Patrician Potatoes

Sunday dinners are typically spent at my parent’s house. It’s a nice little family ritual that we have fallen into since husband and I moved to town almost four years ago. And now with little one, I know that even if our week is busy he will be able to see his grandparents on Sundays.

This past weekend my parents headed out of town for an overnight trip with some friends. With the time change and the other couple’s schedule in mind my parents knew they wouldn’t be able to host Sunday dinner. Easy enough – dinner was at our house! My dad insisted that we have a tri-tip steak that they had in the freezer. I made up a few side dishes to round out the meal.

I was thinking of making that yummy cheesy potato hot dish that is much beloved in our neck of the woods. Then I thought about all the cheese and butter that is needed and my heart wanted something a little less calorie laden. I remembered that I had a fancy mashed potato recipe that was low in fat. Since one of my goals is to make more side dishes I was more than happy to whip these up!

I modified the recipe a little bit based on what I had in my pantry. I had a bag of cauliflower in the freezer that I decided to use in place of half the potatoes. If cauliflower doesn’t sound yummy to you adjust the recipe so you are using 2 ½ lbs. of potatoes and omit all cauliflower. I also felt that with the amount of sour cream and cream cheese that the butter wasn’t necessary, I wasn’t wrong at all! No one missed the butter. I also omitted the chives because unless they are fresh I just don’t really care for them.

These potatoes are so creamy and good. I leave a few chunks of potatoes and cauliflower because I enjoy the texture. The parmesan and paprika make a nice crust that was a hit around the table. This recipe is very easily doubled for a crowd and will definitely please.

Enjoy!

1 ½ lb. potatoes, peeled and quartered

1 ½ lb. cauliflower, chopped
4 oz. fat-free cream cheese
4 oz. reduced fat sour cream
2 tsp. salt
¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. paprika
 
Place potatoes and cauliflower in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Drain vegetables and place in a large bowl and mash.

In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sour cream and salt until light and fluffy. Add mixture to potatoes and combine until smooth.

Transfer to a 13 x 9 baking dish coated with cooking spray. Mix together parmesan and paprika in a small bowl. Sprinkle cheese over the top of the potatoes. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.

 Adapted from tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Makeover-Patrician-Potatoes