Cheesy Broccoli and Potatoes

Truth be told, cheesy broccoli and potatoes are not much of a recipe, I guess you could say it’s a suggestion.  I had leftover nacho cheese sauce and an idea of putting it on potatoes with broccoli and some leftover chickpeas for a simple meal.  It was a hit with the family so I wanted to share it.  The time may look daunting but most of the time it’s a hands-off recipe (except for making the cheese) since the potatoes and broccoli get roasted in the oven.  For an easier weeknight meal, make the cheese in advance.  If you freeze any leftover cheese it looks a bit grainy when defrosted, but once it gets heated back up the cheese comes back together.  

Roast, sauté, or steam your broccoli.  I prefer to roast it.  I love the flavor it gives the cruciferous vegetable and it’s hands-off.  Roasting caramelizes the natural sugars found in vegetables, creating more depth of flavor.  

How to Roast Broccoli

Preheat the oven to 425 F (220 C) and trim the broccoli into bite-size florets.  Then spread them out (don’t crowd them) on a baking tray and roast for about 20 minutes.  When the broccoli is done, it’ll be soft and the tips will start to brown.  The majority of the flavor for this recipe is coming from the cheese sauce, so there’s no need to season the broccoli.  It will be covered in cheese!

How to Bake a Potato

Preheat the oven to 425 F (220 C).  Scrub the potatoes to remove any dirt, then poke a couple of holes on each side of the potato with a fork.  Depending on the size and type of your potatoes, it will take 45-60 minutes.  Turn them over halfway through.  Check for doneness by piercing them with a fork, the insides should be soft when pierced and have little resistance.

How to Microwave a Potato

Short on time?  Microwave your potatoes instead.  Scrub the potatoes then poke a couple of holes on each side of the potato.  Use a microwave-safe plate or Potato Express (a pouch made for cooking potatoes in the microwave).  The pouch cuts a couple of minutes off the cooking time and the potato mess stays in the pouch.  Only microwave one to two large potatoes at a time for 4 minutes, then flip them over, microwave for another 4 minutes, then two-minute increments until done. Large potatoes may take 10 minutes to cook.  They’re done when soft and pierced with a fork it has little resistance.  

I hope you enjoy this easy and filling recipe for cheesy broccoli and potatoes! Love broccoli, potatoes, and cheese? Try Vegan Cheesy Broccoli Hash Brown Casserole.

More Easy Weeknight Meals

• Easy Lentil Soup
• Weeknight Pasta
• Vegetable Fried Rice
• Potato Curry

Cheesy Broccoli Potatoes

---

• Author: Allie
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 60 minutes
• Total Time: 60 minutes
• Yield: 4 very large potatoes 1x
• Diet: Vegan

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

Large roasted potatoes smothered and covered in a vegan nacho cheese broccoli sauce with chickpeas to amp up the nutrition.

---

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 recipe for nacho cheese
• 14 ounces broccoli florets
• 4 large Russet potatoes (scrubbed clean)
• 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas (drained and rinsed)

Nacho Cheese recipe

• 1 medium potato (peeled and cubed)
• 1 large carrot (peeled and cubed)
• ½ cup raw cashews (soaked overnight if you don't have a high-speed blender)
• 1 cup unsweetened plant-based milk
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 6-8 pickled jalapeños

---

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F (220 C).
2. Scrub the potatoes then poke them many times with a fork on all sides.
3. For large Russet potatoes roast for 60 minutes or until their insides are soft when pierced with a fork.
4. When the potatoes have about 20 minutes left, roast the broccoli at 425 F (220 C) for 20 minutes.
5. While the broccoli is roasting make the cheese sauce.
6. Boil the potato and carrot (for the sauce) for 10 minutes or until soft.
7. Drain the cashews then add them with the cooked potato and carrot and the rest of the cheese sauce ingredients into a blender, and blend until smooth.
8. Warm up the cheese sauce with the chickpeas in a pot on the stove, keep warm until ready to serve.
9. When the broccoli is done, rough chop it and add to the cheese sauce.
10. Cut open the cooked potatoes, fluff the insides with a fork, then cover in cheese sauce.

Equipment

potato express

Buy Now →

Notes

Use 5 or 6 large potatoes if you don't want your potatoes smothered in cheese sauce.

• Category: Main Course
• Method: Baked
• Cuisine: American

Keywords: How to make cheesy broccoli potatoes