Ham Broccoli Cheese Twice Baked Potatoes
Baked potato shells stuffed with creamy, fluffy mashed potatoes, loaded with cheddar jack cheese, crisp tender broccoli and of course – ham! The ultimate side or main.
Twice baked, double baked, or stuffed potatoes, it doesn’t matter what you call them, these potatoes are one of my all time favorite sides, and when you load them with Hillshire Farm® Uncured Ham Steak, and broccoli, they transform from a beloved side to a potential main.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE HAM BROCCOLI AND CHEESE TWICE BAKED POTATOES
You are going to go nuts for these double baked potatoes, as they are absolutely loaded with your favorites, and taste so good. I love making them, and because they can be a side dish or a main, I often make up a batch to keep on hand in the freezer as a quick fix for busy nights.
Think of a standard twice baked potato, and then amp it up. These are loaded with broccoli, and chunks of Hillshire Farm Uncured Ham Steak, they are a complete meal inside a crispy potato skin. Yum!
So what do you need to make these potatoes?
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Russet Potatoes: While any potato *could* work for this recipe, trust me when I tell you a nice big Russet baker potato is your best bet. They hold up the best, give just the right amount of flavor, and have the perfect starch consistency to give you light, fluffy, and creamy!
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Ham: For these potatoes to really have some heft, and serve as a side or main, you want ham. But not just any ham will do. For this recipe I used Hillshire Farm Uncured Ham Steak, which I cut into chunks to stir into the filling. Here is why it is a good choice:
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First, it is easy to find. It is available at Walmart Grocery. So you can pick it up while getting everything else you need to make these stuffed potatoes.
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It is not loaded with junk. There are: no preservatives, and no nitrates/nitrites added*, and is made from pork raised with no added hormones.
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*Except those nitrates naturally occurring in celery powder and sea salt.
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Product of U.S.A
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It is extra lean, but a good source of protein, with 15g of protein per serving.
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Broccoli: Oh how I love this addition, it adds flavor, a little crunch, and the green makes this all a little more wholesome. The perfect addition, but it needs to be cooked right. Cook too long and it gets mushy and blends in with the potatoes, not long enough and it is too crunchy. I like to simply chop it up and microwave it with a little water so it is crisp tender, then mix it into the filling and finish baking the potatoes, allowing it to cook a little more. Perfection!
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Cheese: I used a cheddar jack blend, and it gives it just the right amount of sharpness and flavor!
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The Rest:
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Salt and Pepper: Enhances flavor. Adjust to your liking. I used LARGE potatoes, so the amount of salt was perfect, but if your potatoes are small, adjust the salt down to get the right flavor.
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Ground Mustard: A little trick, adding the ground mustard helps the cheddar flavors stand out more, but this can be removed if you have an allergy.
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Paprika: A little goes a long way.
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Butter: Salted or unsalted is fine, just taste the potatoes, and adjust the seasoning to your preference prior to re-stuffing the potatoes.
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Cream Cheese: You can replace this with sour cream, or even a little heavy cream if you want, but I like the added creaminess you get from the cream cheese.
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Twice Baked Potatoes are as easy to make as they are delicious! They are an ideal comfort food, and this recipe is very simple. Everything you need for it is easy to find, and it comes together quickly.
Because the potatoes take some time to bake, I like to prepare the twice baked potatoes ahead, and refrigerate them before the second bake. Then, I can simply pop them in the oven 30 minutes or so before dinner for perfectly hot and delicious potatoes.
They also freeze really well, making them a great make-ahead option.
HOW TO MAKE TWICE BAKED POTATOES
It is easy to make these yummy twice baked potatoes, and if you make them ahead, you only need about 30 minutes of time to pop these stuffed potatoes in the oven while preparing the rest of your meal. So depending on what mealtime looks like for you, you can make these ahead, or not. Here is how:
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Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
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Prep Potatoes: Scrub your potatoes clean and pat them dry. Then pierce them with a fork a few times on each side. Brush with olive oil, and sprinkle with course salt. Place evenly spaced on a baking sheet.
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Bake: Place potatoes in preheated oven and bake 60-90 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes. Cook until fully cooked through and soft. To check doneness, give them a squeeze, if soft when squeezing, they are done.
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Cool: Remove potatoes from oven and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Let potatoes cool until you can handle them without burning your hands.
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Scoop out Insides of Potatoes: Slice potatoes into halves horizontally. Use a large spoon to scoop potato flesh out of the potato and into a large mixing bowl. Leave a border of potato intact to create a little boat or shell in which to add the stuffing. Half a centimeter is about all you need. Transfer empty potato peels back onto the baking sheet, arranging them so they are spaced evenly.
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Add Extras and Mash: Add butter, cream cheese, cheese, and seasonings to your potatoes, and use the paddle attachment or a potato masher to mash the potatoes until nice and smooth. If they are too dry, you can add a little milk, half and half, or cream.
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Prepare Broccoli: Chop your broccoli into florets, and place in a microwave safe bowl, add about 1/2 cup of water to the bottom of the bowl, and microwave on high for about 2 minutes. Remove broccoli from microwave, drain, then rough chop to make pieces smaller. Broccoli should be just slightly cooked and tender, and will finish cooking during second bake.
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Prepare Hillshire Farm Uncured Ham Steak: Remove the ham steak from the packaging, and dice into small pieces.
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Combine and Stuff: Stir the broccoli and ham into the potato mixture until evenly distributed. Then Scoop mixture into potato peels, evenly distributing it between the peels. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar jack cheese.
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Bake to Heat Through and Melt Cheese: Bake in preheated oven until cheese has melted and potatoes are heated through and broccoli is crisp tender, about 20 minutes. Garnish with fresh cracked pepper and green onions and serve warm.
TIPS FOR PERFECT TWICE BAKED POTATOES
- Use Russet or baking potatoes for the best structure and flavor.
- Mash your potatoes while the potatoes are hot. You can refrigerate them after to save for later, but you will get the best results mashing them if they are warm/hot when you do so.
- Mixing potatoes too much can cause them to get gummy, so mash/mix only until done, keep an eye on it.
- Line your baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper for easy clean up.
- Add extra liquid if needed, however the butter and cream cheese should be enough, but every potato is different, so don’t be afraid to adjust.
- Refrigerate or freeze after re-stuffing the potatoes, but before the second bake.
HOW TO PREP AHEAD
- Order everything you need from Walmart Grocery.
- Prep according to directions, but once your potato skins are stuffed, either freeze or refrigerate for later use.
To Freeze:
- Freeze individually on a baking sheet.
- Once potatoes are frozen solid, remove from baking sheet to a zip topped bag.
- When ready to bake, defrost fully then bake, or add 15-20 minutes to the baking time.
To Refrigerate:
- Put in an airtight container or cover well.
- Refrigerate until ready to use (stays good up to 4 days)
- Uncover and bake as normal.
Serve With:
- Roasted Chicken Thighs
- Chimichurri + Charcoal Cooked Ribeye Steaks
- Chocolate Cake (Classic)
- Blackberry Lime Punch
Broccoli Ham Cheese Twice Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
- 6 large Baker Potatoes
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- Salt
Filling
- 4 ounces Cream Cheese
- 6 ounces Salted Butter
- 1 cup Cheddar Jack Cheese
- 1/2 Tablespoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon Paprika
- 2 cups Broccoli
- 1 Hillshire Farm Uncured Ham Steak about 3/4 lb
Topping
- 1 cup Cheddar Jack Cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Wash potatoes, and brush with olive oil, and season with salt, and place on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 1- 1 1/2 hours, until baked through and tender. Depending on size of the potatoes.
- Remove potatoes from oven, but leave oven on, turn down to 350 degrees F.
- Let potatoes cool for 15-30 minutes, until cool enough to handle.
- Meanwhile, chop broccoli into florets, and place in a glass bowl with 1/2 cup of water, and microwave on high for 2 minutes, until tender, then chop into smaller pieces.
- Open Hillshire Farm Uncured Ham Steak, and cut into even sized cubes.
- When potatoes are cool, use a large knife to cut the potatoes in half horizontally.
- Use a large spoon to scoop out the center, and put potato into a large mixing bowl. Leave a little bit of potato in the skin, so it creates a boat for the filling.
- Once all of the potatoes have been scooped out, place skins on the baking sheet.
- Add butter, 1 cup cheddar jack cheese, cream cheese, salt, pepper, ground mustard, and paprika to the bowl with the potatoes.
- Use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, and mix until combined and creamy.
- Remove mixing bowl from stand mixer.
- Stir the Hillshire Farm Uncured Ham Steak cubes, and broccoli into the potato mixture.
- Evenly divide the mixture between all of the potato skins.
- Top skins with shredded cheddar jack cheese.
- Put the potatoes into the oven and bake for an additional 20 minutes until filling is heated through, and cheese is melted.
- Garnish with fresh cracked pepper and chives or green onions.
Nutrition
Our recipe card software calculates these nutrition facts based on averages for the above ingredients, different brands, and quality of produce/meats may have different nutritional information, always calculate your own based on the specific products you use in order to achieve accurate macros for this recipe.
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Johna says
These required a just little bit of work compared to my usual meals (I’m an admittedly lazy cook), but they were so worth it! I always love dishes that are delicious AND economical, and this definitely fit the bill. My husband raved about them. Thanks for the recipe!