Asiago, Potato and Bacon Gratin

I must confess, I am a cheese addict! It's been the hardest part of getting healthier & I often do falter to the whims & desires of REAL, full of fat, cheese.
What I love about this recipe is that Asiago cheese is pungent enough to use just a small amount but give tons of flavor. Not to mention Asiago is one of my absolute favorite cheeses!

Asiago, Potato, and Bacon Gratin (5)
Serves 6

1 1/2 pounds peeled Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 teaspoon salt, divided
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups Skim milk, divided (1 1/2 cups & 1/2 cup)
3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated Asiago cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled (I use center cut bacon)
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese (I use canned, reduced fat Parm)

Preheat oven to 350°.
Place potatoes in a large saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes or until potatoes are almost tender. Drain. Sprinkle potatoes evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt; set aside and keep warm.

Heat a medium saucepan coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add shallots; cook 2 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Sprinkle flour over shallots. Gradually add 1/2 cup milk, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Gradually add remaining 1 1/2 cups milk, stirring with a whisk. Cook over medium heat 9 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in 3/4 teaspoon salt, Asiago, chives, pepper, and bacon.

Arrange half of potato slices in an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Pour half of cheese sauce over potato slices. Top with remaining potato slices and cheese sauce; sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.


CALORIES 250 FAT 8.2g FIBER 2.3g


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Diary of A Winning Loser

Loaded Potato Skins & still losing weight?

Anyone who loves potatoes knows that the loaded potato skin is the best thing since, well since potatoes themselves! But are they off limits if you're trying to lose weight? HECK NO!



One of my favorite side dishes and sometimes even "main dish" is the all time favorite recipe, tweaked to be more figure friendly! No, you don't have to load them with only veggies, honest!



GFS (Gordon Food Service) is one of my favorite places to shop. They offer great prices on items in large quantities (much like Sam's Club) but without the cost of a membership. Many restaurants use this place (since that was where it's original roots were, was to service the food service industry). Shopping there makes it very affordable and easy to re-create restaurant favorite dishes at a fraction of the price AND a fraction of the fat & calories! One of my favorite purchases there are the potato skins. At about $10 a bag, with 50 servings, you can make tons of potato yumminess! Each skin has nutritional values of : 80 cal./0g Fat/3g Fiber, making them very point friendly for those doing Weight Watchers, like me!



So what can you put on your potato skins to make them yummy? Some of my favorite toppings include low fat cheddar, 1/2 slice or even fat free shredded cheddar melts well on these. I also like to use 1/4-1/2 tsp. olive oil on each to give them a little moistness AND get in my daily counts of essential oils. Fat free sour cream is a must! Chives, dried or fresh add a nice little zing. My daughter loves bacon bits on them, just a few. Broccoli and cheddar are another favorite at our house! A few "real" bacon bits always add some zip, again in small quantities they add a ton of flavor! Don't forget to use all those spices you have in your cupboard too! A sprinkle of garlic powder, rosemary, dill, or Italian seasonings really give your potatoes some flavor!



The best part is, everything you used to enjoy on those loaded potato skins at the restaurant can be found in better choice versions for your skins at home! And with a bag of 50, you can invite those friends to hang out at your place, play some guitar hero and eat up! Nobody will even guess that your version of these yummy appetizers are good for them!