A lower calorie side dish which is warm, comforting, creamy, cheesy and hearty. Perfect with soup and salad.
Ingredients
4smallbaking potatoes- Boise
4spraysolive oil cooking spray
½cupsmall-curd fat-free cottage cheese- beaten and blended until smooth
¼cupskim milk
2tablespoonswhite onion- chopped
2tablespoonschives- chopped
½teaspoonpaprika
2-3clovesgarlic- crushed and minced (optional)
½teaspoonground pepper
1cuplight mozzarella cheese- shredded non-fat
Toppings (not included in calorie count)
1dashsalt
1dashpepper
1dashchives- minced, per potato
1sliceturkey bacon- crumbled fine, divided among all 4 potatoes
Instructions
Heat oven to 450°
Scrub unpeeled potatoes, and spray each potato with olive oil cooking spray, rubbing with your hands to coat all surfaces.
Bake potatoes for 35 to 40 minutes until tender when poked with a slender bamboo skewer. Let sit until cool enough to handle.
Cut a long, thin slice away from the top (lengthwise) across the entire of each potato. Set aside and reserve.
Gently scoop out the interior of the cooked potato, adding the flesh to a large bowl, and leave the shell and peel intact.
Add the slice you removed from the potatoes, to the bowl with the cooked flesh, and mash until smooth, with no lumps.
Mix in all remaining ingredients, except the toppings. Be sure the cottage cheese is blended or beaten sufficient to be very smooth and creamy, before beating into the potato.
Beat the potato / cheese mixture until very fluffy.
Refill the potato shells with the fluffy mixture, and sprinkle each potato with a portion of the shredded cheese.
Place filled shells on an ungreased baking sheet.
Bake another 10-12 minutes until hot and cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown.
Immediately garnish with toppings, if desired, and serve.
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