Twice-baked potatoes are divine and you can stuff them with an endless variety of filling choices. However, they can take forever. And I just don’t got that kind of time around here. So here’s my weeknight fast version for cheesy chicken and broccoli twice-baked potatoes. You skip the first baking in the oven, which can take an hour or more. Instead, we use my 10-minute microwave baked potatoes. I promise they come out tender and fluffy every time. I’m a serious potato person and I wouldn’t mess around with this. (By the way, this is my favorite potato scrubber. It works great and holds up over time, which is perfect cause I use it A LOT!) Meanwhile, you prep your broccoli, chicken and cheese. Then you mix the filling ingredients together, stuff the potato shells and pop them in the oven to warm through and get the cheese all nice and melty-licious. Hello, all-in-one dinner! I think it’s fun to see how very full and how very high I can stuff each potato shell. I line my baking sheet so it’s no worries if something spills over (but I pack mine down so they never do. Don’t want to lose that delicious creamy filling!) Oh, and if you love the broccoli-cheese combo as much as we do in my house, check out these broccoli cheese stuffed chicken breasts for a delicious dinner! Just 6 ingredients and 10 minutes to prep! A few last tips on making these twice baked potatoes.
Ingredient Notes:
Cream cheese: You can use full-fat or reduced-fat cream cheese. Milk: Any milk will do, so skim or 2% are fine, as are soy or almond milk. Chicken: Using leftover rotisserie chicken or grilled or baked chicken is part of what makes this so easy and quick. If you don’t have any leftover chicken, you can poach a large chicken breast in a pot of boiling water for about 20 minutes, until cooked through. Or cut a large chicken breast into strips and sear those in a skillet for 8-10 minutes, until cooked through. Then proceed. Cheese: We love white cheddar cheese for these potatoes, but you could substitute some Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack or even some mozzarella for some or all of the cheddar if you prefer.
I’ve listed the servings here as 2 people, who each would get two halves of the stuffed potatoes. You can certainly stretch that to 4 people if you’ve got smaller appetites. Or you can easily double or triple the recipe and make more. Last thing, let me share a few make-ahead tips. You can prep these twice-baked potatoes ahead of time. Prepare as directed right up until putting them in the oven. Just cover and keep them in the refrigerator until ready to bake. Let the stuffed potatoes come to room temperature for 15-20 minutes (while you preheat the oven) and then bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is melted and the potatoes are warmed through. I hope you try these cheesy chicken and broccoli twice-baked potatoes soon. Enjoy! XO, Kathryn P.S. What’s your favorite stuffing for twice-baked potatoes? Cream cheese: You can use full-fat or reduced-fat cream cheese. Milk: Any milk will do, so skim or 2% are fine, as are soy or almond milk. Chicken: Using leftover rotisserie chicken or grilled or baked chicken or shredded chicken is part of what makes this so easy and quick. If you don’t have any cooked chicken, you can poach a large chicken breast in a pot of boiling water for about 20 minutes, until cooked through. Or cut a large chicken breast into strips and sear those in a skillet for 8-10 minutes, until cooked through. Then proceed. Cheese: We love white cheddar cheese for these potatoes, but you could substitute some Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack or even some mozzarella for some or all of the cheddar if you prefer. Make-ahead tips: You can prep these twice-baked potatoes ahead. Prepare as directed right up until putting them in the oven. Just cover and keep them in the refrigerator until ready to bake. Let them come to room temperature for 15-20 minutes (while you preheat the oven) and then bake at 400 for 12-18 until the cheese is melted and the potatoes are warmed through. Servings: This recipe is listed as 2 servings, where each person gets 2 potato halves. You can certainly stretch that to 4 servings if you have smaller appetites. Or you can easily double or triple the recipe to make more if needed.
