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For this dish I use Tyler’s Ultimate Stuffed Potato recipe and just make a few changes. I basically use more milk in the mornay (fancy name for cheese sauce) and add more veggies. I also skip his last step where he puts the stuffed potato back in the oven and tops it with MORE cheese (why do I skip that step again?) This can be a meal in itself, especially if you choose to add the bacon. We always have leftovers that we eat the next day for lunch. 

Ingredients

• 4 medium-sized russet potatoes
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• 1/2 stick butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2-1 cup milk (heated)
• About 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar
• about 4 cups of blanched or steamed broccoli and/or cauliflower florets
• bacon or prosciutto (if you have it ), cooked until crisp and diced
• chives, chopped
• freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

“Begin by baking the potatoes, as this will take the longest. Place potatoes onto a baking sheet. Pierce with a fork, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Place into preheated oven and bake for about 1 hour.

While they are baking, prepare the stuffing. Make a mornay sauce by combining the butter and flour over medium heat (your making a roux here) and then whisking in the milk*. Fold in about 2 cups cheese and stir until melted. Once melted, remove from heat and fold in the cooked broccoli florets, crispy bacon bits, chopped chives and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.”

*If you’ve never made a mornay sauce, I’ve found that by heating my milk up first I have a better result with the sauce thickening evenly.  Also, be careful how fast you pour in the milk and whisk. whisk, whisk.  Pouring too slow might leave you with too thick of a sauce, and pouring to fast could prevent it from thickening. If your sauce seems too thin, cook it a bit longer until it thickens. If it start getting too thick, turn down the heat or add more milk.

Tip: If you’re short on time, give the potatoes a head start in the microwave before putting them in the oven.

Tip #2: Now that you know how to make a mornay sauce, you can make your own mac and cheese!

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