Growing up there were a few dishes that my grandma would make only for holiday meals or special family dinners. My sister and I looked forward to them and made sure to double-check that they would be on the menu a week or so in advance of the meal. One of these recipes is known in our family as Yummy Potatoes.
More than likely Grandma clipped the recipe for Yummy Potatoes from a magazine or newspaper column decades ago. One bite of this bubbly, creamy, cheesy casserole and it is no surprise that we adopted it as a family favorite. The ingredients are not at all fancy or difficult to assemble but along the way we all decided to reserve it for special meals.
Last Christmas my very wise aunt sent me a copy of Grandma's recipe card and asked me to lighten it up for our holiday meal. I was happy to take on the challenge. I added a super-secret vegetable in the form of diced cauliflower and made some simple swaps with the ingredients. I did not alter the volume of cheese. I did scan of all the packages of shredded cheese in the supermarket and found the 2% Mexican blend was the lightest variety that would get all melty in the oven.
The lightened version of Yummy Potatoes still gets bubbly oven and every bite is creamy and cheesy. When choosing the menu for a special occasion I like to think not about "loving with food" but feeding my family with love and a respect for their bodies. I want my family to stay healthy and happy for many years to come and lightening up our favorite dishes is a great way to do that.
[private role="author"]Approximate nutrition per serving: calories 136, fat 6.2 g., carbohydrate 13 g., fiber 2 g., protein 6.2 g, PP = 3[/private]
Yummy Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds frozen potatoes
- 1 pounds cauliflower diced and steamed (6-9 minutes in the microwave until just softened)
- 1 can reduced fat - low sodium cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- 1 ½ cup shredded 2% Mexican blend cheese
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2.8 oz 1 container French Fried Onions
Instructions
- Dice and steam the cauliflower.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine the potatoes and steamed cauliflower in a 13 x 9 x 2 baking dish.
- Mix together the cream of chicken soup, yogurt, buttermilk, cheese, melted butter, and garlic salt.
- Add the mixture to the potatoes and stir well. (This can also be done in a large bowl and then turned out into the baking dish once combined.)
- Cover with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.
- After 45 minutes remove the foil and top the potatoes with the fried onion pieces.
- Continue baking for 15 more minutes.
rachel
I know that it serves 16, but what is the serving size?
Our Lady of Second Helpings
Thanks for asking Rachel. Unfortunately I don't have notes for the serving size, I apologize. Off the top of my head I believe the servings are in the neighborhood of 1/2 - 3/4 cup each. Next time I make this I will be sure to update the recipe. If you make this, and I hope you do, I would sure appreciate knowing what you come up with.
Ashley Nicole.
One more question, you mention garlic powder in the ingredients list, but garlic salt in the directions. Which did you actually use?
Rose
It should say garlic powder in both places.
Ashley Nicole.
Are "O'Brien Potatoes" a brand or a type of potato? If they're a type, is it just the way they're cut, or is there stuff in them?
Also, are you supposed to use one pound of potatoes or twenty-eight ounces?
Rose
Thanks for asking Ashley! O'Brien Potatoes are the style of potatoes not the brand. Look in the freezer section for small cubed potatoes. They are not seasoned but often have bits of bell pepper and onion mixed in. For this recipe you'll want around 1 1/2 pounds of these potatoes. The package I used had a little more - 28 oz.