Best Loaded Baked Potato with Sausage & Cheese Sauce

This loaded baked potato with sausage & cheese sauce recipe is a great weeknight dinner idea!

A few weeks ago, I discovered that the humble baked potato is high in iron.

Since I was looking for high iron foods at the time, I put loaded baked potatoes on the menu.

We put together toppings using ingredients we already had in our fridge – and discovered we’d stumbled on one of our favorite recipes ever!

Here’s how we created our loaded baked potato recipe.

The Best Ever Loaded Baked Potato with Sausage, Broccoli, & Cheese Sauce Recipe

Ingredients needed for this recipe for 2 people:

• 2 Medium White Potatoes
• 1 Large head of Broccoli (about 3 cups chopped broccoli)
• 1 pound Italian Sausage in whatever spice level you prefer
• 3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1 Tbl. butter
• 1 Tbl. flour
• 3/4 cup milk
• Salt, pepper, and cooking oil

This loaded baked potato recipe requires 4 simple elements.

To get this yummy recipe ready, you’re going to need to have these 4 elements – baked potatoes, steamed broccoli, browned sausage, and cheese sauce. Each of those elements requires just a little prep. Once that’s done, you just assemble and eat!

Here’s how to do each step:

How to bake a potato

There are a variety of ways to bake a potato, but this is our simple method:

1. Wash each potato and cut it in half.

2. Brush the potato with cooking oil or butter.
3. Place flat side down on a baking sheet (we prefer a stoneware pan). 

4. Prick a few holes in each one with the tines of a fork.

5. Bake at 400 degrees for about 1 hour.

Baking times will vary based on the size of the potatoes you use. You’ll know if a potato is done when you poke it with a fork and it is tender all the way through.

If you have an air fryer, here is a great recipe for air fryer baked potatoes.

How to steam broccoli

• Wash broccoli under running water, and cut it into florets. If you are puzzled by how to cut broccoli properly, I found this helpful quick video that explains all the ways!:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Carefully place the broccoli florets into the boiling water and cook for 4 minutes – or until they are crisp-tender when you poke them with a fork.
• Drain immediately with a colander.

Another way to prepare broccoli is to roast broccoli in the oven. It would be yummy for this recipe, too!

How to prepare the sausage as a loaded baked potato topping:

1. If the sausage is in casings, remove casing by slitting the side with a knife and sliding it off.
2. Place sausage in a hot skillet and break apart with a spatula.
3. Cook and stir the browning sausage until it is cooked all the way through.

How to make easy homemade cheese sauce:

1. In a medium sized sauce pan, melt 1 Tablespoon butter.
2. Whisk in 1 Tablespoon flour.
3. Very slowly pour in 3/4 cup milk, whisking quickly so the mixture is smooth.
4. Keep whisking and stirring until mixture becomes thick and comes to a boil.
5. Add grated cheese and stir until melted and smooth. (Salt and pepper to taste.)

How to assemble these loaded baked potatoes

Once all the elements are prepared, it’s time to assemble and eat!

1. Turn the baked potatoes flat side up on a plate, and fluff the soft potato filling with a fork.
2. Spoon on browned sausage, steamed broccoli, and end with the cheese sauce.

What do you serve with loaded baked potatoes with sausage?

We like to have our loaded baked potatoes with a simple side like spinach salad with dressing.

What are some other variations of a loaded baked potato bar?

There are lots of ways you can change up this recipe and add a unique twist on it. This recipe would also be fun to serve as a loaded baked potato bar, where people just added what toppings they wanted. Here are some ideas:

• Substitute white potatoes for sweet potatoes.

• Use browned ground beef instead of sausage.

• Extra loaded baked potato toppings could include, sautéed mushrooms, sautéed onions, chives, bacon bits, and sour cream.

Other Easy Weeknight Meal Ideas:

• Upsidedown Cheeseburgers
• Taco Soup
• Hamburger Steaks

For more recipes and ideas for your home:

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Comfort Food Dinner Ideas Just for You!

I co-wrote a comfort food recipe e-book set with my friend Shirley from Intelligent Domestications. You’ll find 30 Comfort Food Dinner ideas plus a bonus 10 Sweet & Treats recipes.

Click here for all the details.