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Unless you live your life better than I do (maybe!), I bet it’s been a very long time since you last had a baked potato for dinner – or, as it’s fondly called across the pond, a “jacket potato.” And it is a crime because they are soft and not easy to make, we can fix this right now.
While no one at my table needs to be told about the usual ingredients — butter, cheddar, sour cream, bacon bits, and chives (it’s not good without green confetti everywhere) — I’ve been plagued by that painful, groaning problem where I need every meal to have a solid vegetable portion. Over the years, I have tried to prepare baked potatoes ragú, baked cauliflower cheese (with Smitten Kitchen Keepers), twice baked potatoes with kale, and even green baked potato soup is included. But nothing, nothing came close to the oval-shaped success of the bite-size pieces of broccoli and bacon that were roasted together until both salty and crispy. You put them in the oven during the baking time of the potatoes and, I hope, applaud yourself for the economy and ease with which you took out dinner tonight.
Now that dinner is sorted, I have a rule to share, which I’ve carefully considered for multiple serious bites of baked potatoes,
One True Order of Loaded Baked Potatoes:
- Step 1: Baked potato, pressed and opened so that the soft center is visible.
- Step 2: A pat or two of butter will melt on contact.
- Step 3: Salt and pepper. “Season as you go!” as the chefs say.
- Step 4: The cheddar cheese, – which I do not rule – must be the orange type. It, too, will dissolve soon after contact.
- Step 4: Any crispy parts, such as bacon and, here, broccoli. They’ll take a nap in a cheddar cheese hammock, just like we all would.
- Step 5: Sour cream doll, Breakstone’s or bust.
- Step 6: Season with salt and pepper and grate cheese all over. In fact, if we don’t sweep the floor, we probably didn’t do it right.
- Step 7: If you are my children and I have stopped to give up the manners of the table (one night!) at a time when the potato is mostly removed from this coating, a second layer will be added, a thin layer of toppings, the pressed potatoes are closed, and eaten like a taco.
Video
Baked Potatoes with Crispy Broccoli and Bacon
- 4 (about 8 ounces or 225 grams each) russet potatoes, peeled
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound (455 grams) fresh broccoli, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 4 ounces (115 grams) bacon (about 4 slices), chopped
- Butter
- Sharp, grated orange cheddar
- Sour cream
- Minced fresh chives
To finish
Meanwhile, roast the broccoli and bacon: Toss the broccoli with a few tablespoons of olive oil (to lightly coat it as there will also be bacon fat to season it), salt, and freshly ground black pepper on a medium baking sheet. Add the chopped bacon, and toss to distribute throughout the pan. 15 minutes into the baking time of the potatoes, add this pan to your oven. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes or until the bacon is hot and the broccoli is almost charred, turning the pieces and turning them once or twice during grilling for even cooking.
Your potatoes can be done in the same amount of time or they may need 15 minutes longer.
Serving: I find that the potato opens up better when I poke it once or twice down the middle with a fork. Use towel- or jar-covered hands to press the ends of the potato to open it, then roll it back to make more room to add the toppings. Top each potato with butter, salt and pepper, cheddar, a bunch of roasted broccoli and bacon, sour cream, cheese, and more salt and pepper. Eat it right away.
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