Recipes

[Carol1229]

I love potatoes.......baked, mashed, oven fried, sweet potatoes.....I love them all. Give me a plate with potatoes on it and I can do without the meat course.....those potatoes make me a happy girl.

Bob, on the other hand, is picky about potatoes. He doesn't like sweet potatoes, and he doesn't really care for mashed potatoes-silly man. He does however love baked potatoes-especially twice baked potatoes.

In trying to keep variety going with this weight loss thing of ours, I've cut down on starches with meals. The other night, I just wanted a potato side dish to go with our chicken.

When I saw this recipe from Monica @ The Yummy Life, I knew just what I was going to make.

Since I'm winding down to grocery shopping on Saturday, I had a mix of baking potatoes and red potatoes. I knew the whole recipe would be way too much for us to eat so cut it in half and weighed a mix of the 2 kinds of potatoes to equal 2 1/2 pounds. I then baked them off in the oven while mixing up the sauce that goes on them.

I always have low fat Greek yogurt in the refrigerator-I use it in place of sour cream in both cooking and baking. The sauce for the potatoes has all kinds of goodies in it. I made sure to add plenty of garlic powder and onion powder-I wanted that taste to come through. What I did use that was a first for me-and won't be a last-is Worcestershire Blend black pepper from McCormick's. My friend Cyndy had sent me a can of it and I always seemed to forget to grab it from the cabinet. Not so with this recipe-and am I ever glad I did remember to use it. What a great flavor it added to the mixture......pepper with a touch of Worcestershire flavor.....amazingly good. Of course regular black pepper would work just as well....but do look for this pepper at your grocery store-it's a new love of mine.

This casserole is a winner. I love the rustic look of this dish. It gives you the flavor of a twice baked potato without some of the guilt. The green onions add a nice pop of color and a mild onion flavor, the yogurt and cheeses add a nice creamy note, and those crispy brown edges on some of the potatoes are the best. Half of the recipe was PLENTY for us-I have a good portion left over which I will be reheating in a skillet tonight to give some of those potatoes more golden brown coating.


What's even better about it is casserole? The potatoes can be baked off ahead of time and refrigerated so they're waiting for when you're ready to assemble it.....it can even be assembled ahead and baked off later. Perfect for busy holiday dinners.

Will I make this again? Oh you BET I will! Bob and I both loved it....in fact on his way out the door this morning he asked if we're having it again tonight? You betcha we are!

Thanks SO much Monica for sharing this wonderful recipe. Be sure to check out her blog for some wonderful recipes and ideas.


Carol


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2 1/2 lb. russet potatoes, scrubbed, unpeeled (I used a mixture of russet and red skinned potatoes to equal 2 1/2 lb.)
6 Tbsp. low fat Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp. low fat milk
1/4 c. shredded Romano cheese
4 oz. Colby-Jack cheese, shredded, divided
1/4 tsp. dry ground mustard
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire ground black pepper blend OR freshly ground black pepper
3/4 c. thinly sliced green onions, white and green parts, divided

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scrub all of the potatoes under running water. Using a metal fork, poke a few holes in each potato. Place on the rack in the preheated oven and bake @ 400 degrees for 45-50 minutes, until just soft when tested with a knife. Remove from the oven and cool completely or refrigerate for assembling the casserole later on in the day.

For the casserole, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 11x7-inch (2 1/2 quart) clear glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

Leaving skin on, cut the cooled potatoes into 3/4" cubes; and place them in a large bowl.

In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, milk, Parmesan cheese, 3 oz. of the shredded Colby-Jack cheese, dry mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper 1/2 c. green onions; stir until combined. Pour the yogurt mixture over the potatoes and toss until the potatoes are evenly coated with the mixture.

Spread the potatoes into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining shredded Colby Jack cheese over top. Bake, uncovered, @ 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes, or until lightly browned on top, and edges and bottom are visibly well browned.

Remove from oven and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 c. sliced green onions over top. Serve. 8-10 servings.