For some reason, writing always makes me crave junk food. And as this is a working spring break, the urge for something cheesy and greasy hit me right around lunchtime. So, in the spirit of continuing my pantry/fridge raid, I made an old standby: baked potato skins.

Now, I now what you’re thinking: potato skins are terribly unhealthy! That’s why they are served at bars, after all. But I learned this method of preparing them from an ex-boyfriend’s mom, and after some modification, they’ve become one of my favorite go-to faux junk foods. Best of all, in addition to being supremely tasty, they’re also very cheap!

Just as tasty as you think.

Fake-Out Potato Skins

serves 1

  • 1 potato (I like Russet or Yukon)- sliced thinly
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tbsp 2% sharp cheddar cheese- shredded
  • 2 tbsp light sour cream
  • 1 chive- chopped

Preheat oven to 415 degrees. Lightly grease baking sheet lined in tin foil with vegetable oil. Slice the potato into thin, length-wise strips. Try to get the slices as even as possible- that way, they’ll all cook evenly (thinner pieces will be crispier, thicker ones will be softer). Lay out all of the slices on the baking sheet and sprinkle them with half the salt and garlic powder (these amounts are, of course, adjustable depending on your preferences). Turn the slices over and sprinkle with the rest of the salt and garlic powder. Pop them into the oven for 10-13 minutes, or when they start to brown. Take them out, turn them over, and return them to the oven  for another 10-13 minutes. When they are done, top them with the cheese, sour cream, and chives.

See? They’re not that bad for you at all, even with the cheese and sour cream. In fact, Daisy’s Light sour cream (the kind I used) has 40 calories and 2 grams of saturated fat per 2-tbsp serving. And you can certainly play around with this recipe- I’ve gone Mexican and topped the potatoes with sauteed onions and peppers and some salsa. It’s up to you!

BTW, did you know Reynold’s now makes recycled tin foil? It’s not the heavy-duty kind that I usually like, but since I use tin foil so often to keep the cooking process as clean as possible, it’s good to know I can use a recycled option.

Any fun Oscar menus for tonight? (Of course snarking on everyone’s dresses is always on the menu.) Happy eating and enjoy whatever else your Sunday night has in store for you!

Leigh

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