Loaded Baked Potatoes with Mozzarella, Broccoli and Bacon

Extra stuffed cheesy baked potatoes with a broccoli and crispy bacon pieces

Fluffy and cheesy, these baked potatoes are an easy and quick, cozy and delicious dinner that once you try it, I'm sure it's going to become a staple at your table too!

For this recipe, I use my brand NEW Toshiba 4-in-1 microwave oven which makes the job fun, fast and yummy. This high-quality, feature-packed oven is way more than a simple microwave. It can air fry (my favorite!), grill, bake, AND a combination cooking where microwave is used together with convection or grill power to speed up your cooking significantly maintaining the roasting and browning qualities of a regular oven. And let's not forget, this Magical Oven (yup, that's my name for it now!) has  25 auto menus that take care of  most of daily cooking needs (10 air fry, 4 low temperature and 11 microwave menus).  AND it features an energy-saving Eco Mode, to minimize standby power. Pretty magical, wouldn't you agree?!? You can find out more about this and other Toshiba ovens here.

Now, let's talk potatoes for a minute. There's an unlimited number of options when it comes to topping and stuffing your baked potatoes. Your imagination (and technically what's in your fridge) is the only limit. Today I use steam broccoli and mozzarella cheese. Some crispy bacon on top and a spoonful of sour cream on the side.  

Here is a little trick to guarantee that every single bite of this potato is as cheesy and as tasty as any other bite: once the potato is cooked, scoop out the center part, mashed it roughly with a dollop of butter, a sprinkle of cheese, and some steamed broccoli. Spoon it back into the potato skin. Top with more cheese and give it another few minutes in the oven. Then, and only then, top it with  a little (or a lot ... your choice!) perfectly crispy bacon pieces and some sour cream on the side. If you ask me, this is what a potato-dream looks like!

Note: when making more than one potato at a time, make sure to select potatoes that are about the same size so they will cook at the same rate. And don't forget to poke holes on all sides of the potatoes before microwaving (or BOOM!), and brush the outer skin with oil and salt for a crispier and tastier result.  Ready to try it too?!?

INGREDIENTS:

YIELD: 4 servings

1. • 4 large baking potatoes
   • 1 tablespoon olive oil
   • 2 tablespoons butter
   • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (or your favorite cheese)
   • 1 broccoli head, steamed
   • salt and pepper to taste
   • 4 thick slices bacon, grilled and cut in pieces 
   • 4 tablespoons sour cream 

PREPARATION:

Scrub the potatoes thoroughly and pat dry. Prick the potatoes with a fork in several spots. 

Rub with olive oil and season with salt. Place in a microwave/oven safe plate and microwave at full power (P100) for 8 to 10 minutes (depending on the size of the potatoes), until a fork can easily be inserted into the center. 

Cut a slit in top of each potatoes and carefully scoop out flesh from the center and place into a bowl. Mesh with a fork and season with salt and pepper. Add the butter, most of the cheese and broccoli and mix.

Spoon the filling back into the potatoes. Top with the remaining cheese and cook in the oven using  combination C-1 for about 6 minutes or until the cheese is melted, and the skin is a little crispy. 

Top with bacon pieces and serve with sour cream.