Po-Ta-Toes! (Boil 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in a stew)

In keeping with our Low-Fat Christmas Dinner theme, today's post will be about potatoes!
Christmas Dinner is hardly Christmas Dinner without a giant bowl full of gorgeous mashed taters.  I love them.  However, the typical mashed potato recipe is hardly a healthy dish.  Standard recipes call for adding butter and milk/cream to them, and some more decadent recipes call for sour cream, cream cheese or both.  Baked potatoes in restaurants are piled high with butter, then sour cream, then cheese and finally bacon bits.  Hashbrowns, chips, and french fries are all deep fried. 
All of these additives are unfortunate for a potato's reputation.  Really, the root vegetable is fat-free, like most vegetables, but for some reason they seem to attract fat.  But just because it's usually there does not mean that it's necessary to make potatoes taste great. 
If you are mashing potatoes for Christmas Dinner (or any other time of the year), here a couple tips to make them extra healthful!
Leave skins on red potatoes and mash them in for extra fiber!
Some potato varieties get gluey in you over-mash.  For whipped potatoes use floury varieties like russett. 
To cook them more quickly, slice the potato thinly instead of cubing. 
For 'regular' mashed potatoes, use skim milk and a bit of extra salt (remember, butter adds salt normally, so if you take out the butter, you lose some of the saltiness)
For different flavor, try adding fat-free sour cream and onion powder, yogurt, or chicken broth and skim milk.  Mash in a clove or two of roasted garlic for a great taste!

If mashing isn't your thing, try roasting your potatoes.  Small varieties work well for this.  Just wash well, leave the skins on and cut in halves or thirds.  Put in a shallow baking dish, spritz lightly with cooking spray and top with herbs (I like thyme, rosemary and oregano).  A bit of salt does wonders. 
Also, if your diet has room for it, a light sprinkling of grated asiago tastes wonderful!  (If you can eat any cheese, opt for sharper varieties so you don't need to use as much to taste it)
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until tender.  If you like your potatoes crispy, turn oven on broil for last 4 or 5 minutes (don't let them burn!)

If baked potatoes are more your speed, try different toppings like a Roasted Red Pepper and Garlic seasoning mix.  Creamed corn (if you can eat corn - some people with gallstones will not be able to) adds moisture without fat (there's no 'cream' in creamed corn!)  Fat-Free sour cream mixed with some salsa tastes great and gives your potato a bit of flair.  When Christmas Dinner rolls around, cranberry relish and a bit of salt is very nice too.

Potatoes can really fill you up and are staples during festive meals, but just because they are often made with fats, doesn't mean that's the only way.

Mrs. VanderLeek