If you are looking for a quick, easy, veggie-filled meal, then look no further. This dish is your girl (or boy? ;))!
Vegetable Stuffed Slow Cooker Baked Potatoes with Vegan “Cheese” Sauce
Servings: 2
Ingredients
2 large russet baking potatoes
vegetable broth, for cooking
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 yellow onion, diced
1/4 red bell pepper, cut into small strips
1/4 green bell pepper, cut into small strips
1/2 medium zucchini, cut into half-moons
1 small crown of broccoli, chopped
1/3 cup sliced baby bella mushrooms
fine sea salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
*1/2 cup to 1 cup prepared vegan “cheese” sauce
Directions
1. Following Kristen’s technique, wash and dry the potatoes. Poke each potato several times with a fork. Wrap the potatoes in foil and place in a slow cooker on low heat for about 8 hours.
2. Once potatoes are cooked through, line a medium skillet with vegetable broth. Heat the broth on medium-high heat until very hot. Add the garlic, onions, and peppers to the pan, lower the heat to medium, and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until they have softened. Add additional broth, as necessary.
3. Add zucchini, broccoli, and mushrooms to the skillet. Cook an additional 8-10 minutes, or until all of the vegetables are cooked through. Add additional broth, as necessary.
4. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper.
5. *Prepare vegan “cheese” sauce. I used a recipe for vegan quick queso “cheese” sauce from The Happy Herbivore Abroad cookbook. Because I followed the recipe exactly, I do not feel comfortable re-posting it here. But…I found it on several other sites, including this one, so you lucked out! 😉
6. Assemble the Vegetable Stuffed Baked Potatoes by cutting the potatoes open, topping them with the cooked vegetables, and pouring on a hefty portion of the vegan “cheese” sauce.
This is truly a meal that you can feel great about eating.
As if this meal wasn’t veggie-filled enough, I added some roasted green beans to serve as a side.
I absolutely loved the cooking technique used in this recipe for the baked potatoes. Normally, I am in too much of a hurry to actually bake my potatoes, so I end up microwaving them. This technique is okay, but nothing beats a true baked potato. Using a slow cooker enables you to get the delicious baked potato taste and to have the potatoes already prepped when you get home from work or school. I loved it and will definitely be baking my potatoes (white and sweet) this way more often.
Once the potatoes are baked, you only need about 15-20 minutes to cook the toppings, and then you have yourself a great, hearty dinner. I can so handle that!
