This broccoli cheese baked potato has the crispy skin, melty cheddar, and bacon of a loaded baked potato, and it’s still only 393 calories with 22 grams of protein. Cottage cheese (stay with me!!) gets stirred right into the fluffy potato, so the inside is creamy and cheesy before you add a single topping. I use the same trick in my healthy scalloped potatoes and it’s soooo effective for a delicious recipe that gets added protein. Drizzle it with my herb yogurt dressing and you have a simple dinner that makes hitting your macros easy.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: Broccoli Cheese Baked Potato
- Serves: 1 stuffed potato
- Calories: 393 cal
- Protein: 22.2g
- Fat: 8.6g
- Carbs: 56.6g
- Why You'll Love It: This broccoli cheese baked potato has the crispy skin, melty cheddar, and bacon of a loaded baked potato, and it's still only 393 calories with 22 grams of protein. The perfect easy macro-friendly dinner!
A High Protein Baked Potato With Broccoli and Cheese
This is my kind of easy dinner! While your potato bakes, the oven does all the work, and then it’s just fluffing, stirring in the cottage cheese, and piling on the broccoli and bacon. A baked potato with broccoli and cheese is pure comfort food, and this high protein baked potato keeps it macro-friendly. Top it with any sauce you have prepped, or add more protein if you want it!
Before You Start: My Top Tips for Broccoli Cheese Baked Potatoes
- Start the potato first. It takes 45 to 60 minutes to bake, so get it in the oven before you touch anything else.
- Grab a 250g russet. That’s the size this recipe is built around. A bigger potato may need the full hour.
- Line your baking sheet with parchment and poke a few holes in the potato with a fork before it goes in.
- Buy steamable broccoli bags. I like to get the steamable bags of fresh florets and pop them in the microwave – super easy.
- Make your sauce. Prep one while the potato bakes so it’s ready to drizzle when the potato comes out. There are a few ideas in the sauce section below.
- Get your broiler or air fryer ready. You’ll use it for a couple of minutes at the end to melt the cheddar.
What You’ll Need for Broccoli Cheese Baked Potatoes
- Russet potato: One 250g potato.
- Broccoli: ½ cup steamed florets (60g).
- Low fat cottage cheese: ¼ cup (55g). This is what makes the inside creamy!
- Cheddar cheese: 2 Tbsp grated (14g).
- Bacon: 1 cooked piece (~10g)
You’ll also need salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. The full list is in the recipe card below ⬇️
How to Make a Baked Potato With Broccoli and Cheese
1. Bake the potato. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Wash and dry the potato and place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Poke a few holes in it with a fork. Spray with a light mist of oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until the potato is fork-tender and the skin is crisp.
2. Steam the broccoli. Steam it according to the package directions.
3. Fluff the inside. Slice the potato open and carefully fluff up the insides, scooping the potato away from the skin. Add the cottage cheese, salt, garlic powder, and pepper and mix it all in well. You can also scoop the insides into a bowl and stir everything together there, then return it to the skin.
4. Melt the cheese. Top with the grated cheddar and pop it in the broiler or air fryer for a couple of minutes, until melted.
5. Stuff and top. Add the chopped steamed broccoli and the bacon. Want more protein? This is the time to add it. Sliced baked yogurt and herb chicken breasts go well on top.
Cottage Cheese on a Baked Potato
Yes, you can put cottage cheese on a baked potato, and in this recipe it goes right into the fluffy inside. It makes the potato creamy and cheesy, and it adds protein. Stir it in with the salt, garlic powder, and pepper before you add the toppings.
What to Put on a Stuffed Baked Potato
I also highly recommend drizzling it with any yummy sauce you have prepped. My herb yogurt dressing is fresh and tangy, and my two ingredient skinny chipotle sour cream adds a smoky kick. My creamy chimichurri is herby and garlicky, and tzatziki keeps things cool and creamy. If you’re going dairy free, try my dairy-free green sauce. If you don’t have any sauces prepped, I love a dollop of Greek yogurt on top, and/or some hot sauce or salsa!
Broccoli Cheese Baked Potato FAQs
How long do you bake a potato at 425°F?
Bake it for 45 to 60 minutes, until it’s fork-tender and the skin is crisp. Poke a few holes with a fork first, then spray lightly with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. A bigger potato than the 250g one in this recipe may need the full hour.
Can you put cottage cheese on a baked potato?
Yes. In this recipe it’s stirred into the fluffy inside, which makes it creamy and cheesy and adds protein.
Is this a high protein baked potato?
It has 22.2g of protein per potato, thanks to the cottage cheese, cheddar, and bacon.
Can I make this dairy free?
Yes, and it’s naturally gluten free too. Swap the cottage cheese for dairy-free ricotta or dairy-free yogurt, and skip the cheddar or use a dairy-free version.
How do I add more protein?
Honestly, add whatever you have on hand. Sliced baked yogurt and herb chicken breasts are an easy one, and so are chopped herby Mediterranean grilled chicken tenderloins. For something heartier, top it with sliced balsamic grilled flank steak or Cuban grilled pork tenderloin. Any of them turns this potato into an even bigger high protein baked potato.
If you tried this broccoli cheese baked potato, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below! It helps others find my blog and hear what real people have to say about it!
Broccoli Cheese Baked Potato
Ingredients
- 1 russet potato 250g
- ½ cup broccoli florets steamed (60g)
- ¼ cup low fat cottage cheese 55g
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
- 2 Tbsp cheddar cheese grated (14g)
- 1 piece of bacon cooked (10g)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425.
- Wash and dry your potato and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Use a fork to poke a few holes into the potatoes.
- Spray with a light mist of oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until the potato is fork-tender and the skin is crisp.
- Steam your broccoli according to package directions. I like to buy steamable bags of fresh florets to just pop in the microwave.
- Slice the potatoes open and carefully fluff up the insides, carefully scooping the potato from the skins.
- Add cottage cheese, salt, garlic, and pepper and incorporate it all well into the potato, you can even remove the insides and stir this all together in a bowl if you prefer, before returning it to the skins.
- Top with grated cheese and pop in the broiler or air fryer for a couple of minutes to melt.
- Stuff with chopped steamed broccoli, bacon (and any protein if you’re adding and logging!). I also highly recommend drizzling with any yummy sauce you have prepped like herbed yogurt, chipotle cream, tzatziki, or even one of our homemade green sauces. If you don’t have any sauces, I love a dollop of Greek yogurt on top, and/or some hot sauce or salsa!
Notes
Nutrition
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