Vegan Loaded Potatoes with Broccoli and Cheese

A Quick Healthy Meal - Delicious and Comforting

Prep time 5 minutes | Cook time 20 minutes

This recipe is what I make when I want simple vegan comfort food that I can make quickly at home. This is a super easy, yummy, and healthy meal that I can make in just about 20 minutes.

Boiled potatoes are topped with broccoli, cauliflower, or in this case, broccoflower, vegan cheese, and pinto beans, turning a simple potato recipe into a delicious and comforting vegetarian meal that will satisfy any hungry stomach.

These loaded potatoes are also loaded with nutrients! This easy vegan recipe provides a good source of iron from the broccoli and pinto beans, as well as vitamins C, K, folate and potassium. It also provides about 15 grams of plant-based protein per serving. I love to make a big pot of this, crawl under a blanket and devour it guilt free. I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1.5-3 pound bag of Yukon Gold potatoes. I like Yukon Gold for the flavor but any potato will do! if you are using medium to large potatoes instead of small, I add 1 potato per person eating and 1-2 additional potatoes “for the pot” as Grandma used to say.

• 1 head of broccoli, cauliflower, or broccoflower cut into bite sized pieces

• 1 can of black or pinto beans

• 1-3 tablespoons of plant based butter

• garlic powder

• Salt

• Vegan cheddar cheese (optional but highly recommended)

Instructions

• Put about 2 inches of water into a large pot/saucepan and add a steamer basket. *Note, no steamer basket, no problem, it isn’t necessary.

• Wash your potatoes well. I leave the skins on for flavor and added nutrients.

• Chop the potatoes into bite-size pieces about 1-2 inches in size. If you are using small potatoes, just cut them in quarters so they are uniform in size.

• Add the potatoes to the large sauce pot (into the steamer basket OR directly into the water) cover and cook over medium heat, the steam from the water will cook the potatoes. You will steam them for about 20 minutes total but to keep this a one pot meal you will add the broccoli in after about 12 minutes.

• After about 12 minutes add the chopped broccoli to the steaming potatoes, cover and cook another 6-8 minutes until the broccoli is bright green and the potatoes are able to be easily pierced by a fork. Be sure to check your water level, it is ok to add more water if needed.

• After about 20 minutes total, drain the water from the potato/broccoli mixture and return it to the pot.

• Rinse the beans very well and them into the potato/broccoli mixture.

• Sprinkle the potatoes/beans/broccoli with salt, and garlic powder and mix well, but gently so the potatoes don’t get smashed.

• Add about 1-3 tablespoons of plant based butter (to taste) and heat the entire pot for about 2 more minutes to melt the butter and warm the beans.

• To serve, top with vegan cheddar cheese, if you want to you can add this directly to the pot and let it melt.

Enjoy!