Baked Potato with Crispy Broccoli and Bacon – smitten Kitchen
Unless you’re living your life better than I am (probably!), it’s been too long since you last had a baked potato for dinner. Across the pond, they are more appealingly called “jacket potatoes.” This is a crime because it’s so cozy and easy to make. You can fix this now.
While no one at my table has to explain the usual toppings like butter, cheddar cheese, sour cream, bacon bits, and chives (it’s weird not having green confetti everywhere), I’ve been plagued with the pesky growling problem of wanting a solid vegetable component at every meal as well. Over the years, I’ve tried solutions like baked potatoes with mushroom ragu, baked potatoes with cauliflower cheese (at Smitten Kitchen Keepers), twice-baked potatoes with kale, and even baked potato soup with mixed vegetables. But none of them came close to the standing ovation-level success of sauteing bite-sized pieces of broccoli and bacon until salty and crispy. I wish I could put the potatoes in the oven halfway through baking time and give myself credit for making tonight’s dinner a breeze.
Now that dinner is ready, I would like to share my carefully considered conclusions over many baked potato bites.
The only correct order to put baked potatoes in:
Step 1: Press the baked potato down so it opens up and reveals the fluffy center. Step 2: Apply one or two generous coats of butter so that it melts from the fluff when you touch it. Step 3: Season with salt and pepper. “Season it to your liking!” Just as the chef said. Step 4: The cheddar cheese has to be orange in color, although I’m not setting any rules. It also melts immediately upon contact. Step 4: Add crunchy ingredients like bacon or broccoli. As we wish, they nap in a hammock of melted cheddar cheese. Step 5: A little sour cream, Breakstone, or Bast. Step 6: Finally, sprinkle with salt and pepper and sprinkle chopped chives everywhere. Honestly, if we’re not cleaning the floor, we probably weren’t doing it right. Step 7: If you’re my kid and I’ve pretty much given up on table manners (some nights!), once the potatoes are mostly free of these toppings, I’ll add a second, smaller layer of toppings, press the potatoes closed, and eat them like tacos.
Baked potato with crispy broccoli and bacon
Meanwhile, roast the broccoli and bacon. On a medium to medium-sized baking sheet, toss the broccoli with 2 tablespoons of olive oil (you’ll also be adding bacon fat for flavor, so just coat it lightly), salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Add the diced bacon and stir until it is distributed throughout the pan. After 15 minutes of baking time for the potatoes, put this bread in the oven. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes total, or until bacon is crispy and broccoli is mostly charred. Turn or move them once or twice during roasting to ensure even cooking.
The potatoes may be done at the same time or may take up to an additional 15 minutes.
To serve: Prick the potatoes once or twice in the middle with a fork to find they open better in the desired position. With a hand covered with a towel or potholder, push open the edges of the potatoes and pull back to allow enough room to add toppings. Add butter, salt, pepper, cheddar cheese, roasted broccoli and 1 tablespoon of bacon, sour cream, chives, and more salt and pepper to each potato. Eat immediately.
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