Meatless Monday – Baked Potatoes with Broccoli and Cheese

Since I pretty much cook meatless meals every day of the week they aren’t always the most intricate dishes.  Sometimes it’s just about eating something healthy, simple, and seasonal.  A meal that will fill everyone up and meets all of those requirements is baked potatoes.  They can easily be a meal with the right toppings and plenty to go around the table.  Here’s what I used:

• 2 – 3 medium potatoes per person
• olive oil
• salt
• pepper
• 1 package frozen organic broccoli (or a bunch of fresh broccoli if available)
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• optional items: chives, scallions, plain Greek yogurt (it’s a great healthy substitute for the traditional sour cream)

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
2. Rinse and scrub potatoes and place in large roasting pan ( be sure to pierce them with a fork)
3. Add about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of olive oil, salt, and pepper and toss to coat potatoes.
4. Place the pan in the oven – after 30 minutes turn potatoes.
5. Meanwhile, cook the broccoli and shred the cheese.
6. After potatoes have cooked for an additional 30 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and allow to sit for a couple of minutes.
7. Serve with all of the toppings and enjoy!

Cooking the potatoes with the olive oil and salt and pepper adds such a nice flavor and crispness to the skin, making it more likely the kids will eat them. ( a good thing since they are loaded with nutrients)