Maybe I’m just the slow one on this secret, but one morning while watching “Simply Ming” on PBS, Ming talked about the tender interior of the broccoli stalk. His family insists that it is the best part, even. I was mesmerized as he prepared the stalk and increased the amount of broccoli he had for the dish he was preparing. The miser in me was elated to use a portion of something I normally toss into our yard waste. I hadn’t been that excited since learning that celery stalk leaves are pretty tasty when thrown into tuna salad. Below is the best way I’ve found to tap into the delicious center of a broccoli stalk.

1. Cut away the broccoli florets

2. Trim the tough leaves and hard bits that stick out

3. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the tough outer layer

4. Cut into pieces that will cook at the same rate as your florets

5. Now make Baked Potatoes with Broccoli and Cheddar

Baked Potatoes with Broccoli and Cheddar

Adapted from a  Serious Eats recipe

4 russet potatoes

Your favorite oil

1 bunch broccoli florets (and the tasty inside!)

2 T. unsalted butter

2 T. flour

1 t. dry mustard powder

1 C. milk (I had skim and whipping cream on hand, so I did half and half)

1 1/2 C. sharp cheddar, grated

pinch of cayenne

1/2 t. kosher salt

1/4 t. pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat potatoes in a little bit of oil and sprinkle with salt. Put on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil and bake for about an hour, until tender.

2. Get your broccoli cheddar sauce ingredients ready, because the sauce comes together fast. Put 2 T. of flour in small bowl and add the dry mustard powder, salt, pepper and cayenne. Have the broccoli ready, cheese grated and 1 C. of milk handy.

3. When the potatoes are about 10 minutes from being done, fill a pot with about 1 inch of water and bring to a boil. Place steamer basket over boiling water and put broccoli in the pot. Cover the pot and steam for about 4 minutes, until the broccoli is bright green and slightly tender. If you don’t have a steamer basket, cook broccoli in 1 inch of boiling water without the steamer basket.

4. Put cooked broccoli in a bowl and set aside. Using the same pot, now over medium-low heat, toss in the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the seasoned flour and whisk for a couple of minutes until there are no lumps and the raw flour cooks a bit. Slowly pour in milk, whisking until it thickens up. Add the cheese, and stir until it has melted. Taste sauce and adjust seasoning if necessary. Add cooked broccoli and toss until well coated with cheese mixture.

5. Remove baked potatoes from the oven and slice in half. Add as much broccoli and cheese as you like.

*We added Frank’s Red Hot to the top of our potatoes and we loved the extra zing.

*The potatoes I found at the grocery store happened to be humongous. The sauce above seemed more appropriate for 2 potatoes, than 4. I cooked 4 potatoes, but I cooled and refrigerated the extra 2 and heated them up until crispy (about 45 minutes) for an easy meal a couple of days later. I made a new batch of the broccoli cheddar sauce for the second meal. I could only eat half of my potato, so I cut up the second half, spooned more broccoli cheddar sauce on top, added a few dashes of Franks’s and I had a fantastic lunch the next day.

*Cutting into the broccoli stalk is a bit of work, but it is worth it. The inside is tender and yummy. I found myself searching out these pieces in my cheddar sauce.