Monday, March 24, 2014

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.






25 comments:

  1. Thanks for the idea! Someone gave me 10 lbs of potatoes the day after I bought 10 lbs. Needless to say I am trying to use them up in every way possible, lol. This will be something different.

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    1. Perfect timing! I hope you like them as much as we do.

      ~Krista

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  2. Looks terrific. But a little crumbled bacon wouldn't hurt! Yum.

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    1. LOL! No, it wouldn't hurt. But I would have to cook the bacon and somehow, I think I would be forced to test it. You know, to be sure it was good . . .

      ~Krista

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  3. I make something similar but I toss the wedges with paprika, garlic powder, a little salt, pepper and olive oil.

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    1. I've done that too, Sandy, but with smaller pieces of potato. It's so good!

      ~Krista

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  4. A brilliant idea! Well done.
    Sadly, when I think of lima beans i think of my grandmother's. Frozen and then cooked until they burned. Not appealing in the least.

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    1. Oh Libby! Those lima beans sound awful. I love tender baby lima beans. Not mushy, though!

      ~Krista

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    2. My sister has corrected me. It was my mother who burned the frozen limas in the Revere Ware pan. Nice mess to clean up!
      My grandmother was known for over cooking other things!

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    3. LOL! So you come from a long line of over-cookers! I hope it's not genetic! ; )

      ~Krista

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  5. Those look amazing! I'll have to try them.

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    1. I hope you'll like them, Lisa! I think they'll be a regular dish around here.

      ~Krista

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  6. OMG, Krista - I just bought a 10 pound bag of russets and a deli package of freshly grated Parmesan. This recipe could not be better timed for this week's menu planning, thank you! (And LOL on eating your way out of a vat of mashed, count me in for the other end of that vat. I'll meet you in the middle.)

    ~ Cleo

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    1. ROFL, Cleo! I'm glad the recipe was so well timed. See you in the middle of the vat!

      ~Krista

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  7. Cannot wait to try this, Krista! It's brilliant. Thanks!

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    1. Not sure about brilliant, but it's easy!

      ~Krista

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  8. When I was a kid, we were allowed one food we could say no to. Mine was, and still is, Luna beans.

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    1. What a wonderful policy. I love that. So reasonable. I bet that helped avoid a lot of arguments. What clever parents!

      I think a lot of people aren't crazy about lima beans. But I like them.

      ~Krista

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  9. Lima beans. Curse you, autocorrect.

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    1. LOL! Autocorrect is the worst. I hate when I correct something, and it changes it when I look away.

      ~Krista

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  10. Absolutely delicious looking. I love just about anything with Parmesan. :)

    Daryl / Avery

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    1. I thought this might appeal to the Cheese Lady! : )

      ~Krista

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  11. Pink Sea Salt I like that! Yummy :)

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    1. I do, too. I know it's just salt, but it seems somehow less biting, a little gentler.

      ~Krista

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  12. I'm late to posting, but this looks delicious and I hope I can find pink sea salt.

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