Hashbrown Egg Nests

When you need a good hearty breakfast, full of protein, potatoes, and eggs, but don’t have time to sit down to a big plate full of food…Hashbrown Egg Nests are the way to go.  You can even make these ahead and just reheat when you’re ready to eat.  And they’re the perfect size to grab and go for a quick breakfast on the run.  You can change up the ingredients to whatever meat and veggies you happen to have in your fridge. 

Hashbrown Egg Nests

• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 1 cupfrozen hashbrown potatoes, thawed
• pinch of garlic powder
• pinch of salt
• pinch of pepper
• 1 cup egg substitute (or 4 eggs, beaten)
• 2 tbsp diced green onion
• 1/4 cup finely diced bell peppers and/or other vegetables of choice
• 1/4 cup shredded cheese
• 1/4 cup meat of choice – diced ham, diced turkey, crumbled bacon, etc

Preheat oven to 375.  Spray muffin pan with nonstick spray.  combine potatoes, 1/2 cup minced onion, garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Fill each muffin cup with about 1/3 cup potato mixture and press into bottom and up sides of cup to form a nest.  Bake for 35 minutes, or until godlen brown and crispy.

In bowl, combine egg substitute, green onion, bell peppers (or other veggies), cheese, and meat(s).  Fill each hashbrown nest with about 1/4 cup of egg mixture.  Return to oven and bake another 15-20 minutes, or until eggs are fully cooked.

Serves: 6

 

 

 

Roasted Green Beans (Two Ways!)

My husband and I love green beans, but unfortunately, my kids do not.  The only green vegetables they like are broccoli and lima beans.  So, we eat those a lot.  I mean, a LOT!    I convinced them to try one bite of these roasted green beans since they love roasted broccoli.  And, friends, we have some new green bean lovers!  My 8 year old daughter asked for seconds.  And thirds!!  So, if you have picky eaters (whether young or old!), give these roasted green beans a try!  This really isn’t a “recipe”, but more of a method, so feel free to play around with it!

Roasted Green Beans #1

• 1 lb fresh green beans (remove strings if needed)
• olive oil
• salt
• pepper

Toss beans in olive oil and place on sheet pan.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.   Roast in a 450 degree oven for 30-40 minutes, turning once, until parts of the beans are deep golden brown and are tender.

Roasted Green Beans #2 – Roasted Summer Veggies

• Fresh green beans (remove strings if needed)
• yellow squash, cut into large chunks
• carrots, cut into small chunks
• potatoes, cut into small chunks
• zucchini, cut into large chunks
• bell pepper, cut into small chunks
• olive oil
• salt
• pepper

Toss all vegetables in olive oil and place on sheet pan.  Roast at 450 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until all veggies are somewhat golden and tender.

Skinny Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes

I don’t know about you, but I love potatoes.  Just about any way you can fix them, I love them!  My kids’ favorite way to eat them (besided french fries!) is mashed potatoes.  So, when I started my Weight Watchers journey, I knew I had to find a way to make them lower in points.  I used to make them with sour cream, cheese, and heavy cream!  Yikes!  Here’s my basic new way of making them – skinny’d up.  I added the caramelized onions on top for the hubby and me to change them up a bit.

Start by getting your onions going – these will take about 20 minutes to cook down.  Place 2 tbsp butter in skillet.

Add one onion, very thinly sliced. (NOTE:  this makes enough for 2-3 people…if you need more, add more onions.  But you won’t need more butter.)

Let cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Then reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally for about 15-20 minutes.   This is what they should look like after about 10 minutes.

And this is what they will look like when they are ready – a nice caramel color.  Yummm!!!  (NOTE:  At any time, if the onions start to stick to the pan, add a little water and stir.)

While the onions are cooking down, prepare the mashed potatoes.  Peel and dice 4 medium or 5 small potatoes, and place in pan.  Add 2 cloves minced garlic and cover with water.  Cook until fork tender.

Drain potatoes and add 1/2 cup Fat Free sour cream.

Add 1/2 cup low fat cheddar cheese (or any cheese of your choice).

Add salt and pepper to taste, and beat with mixer until smooth.  Add enough milk to reach desired consistency – I usually only need about 1/4 cup milk.  Spoon your potatoes onto your plate.

And top with a nice spoonful of those amazing onions.

Skinny Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes

WW Points Plus:  5 pts for 4 servings, or 4 pts for 6 servings (depends on how hungry you are!)

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1-2 onions, sliced very thin
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 medium potatoes OR 5 small potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1/2 cup Fat Free sour cream
• 1/2 cup low fat cheddar cheese
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• Milk to thin – about 1/4 cup

 

Melt butter in large skillet.  Add sliced onions.  Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes.  Reduce heat to low and cook another 15-20 minutes, or until they reach a nice caramel color.  If the onions start to stick at any point, add a little bit of water and stir.

Meanwhile, place potatoes and garlic in pot and cover with water.  Cook until potatoes are fork tender.  Drain.  Add sour cream, cheddar cheese and salt and pepper to taste.  Beat with mixer until smooth, adding just enough milk to reach desired consistency.

Loaded Baked Potato Salad

I’m not normally a fan of potato salad.  I don’t like mustard.  I don’t like mayo.  So, it only makes sense that I don’t like most potato salads.  However, there was a restaurant we used to eat at (which is no longer in business) that served a loaded baked potato salad.  My husband loved it and convinced me to try it.  I was hooked.  I sat there and let my tongue taste every component of that dish and jotted down what I thought was in it.  After a few attempts, I had created a recipe that was equal to that restaurant’s potato salad!  It’s still the ONLY potato salad I will eat.  And it’s very easy to make.  It does have some not-so-healthy ingredients, but you could use fat free/low fat products to make it a little better if you choose.

First, you need to bake 3 lbs of potatoes.  Place them in the refrigerator until very cold…preferably overnight.  When they are thoroughly chilled, peel them and cut into small cubes.

Add 4 slices of cooked, crumbled bacon along with 4 tbsp softened butter, 2 tbsp fresh chives and 1 shallot, minced.

Add 1 cup sour cream, 1 tbsp mayo, 1/2 cup shredded cheese and salt and pepper to taste.  Stir gently to combine.

Spring is just around the corner and this is a great dish to take along for those cookouts and get togethers with family and friends!

Crock Pot Casablanca Chicken

Whew!  That’s a mouthful!  I don’t have step by step photos of this recipe because  I put this together Monday morning before taking the kids to school, heading to the gym, and then to work.  I didn’t have time for snapping photos!  But I wanted to share the recipe for two reasons.  1)  It’s very, very delicious.  2) It’s made in the crock pot, which means you just need a few minutes in the morning and dinner is ready for you when you get home from work!

Crock Pot Casablanca Chicken

• 1 onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloved, minced
• 3 large carrots, sliced
• 2 large potatoes, diced
• 2 lbs. chicken breasts or chicken tenders (Boneless & Skinless)
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 3 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
• 15 oz. can cannelini beans, drained
• 2 tbsp parsley

Place onions, garlic, carrots and potatoes in crock pot.  Cut chicken into bite sized pieces and place in crock pot.  Stir into vegetables.  Combine cumin, salt, pepper and cinnamon and sprinkle over chicken and vegetables.  Add tomatoes.  Cover and cook on Medium for 8 hours or High for 6 hours.  About 10-15 minutes before serving, stir in cannelini beans and parsley.

Serve as is, or over cooked rice.

Hasselback Potatoes

I love these potatoes.  They look fancy, but are oh-so-easy and definitely delicous.  And you can tailor them to your tastes with different seasonings, so each person’s potato could be ‘custom-created’!

First you need to cut very thin slits (no more than 1/4 inch) in your potato, being careful not to cut all the way through the potato.  An easy way to do this is to place two wooden spoons on either side of the potato and cut down until you reach the spoons.  They will act as your “guide”.  (You might not be able to cut all the way down to the spoon on the ends, depending on the shape of your potato).

Now, peel a clove of garlic and cut it into very thin slices.

Place a slice of garlic inside a few slits of each potato.  I try to put at least 4 or 5 garlic slices in each potato…we really love garlic!

Now, brush the top of the potato with softened butter.

Spirnkle with your favorite seasoning.  I just used pepper and coarse salt this time, but any seasoning would work:  Rosemary, Thyme, Cajun Seasoning, Onion powder, etc.

Bake at 425 degrees for 40 minutes, or until tender.

Skinny Chili Cheese Fries

One of the things I love about the Weight Watchers program is that you don’t have to give up your favorite foods…you just have to learn to make a few changes to them to make them a little healthier for you.   And that’s why I love this recipe for Skinny Chili Cheese Fries.  You get all the flavor without all the points/calories/fat. 

Here’s what you need to make these:

4 potatoes (1 per person)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 packet of chili seasoning

1 can low fat turkey chili

1 cup fat free shredded cheese

ice cubes

Start out by slicing your potatoes into wedges.

Place the wedges into a large ziplock bag. Add the oil and chili seasoning.

Seal the bag and toss/squeeze until all potatoes are coated with seasoning. Place on a cookie sheet lined with a silpat mat or foil.  Add 4-6 ice cubes to each tray of potatoes.

Cover TIGHTLY with foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove foil and bake another 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.  Place potato wedges on serving dish or plate.

Warm the turkey chili in the microwave.  Top the wedges with the chili.

Finally, top with the shredded cheese.

You’ll never miss all the fat and calories of the regular version of this dish!

Parmesan Tater Tots – 1 WW pt each!

I love potatoes.  Just about any way you can fix them, I love them.  So, I have to say, I was stoked when I came across this recipe for homemade tater tots, especially since it was something I could work into my WW program.  So, I made them for dinner last week and we all loved them!  Granted, they’re not quite the same as the greasy, deep fried, kid-favorite version that you ate in the school cafeteria…but they were a nice fake out.   They take a little prep time, but don’t let that scare you off!  The recipe makes enough for 2 meals, and you can actually do all the prep work ahead of time and either refrigerate or freeze the tots until you’re ready to bake.  So, next time I make these, I’ll probably do a double batch and have enough for four meals waiting for me in the freezer when I’m ready for them.

To make the tots, just peel and cube 1-1/4 pounds of baking potatoes and place in a pot and cover with water.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat; cover and cook for about 15-20 minutes, or until tender.

Drain potatoes and let cook slightly.

In a large bowl, mash the potatoes with a hand mixer (you can also use a manual potato masher,  just know that your tots will be a bit ‘lumpier’ if you do).

Beat in 1 oz of softened fat free cream cheese, 1 tbsp skim milk, and 1-1/2 tsp light butter, softened.

Add 1/8 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Add in 1-1/4 tsp onion soup mix, 1/4 tsp salt, and some freshly ground pepper.  Stir until well combined.

Now, use a teaspoon or small ice cream style scooper to shape into balls about 1-1/2 inches in diameter.

Once you’ve rolled it onto a ball, continue shaping into the traditional tater tot shape – a cylinder.   Or, if you’re not concerned with the shape, just leave them in balls.  My kids thought they tasted better in the tater tot shape.  But, they’re kids, and they’re crazy.  You just do whatever makes your skirt fly up!

Continue until you’ve scooped and shaped all the potato mixture.

Now it’s time to coat these bad boys.  Place about 1/4 cup of egg substitute into a small dish.  Now, place about 1-1/2 cups cornflake cereal into a food processor.  Process until you get fine crumbs.  Put the crumbs into another small bowl.

Dip each tot into the egg substitute and then roll it in the crumbs until coated.

Place on an ungreased baking sheet.  Continue coating all tots.

**Note:  This recipe make enough for our family of four to last TWO MEALS.  So, I only baked half of the tots.  The other half I put into the freezer for later use!

Bake the tots at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes until crisp and golden brown.

I was happily surprised at the nice crunch the coating had on these!  We devoured them in no time!  Of course, these make a great side dish, but they’d also be a nice appetizer at your next party!

Crispy, Crunchy, Guiltless Fries

Yes, you read that right.  You CAN have yummy fries without using up a load of Weight Watchers points!  And even if you’re not watching your weight or counting points…you’ll still love these fries.  They’re quick, easy and they taste amazing.

Start out by scrubbing 1 pound of baking potatoes well.  No need to peel them.  Then cut them into french fry sized strips.

Throw the potatoes into a large ziplock style bag.  Add 1/2 tsp salt, 1-1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1-1/2 tsp dried dill and 1/4 tsp italian seasoning.  Shake to coat the potatoes well.

Place the potatoes on a cookie sheet that is coated with nonstick cooking spray.  Make sure your potatoes are in a single layer.   Lightly spray the tops of the potatoes with more cooking spray – this helps them get crispy.

Bake at 375 for about 50 minutes, or until done.

Serves 4

POINTS PER SERVING: 2

Mini Potato Gratins

I don’t know about you, but I really like it when I go to a restaurant and get served my dishes in ‘individual portions’ instead of it being dished out of a big pan with a big spoon.  Do you agree?  It just makes it more appealing to me.  I think that’s why I love these Mini Potato Gratins so much.  Well, that and the fact that they are very tasty.  And…of course….easy.  I like that I can serve little individual portions of these potatoes at home that look so cute on the plate beside your main dish, and they don’t take forever to prepare.

Here’s the low-down on the mini-gratins.  You’ll need one average sized potato per person, which ends up being two gratins.  If you have a ravenous family, you’ll want to account for that and make more gratins.  But us…we are good with two per person.  There’s four of us, so that’s four potatoes = 8 gratins.

The first thing you’ll want to do is peel those potatoes and slice ’em up pretty thinly.  Shred a pile of cheese, too.  (I used swiss and mozarella this time, but you can use any type you like)  And have some heavy cream on hand as well.  If you like onions, slice up some green onions to throw in there.  I didn’t have any this time, so I just chopped up some chives to pretty up the tops of the gratins at the end. 

Now it’s time to assemble the gratins.  This is really technical stuff people.  Pay close attention.

You place a slice or two of potato in a muffin tin cup.  Put some cheese on top.  (This is also where you’d add onions if you wish)

Top that with another slice or two of potato.  More cheese.  More potato.  More cheese.  Do this until you fill the cup.  Add a dash of salt and pepper on top.

Now, this is the really hard part.  I hope you can make it through.  Pour a tablespoon or two of heavy cream over the potatoes.

 

If you still have the strength and energy after all that work, the next step is to sprinkle on some chopped chives.

Whew!  That was tiring, huh?  😉  Now, just cover the pan with foil and bake the gratins at 375 for about 15-20 minutes.  Remove foil and bake another 15-20 minutes.  And they’ll look like this, just slightly golden brown:

Let them cool in the pan for a couple minutes, then run a thin knife around the edge to loosen them.  Use a small spatula or a spoon to remove the gratins to a plate.

Now, you have to agree with me that those little babies are much cuter than a pile of mashed potatoes!  Am I right???  Huh?  Am I?  Am I? 

These are a nice change of pace for your family dinnertime…but they’re also a great addition to your holiday meal.  Your extended family will think you’re amazing when you bring a plate of these little beauties to the table.  You don’t have to tell them how easy they are.  It’ll be our little secret!

MINI POTATO GRATIN PRINTABLE RECIPE