Good for You Parmesan Potatoes

You may recall from my recent doughnut post that I'm trying to lose some weight. I'm not going overboard, but I'm trying to redirect my attention to things that are good for me, like vegetables. On Sunday, the temperature dropped again and it rained and rained. Gloomy skies ruled all day. Why does weather like that make me want to eat? Is it the comfort food thing?

For the first time in ages, we actually had a traditional roasted chicken for lunch. Does anyone else think lima beans belong on that menu? I don't know why I think that. But mashed potatoes are a southern tradition for a Sunday chicken lunch.

The trouble is that I could dive into a vat of mashed potatoes and very happily eat my way out. Hmm, not the best thing for me to have around the house at the moment. But potatoes themselves aren't bad for us. In fact, they're loaded with potassium, as well as other vitamins and minerals. One average potato comes in at 150 calories. Not bad when you think about how filling they are.

The trouble, of course, comes when we fry them or add cheeses and bacon and sour cream and butter. So on a whim, I tried something new to me. I quartered the potatoes, added Parmesan cheese and baked them. It was either going to be a miserable mess (which happens) or an easy way to make potatoes without adding too many calories.

Surprise! They turned out great. Super easy to make, and, I have to confess, maybe a little bit addictive. They will not fool anyone into thinking they're French fries, but they're a fun (and oh-so-easy) twist on baked potatoes. I placed them on a tray that fit in the oven with the roasting chicken, which made everything even easier.

Parmesan Potatoes

4 average potatoes, scrubbed (do not peel)
olive oil
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon pink sea salt
pepper (to taste)


Preheat oven to 400. Cut each potato into quarters lengthwise. Mix Parmesan, salt and pepper in a bowl. Drizzle the potatoes with olive oil. Use your finger to spread the olive oil around each potato wedge, then dip the cut sides in the Parmesan mixture. Place skin side down on a baking sheet. They should be in a single layer, not on top of each other. Make sure they don't touch each other. Bake 30-35 minutes. Potatoes should be tender inside and slightly golden on the outside.