My Friend, The Potato...

I have been on a potato kick as of late.  Simple mashed potatoes.  Baked potatoes.  Scalloped potatoes.  Smashed potatoes on the grill drizzled with basil-infused olive oil and sprinkled with a bit of cheese and green onion.  Mmm.  My mouth is watering just writing the words.  But I wanted more than the potato standards. I headed back to my cooking Bible - my years of Cooking Light cookbooks and magazines.  You know, I so love Cooking Light.  I easily make four homemade dinners a week only using their recipes.  In my eight year relationship with Cooking Light, there have only been a few "stinkers" during that time.  That's a pretty good track record! Anyway, I rediscovered two recipes a couple of weeks ago that I had made a while back but had since forgotten.  I use both of these recipes as my main dish and usually have a nice salad to accompany.  They're filling and definitely fall under the category of "comfort food."  You can find them both on the Cooking Light website.

Rosti Casserole with Baked Eggs

·        1 1/4 cups fat-free Greek-style yogurt 

·         2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

·         1 1/2 cups grated peeled turnip (about 8 ounces, 2 small)

·         1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese

·         1/3 cup butter, melted

·         1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

·         1 1/4 teaspoons salt

·         1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

·         1/4 teaspoon grated whole nutmeg

·         1 (30-ounce) package frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed (such as Ore-Ida)

·         Cooking spray

·         8 large eggs

·         Chopped fresh chives (optional)

·         Freshly ground black pepper (optional)

        Preheat oven to 400°.

2.      Combine yogurt and flour in a large bowl, stirring well. Add turnip, Gruyère cheese, butter, chives, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, black pepper, nutmeg, and potatoes to yogurt mixture. Spread potato mixture evenly into a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Remove from oven. With the back of a spoon, make 8 indentations in top of potato mixture. Crack 1 egg into each of 8 indentations. Return dish to oven. Bake at 400° for 8 minutes or until egg whites are firm and yolks barely move when pan is touched. Cut into 8 pieces. Garnish with additional chives and black pepper, if desired. Serve immediately. 

 Or try this one...

Sausage, Cherry Tomato & Hashbrown Casserole

·         1 cup chopped onion 

·         2 garlic cloves, minced

·         8 ounces 50%-less-fat pork sausage 

·         1/2 cup water

·         1 tablespoon tomato paste

·         1/4 teaspoon salt

·         3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

·         7 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, partially thawed

·         1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese 

·         Cooking spray

·         20 cherry tomatoes, halved

·         1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth 

·         1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil 

·         2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese

  .     Preheat oven to 350°.

2.     Combine first 3 ingredients in a large skillet over medium heat; cook 8 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble sausage. Stir in 1/2 cup water, tomato paste, salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Spoon mixture into a large bowl. Add potatoes and mozzarella; toss well. Spoon potato mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Set aside. Wipe pan dry with a paper towel.

3.     Place pan over medium-high heat. Lightly coat pan with cooking spray. Add tomatoes to pan; cook 3 minutes or just until heated. Arrange tomatoes in an even layer over potato mixture. Drizzle with broth; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle evenly with basil and Parmesan. Bake an additional 15 minutes or until lightly browned.