a 1/4 inch border all the way around. Put the flesh of the potatoes into a large bowl along with the milk, Greek yogurt, spices, salt and pepper. Use a potato masher to mash the filling adding more milk, yogurt, salt and pepper as needed.
- When the potato filling is at your desired consistency, fold in the shredded chicken, 1/4 cup of cheese, and the chopped roasted broccoli. Taste for seasoning.
- Put the filling back into the potato skins and bake them in the oven for another 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the filling is heated through.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 333Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 204mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 6gSugar: 6gProtein: 24g
