Better than fries

Better than Fries, from Gael




Cut potatoes almost all the way through.


Drizzle with olive oil, butter, sea salt and pepper.


Bake at 425 for 40 minutes

Salt and vinegar potato bites, from Gael

Salt and vinegar potato bites, from Gael
What a fabulous little side dish, and only 89 calories per half-cup.

6 medium red potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes (3 c)
2 T vegetable oil
1 c malt vinegar
3 T sugar

Soak potatoes in large bowl of cold water 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry

Preheat oven to 425. Toss potatoes with oil on baking sheet and spread in single layer. Roast 45 minutes or until golden and crisp, turning 2-3 times. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

Meanwhile, bring vinegar and sugar to a simmer in saucepan over medium heat. Cook at least 20 minutes or until liquid is reduce by half (this takes a while, I am impatient but it is MUCH better if you wait for it to thicken into a syrup. Stir occasionally.

Serve malt sauce on side for dipping or drizzle over potatoes.

Serves 8. 89 calories per half-cup. From March 2011 issue of Vegetarian Times magazine.

Baked Potato Soup, from Gael

Baked Potato Soup, from Gael

Gael made this for her Christmas Cookie Swap on 12/13/2008. I took an Internet recipe (from Cooking Light Magazine) and tweaked it around.

I made it the night before the party, and then served it off the stove the next day to cookie-party attendees. They ate it all! It came out kind of thick the second day, but you could certainly thin it out with milk, water or broth if you don't like thick soups.

4-5 baking potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds)
2/3 cup all purpose flour
6 cups of 2% reduced fat milk
3/4 cup reduced fat extra sharp cheddar cheese, divided
Salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
1 cup reduced fat sour cream
1/2 cup green onions, chopped


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Pierce the potatoes with a fork; bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour or until tender. Cool. Peel potatoes; coarsely mash. Discard skins

Lightly spoon the flour in a large Dutch oven; gradually add the milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly (about 8 minutes). Add mashed potatoes, cheese, salt and pepper, stirring until cheese melts. Turn the heat to low. Stir in the sour cream and the green onions (I added fewer onions).



Here's where I broke from the recipe, I also added crumbled bacon and my own pick of spices...some minced onion, some garlic powder, etc. Keep tasting and adding your own spices, otherwise it's too bland, I think.



Cook for 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated -- DO NOT BOIL. Serve with crusty bread, more green onion/cheese/bacon crumbles as toppings.

Tom’s Twice-Baked Potatoes, from Tom

Tom’s Twice-Baked Potatoes, from Tom

Bake 6 good size bakers. When done, let cool for a bit and then slice length-wise. Scoop out as much potato as you can without breaking the potato skin

In bowl, beat together:
Scooped potatoes
1 pint light onion/chive sour cream
1 16 oz. Light plain sour cream
chopped onions (optional)
a little milk if needed for consistency

Scoop potato mixture back into potato skins.
Sprinkle with paprika.
Heat in oven at 325 until creamy.
Serve hot

Au Gratin Potatoes for a Group, from Anne

Au Gratin Potatoes for a Group, from Anne

Anne says this recipe feeds 16, great for parties!

2 lbs frozen hashbrowns
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped onion
10 oz pkg grated cheese
1 cup melted butter/margarine
1/4 tsp salt
1 pint sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Mix all of the above together and spread in a 9x13 pan.
Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes

Optional: 2 cups crushed cornflakes mixed with 1/4 cup melted butter. Sprinkle over the top before baking.

Au Gratin Potatoes, from Clio

Au Gratin Potatoes, from Clio

48 ounces shredded hash browns – frozen (Clio uses four 12-ounce packages of frozen hash browns.)
1 pint half and half
2/3 pound Velveeta
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese – shredded
1 stick margarine

Preheat oven to 350. Place hash browns in glass 9 x 13 baking dish (Clio has also used a 9 x 13 cake pan or even a roasting pan). Heat the half and half, Velveeta, cheddar and margarine. Pour over potatoes. Let stand 45 minutes (Although Clio says she doesn't always do this). Bake at 350 uncovered for an hour.