Roasted Broccoli and White Cheddar Twice-Baked Potatoes (Gluten-Free)

'Sweatpants are all that fits me right now'....

Oh, how I can relate to the single moment of vulnerability displayed by Regina George in Mean Girls, except, in my case, it's yoga pants.

Up for a little baby talk?

As of Monday, I will be exactly four weeks away from my due date of June 8th...eeeep!

Having already done this twice (and naturally, at that), you'd think I'd be a bit more serene this time around, but nope, not this girl.

With both of my girls, my belly stayed fairly small and manageable, but this boy has overtaken me! He literally has no where else to grow, and I'm just itching to get him out...

Belly selfie!

While pregnancy is typically thought of by many to be a time of indulging, relaxing, and feel-good hormones, my personal opinion is that breastfeeding is where it's at!

Breastfeeding burns tons of calories, allowing you to both eat more and reduce that oh-so-attractive post-baby uterine bump that much faster, all the while giving someone with typically small...ahem, sweater stretchers...the opportunity to experience life a bit more...'full'. 😀

As I anxiously await the arrival of my bouncing baby boy, I am forced to down smaller meals throughout a day in order to prevent the delightful heartburn and indigestion associated with these final weeks. Generally, this has limited my animal protein (i.e. beef and chicken) as neither are going down well, so meals like these baked potatoes have been a much more frequent part of my diet.

I absolutely love these potatoes!...and really, potatoes in general. Despite their popular and trendy sweet counterpart, I enjoy the more savory forms, including red and russet, the best!

My husband and I have been enjoying this recipe recently for lunch, and it really energizes me for the remainder of the day (something I'm in need of at this point!).

To bump up fiber and nutrition, I've added in some roasted broccoli, which really pairs well with the other flavors.

Though baked potatoes are typically loaded with ingredients like butter and sour cream, I've always enjoyed mine with a few splashes of Italian dressing (I like to use my Lemon Oregano Vinaigrette for these), so I incorporated that into this recipe (if you've never tried them that way, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!).

A small handful of raw white cheddar cheese and a dash of scallions finish the dish and bring everything together for a wonderful side or light meal.

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Roasted Broccoli and White Cheddar Twice-Baked Potatoes

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time1 hr

Total Time1 hr 10 mins

Servings: 4 halves

Calories: 228kcal

Author: Lauren Goslin

Ingredients

• 2 russet potatoes washed and dried
• olive oil for rubbing on the potatoes
• 2 heaping c. broccoli florets, chopped into bite-size pieces
• 1 T. coconut oil
• ¼ t. garlic powder
• 2 T. your favorite Italian dressing or see link to my Lemon Oregano Vinaigrette, which is what I use
• ¾ c. white cheddar cheese or your favorite variety
• 2 scallions chopped (both light and dark green parts)
• salt and pepper as desired

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Liberally rub the outside of the clean potatoes with olive oil (this is what creates that crisp crust!) and a bit of salt for flavor.
• Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for one hour.
• Toss the broccoli florets with the coconut oil and some salt and pepper and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet (separate from the potatoes).
• During the last 20 minutes of bake time for the potatoes, put the broccoli into the oven.
• At the end of the baking time, remove both pans and let them cool a bit.
• Slice the potatoes down the middle, lengthwise, and remove the filling. Be sure the leave enough in the shell that it holds together.
• Mash the potato flesh with sprinkles of salt and pepper, garlic powder, Italian dressing, and 1/2 cup cheddar cheese.
• Stir in the roasted broccoli.
• Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
• Fill the potato shells with the cheesy broccoli filling, distributing it evenly among the four halves.
• Using the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese, top each potato with one tablespoon.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is melted.
• Sprinkle with the scallions and enjoy!

Notes

Nutrition facts based on using a general Italian dressing and NO olive oil for rubbing, as this is subjective. WW points (new system): 6

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Sodium: 156mg | Sugar: 2.9g | Fiber: 4g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Calories: 228kcal | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 7.8g | Fat: 12.8g | Protein: 8.5g | Carbohydrates: 21.5g

Notes:

Again, I use this Lemon Oregano Vinaigrette for the 'Italian dressing', but you can use what you like.

My husband and I like to finish these off with a dollop of non-fat yogurt for a healthier sour cream taste. 🙂

What is your favorite light meal?