Chicken and Broccoli Twice-Baked Potatoes are the perfect comfort food dinner for cool fall nights! They’re crispy potato skins topped with a cheesy, creamy chicken, broccoli, and potato mixture and are guaranteed to wow your family or guests!
You may have noticed I haven’t been doing many non-sponsored posts lately. And the real reason is I’ve been dealing with a lot of personal stuff lately, the biggest and most devastating being my mom passing away last month. If you’ve ever lost a parent, first of all, I’m so sorry because now I know how truly excruciatingly difficult it is. But something you probably can relate to is how difficult it is to do even the easiest, everyday tasks. Everything seems almost—dare I say—inconsequential? If I didn’t have a full-time job and three rugrats that demand my attention, I wonder if I’d be able to get out of bed at all.
Here’s a picture of my parents.
Though it may not mean much to people who didn’t know my mom, it means everything to me. Seeing my mom in this, how happy and lively she was, I’m almost able to believe that she’s still alive and well. That I can call her on the phone and she’ll answer with, “It’s my Er-Bear!” and I can talk to her about what’s going on in my life and even ask her cooking questions (which I often did).
She loved cooking, and it showed in her food. She could make anything, and everything she made was amazing. That’s why now, more than ever, I am glad I have this blog. Because my love for cooking has only intensified with my mom’s passing. Every time I cook, it makes me feel closer to her, because in the kitchen is where she spent a great deal of her time. That is, when she wasn’t painting or gardening or tending grandchildren.
That’s why I’m excited to share these Chicken and Broccoli Twice-Baked Potatoes with you. Though they aren’t something she made, they’ve become an instant family favorite of ours. And bringing her family together to enjoy a delicious home-cooked meal was something my mom did on the regular. Whenever I’m able to accomplish the same, I consider it a definite win.
I found this recipe in a Southern Living One-Dish Chicken magazine (which I am currently obsessed with BTW). They take a little more time than my usual 30-minute meals, but they’re super worth it. Deliciously crispy potato skins are topped with a cheesy and creamy potato, chicken, broccoli mixture that I guarantee with rock your world. Best part? The leftovers are Ahhhhh-mazing. My 7-year-old requested one for her lunch the next day, and she scarfed it right up. I gobbled my leftover potato skin up, too. Try these Chicken and Broccoli Twice-Baked Potatoes for dinner tonight and you’ll see what I mean! 🙂
- Potatoes
- 4 large russet potatoes
- ½ 8-oz. pkg Neufchatel or ½ cup Chive & Onion cream cheese
- ½ cup milk
- Cheesy Chicken & Broccoli Filling
- 1 pkg frozen steamable broccoli
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 tsp garlic, minced
- 2 cups chopped, cooked chicken (I just used Tyson frozen grilled chicken strips and zapped them in the microwave!)
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or other shredded cheese of your choice), divided
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- For the potatoes: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pierce potatoes several times with a fork. Bake potatoes directly on oven rack for 1 hour, or until tender. Cool for 10 minutes.
- Cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Carefully scoop out pulp from each potato into a large bowl, making sure to leave shells intact.
- Mash potatoes, cream cheese, and milk together. Set aside.
- Cook steamable broccoli in microwave according to package directions. Once cool enough to handle, empty contents onto a cutting board to chop broccoli up into smaller pieces. Set aside.
- To make the filling: Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Add broccoli, chicken, 1-1/2 cups of the shredded cheese, and salt and pepper.
- Add chicken and broccoli filling to the potato mixture. Spoon into potato shells on a lightly greased baking sheet. Top with remaining ½ cup shredded cheese.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until heated and cheese is melted. Enjoy!
