Broccoli and white bean loaded baked potatoes

Tender broccoli and white beans sit over the fluffed center of a baked potato. Half the beans are mashed into a savory pan sauce with nutritional yeast; the rest keep their shape among the florets. Each serving is one large potato with a generous share of the topping.

Bake the potato for its center

Choose two russets of similar size so they are ready together. Scrub the skins, dry them and prick them before brushing with their share of the oil. The dry surface takes the oil more evenly, while the tray catches any drips. Bake until a knife reaches the center easily; a colored skin alone does not establish tenderness.

The topping is made during the last part of baking, so it can go onto hot potatoes without another reheating stage. If the potatoes need longer, keep the filling on a low heat and add a little water if it becomes too thick. A short rest makes the skins easier to handle before splitting.

Fluff the opened centers with a fork before adding the topping. This creates uneven surfaces that catch the sauce. Keep the potato halves attached at the base so the filling stays gathered in the middle of the plate.

Make a creamy topping from the beans

Drain the white beans before weighing. Their cooked weight is the amount used here, and can sizes do not guarantee the same drained yield. Mash about half in the pan so the water becomes a loose, chunky sauce. The remaining beans give the topping more bite.

Small broccoli florets steam in that sauce under the lid. Cut thicker stems into thin pieces so they soften at the same pace. Check a stem before uncovering the pan, then stir in the nutritional yeast and let any excess water evaporate gently. Lemon goes in after the heat is off.

Use inactive nutritional yeast flakes, as listed. They supply savory flavor and contribute to the recipe’s protein estimate. Fortification varies: the NIH notes that only some nutritional yeasts provide added vitamin B12. Check the label if you intend to use the flakes as a source of that nutrient; this recipe does not calculate a B12 amount.

Keep the parts separate for another meal

For leftovers, split the potatoes and store them separately from the topping in shallow containers. Refrigerate within two hours and use within three days. Keeping the sauce off the skins limits how much moisture they absorb during storage.

Reheat both parts to 74°C / 165°F throughout, then spoon the hot topping over the potato. Add a small splash of water to the beans if needed. The potato skin will be softer after refrigeration; a hot oven can dry its surface again, while a microwave gives a quicker, softer result.