Roasted Cauliflower Broccoli Stuffed Potatoes with Cheesy Butternut Sauce.
Whyyyy do I do this.
Just when I’m really getting in the groove of eating vegetables by themselves, without covered in something fabulous, probably how they should be, I throw it back and cover them in CHEESE SAUCE.
But at least it’s adult cheese sauce. And by adult cheese sauce I don’t mean vodka cheese sauce, though that doesn’t sound terrible. (does it? whomp.)
I mean butternut cheese sauce! Technically, I put another vegetable inside of my cheese sauce so I’m eating vegetables on vegetables.
In other words, brilliance?
Potatoes were my absolute FAVORITE food when I was growing up. Favorite, I tell ya. If you asked me what my favorite food was, I’d say scalloped potatoes, baked potatoes, mashed potatoes – even my mom’s cheesy potato chip topped potato casserole. POTATOES gave me all the feels.
It was a rare occasion that we ate fast food when I was a kid, but my brothers and I were desperately obsessed with the idea of happy meals. Apparently I have always been a marketer’s dream?
We had fast food maaaaybe if my mom was going out with her card club friends (who never play cards) or if my grandpa took us after school one day, but it was only a handful of times a year. I obviously see the good in that NOW, but back then it was a special kind of torture.
There was a hot minute when I had the biggest fascination with the Wendy’s baked potatoes. Do they even still have them? After dance class I would beg my mom to get me a broccoli cheese potato, but I’d remove all of the broccoli because it was broccoli. And I’d just eat the cheesy potato.
I was the worst.
But I figured out the solution. They should have been ROASTING(!!) their broccoli. Because then I probably would have eaten it.
Obviously.
Let’s talk about the sauce. Cheesy and melty, made with butternut squash and actual cheese. I’ve done this before in butternut mac and cheese recipes. But I know that most butternut cheese sauces you can find on the good old internets are vegan versions made with nutritional yeast. I will be the first to say how much I LOVE nutritional yeast – it really is super cheesy and is the only thing I put on my kale chips. However.
I was sold on making cheese sauce with freshly grated cheese. And my favorite squash. It’s been a minute since I’ve made anything with squash (typical after a full blow obsession, as usual. obsessed > forget about for four months > repeat.) and it’s still so abundant in my grocery store that I should be taking advantage.
So I am!
Over the years I have detailed my love for meatless meals when Eddie is away. Three years ago those meatless meals were very much centered on wine and cheese but today, it’s not just me that I have to feed.
With that, I’m absolutely wacky over this meal. I had one of these potatoes with my favorite house salad for dinner a few nights last week and it was so satisfying – not to mention incredible comfort food. And it was so much better than the drive thru potato my highlights-reading, tap-dancing twelve year old self wanted back in the day. Super glad I discovered that now.
Roasted Cauliflower Broccoli Stuffed Potatoes with Cheesy Butternut Sauce
Ingredients
- 6 yukon gold or butter potatoes
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 cups cauliflower florets
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced
cheesy butternut sauce
- 2 cups cubed butternut squash
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 12 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated
- 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Poke holes in all of the potatoes with a fork. Brush the potatoes with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Place them on a baking sheet.
- On another baking sheet, place the cauliflower and broccoli. Toss it with the remaining olive oil, salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the garlic powder.
- Roast both the potatoes and the veggies for about 20 to 25 minutes. Check the veggies – they might be done (totally depends on how roasted you like yours. I like mine VERY roasted.) Roast the potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes more, until fork tender.
- Remove the potatoes and cut them down the center. To serve, spoon some of the cheese sauce into the potato, then top with the cauliflower and broccoli. Pour more of the cheese sauce on top and sprinkle with scallions. Top with some freshly cracked black pepper or crushed red pepper. Serve immediately.
cheesy butternut sauce
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the squash cubes. Add 1/4 cup of water, cover the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until the squash is fork tender and soft enough to be pureed. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Transfer it to a blender or a food processor, add the garlic and blend until totally smooth.
- Heat a saucepan over medium heat and add the milk. Cook until the milk is warm and bubbles appear around the edges, then whisk in the pureed squash. Heat again until warm, just a few minutes. Toss the grated cheese with the cornstarch until the cheese shreds are coated. Reduce the heat until the milk to low add in small handfuls of cheese, stirring until completely melted. Repeat with remaining cheese. Have patience! Stir in very small amounts of cheese slowly so it melts evenly and doesn’t get gritty and separate. If it does become too thick, whisk in a few teaspoons of milk.
Did you make this recipe?
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I appreciate you so much!
Bacon next time. For sure.
32 Comments on “Roasted Cauliflower Broccoli Stuffed Potatoes with Cheesy Butternut Sauce.”
yum! my kind of meal
It was refreshing to read your perspective about vegan ‘cheeze’/nutritional yeast. These look amazing. I would love it if you would share a vegan cheese sauce recipe someday – I’m sure you could create a really amazing one!!
I would love this too! There are quite a few of us who do not or cannot do dairy.
This is right up our alley! We also once made a cheesy butternut béchamel for a lasagna and it was so so good.. I can totally imagine this cheese sauce being so great with those veggies. Love this idea!
Now your talking. Looks so yummy and warm….. it’s like a hug on a baked potato.
Oh I have yet to make a butternut/cheese sauce. But I think this recipe is convincing me. Looks and sounds amazing! Love those little crispy ends on the broccoli! Have a great weekend!
Oh wow. Love this. Looks so delicious! And that cheese sauce would be even better poured over French fries and sprinkled with bacon. haha
OMG. Every time I want food inspiration I open your website thinking, “She makes amazing food. She must be out of ideas by now. But I will check anyway.” But nope! I love this! Keep doing what you are doing!
Yummm!
These. look. amazing. Just when I thought there was nothing new to do with roasted cauliflower. Although even that’s not entirely true – I had it out this week with roasted grapes, capers, and mint and it was AMAZING! Grapes were unexpected but delicious. I feel like you’re in my head this week – every recipe you’ve posted has been something I’ve been wanting (those zoodles!!) – my Pinterest boards are all you! But I guess that makes sense because you’re the person whose recipes I consistently make…and remake. Again and again. Can’t stop.
Roasted broccoli is my favourite – I’m so addicted to it. I also like my veggies to be very roasted. The crispier the better!
this is undoubtedly my favorite way to enjoy a baked potato – loaded with roasted with veg, and then topped with more than appropriate amounts of melted cheese. awesome ow-maintenance weekend food!
WOW, these look INSANELY good!! That cheesy butternut sauce is making me drool, and now I am just hungry for this!
Can a recipe be more perfect? x
http://jessicawoods.fr
That first picture of the plain baked potatoes makes me want one so badly! Then broccoli and cheese? Yum!
Cannot wait to make this! Thank you for making a butternut squash cheese sauce and not a vegan version ;)
Hi Jessica,
This is a lovely recipe and we make it very similar to the way you do.
My hubby adores cheese on toast and this recipe for the cheese sauce apart from the butternut squash is the same as we use.
However we both add plain bacon chopped and wedges or halved cherry tomatoes to the sauce – neither of us like smoked food – I expect it’s because we’re getting older! But the additions make a huge difference to the sauce. My husband John sometimes uses blue cheese to the sauce, tho I’m not a fan of blue cheese. He makes a roux with the cornflour and milk and whisks in the cheese and does the same as you do with the rest using either baked spuds or toast for his snack.
Many thanks as usual for your recipe, please keep them coming!
U.K. Hils
How is this even a thing?!?!? I think butternut squash definitely belongs in cheese sauce!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
Jessica, OMW this sounds sooooo delicious ! Do you know how hungry you have just made me :-) :-) :-)
This looks insane! I’ve got to try a dairy free version of this too! X
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hey girl this looks amazing! Yummy!
Sooooo this is totally happening this week at my house! CHEESY BUTTERNUT SAUCE? Simply irresistible! I don’t blame you for slathering veggies in it. It’s amazing!
Excited to make these tonight! Quick question though…can the cheese sauce be made while the potatoes are roasting and then kept warm until time to serve? Thanks!
This looks so delicious, I don’t even care that it takes a bit of work to make.
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These look INCREDIBLE. That is all :)
This was beyond delicious! I’ve probably made a hundred of your recipes and this has been one of my absolute favorites. My husband couldn’t even tell that there were veggies in the cheese sauce (win!). We added bacon to ours and we’ve already decided to add chili to our leftovers for tomorrow night. I also think my one-year-old twins are going to love this. Thanks for another great recipe!
I am vegan, so I did use a nutritional yeast version of the cheese sauce. They turned out so dang good! I made them for dinner last night, so they became leftovers for today’s lunch. These will definitely be added to the winter/fall rotation!
I LOVE these taters! I’ve made this recipe twice and it’s a big hit, and the leftovers reheat great.
Both times I’ve made it though, the cheese sauce ends up gritty. It still tastes delicious but the texture is a little weird. Do you have any suggestions on how to get it smoother? I’ve been adding the cheese slowly but no matter how much I stir it it doesn’t seem to be melting all the way.
Let’s try this. looks awesome.
OMG!! I know this recipe was posted several years ago but I had to leave a comment cause it was so dang delicious!! I literally ate the cheese sauce with a spoon while I was waiting for everything else to finish 😬 thanks for such a yummy recipe!!
This recipe has to be wonderful – just reading it!
I can’t wait to make it this weekend!
SUPER YUM!