The potato is finally ready for its close-up! The choices are infinite (baked, roasted, mashed, stuffed) and the taste is spectacular. Seconds, anyone? Thirds?

This cheesy potato recipe is out-of-this-world delicious and it's one of the easiest dishes you'll ever make. And with Art's low-fat twist, it's even a little healthier.
Servings: Serves 6
Ingredients
  • 2 1/2 new potatoes , scrubbed and cut into 1/4-inch slices (As an alternative, Art recommends Yukon Gold potatoes for their buttery flavor.)
  • 4 strips turkey bacon
  • 1 cup fat-free half-and-half , heated
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon low-fat margarine
  • 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme , finely minced
  • Kosher salt to taste
  • Fresh ground pepper to taste
  • 1 large clove garlic , peeled
  • 1 1/2 cups grated low-fat white cheddar cheese
  • Directions
    Pre-heat the oven to 400°. Peel potatoes and cut into slices. Set aside.

    Coat a nonstick skillet with cooking pray. Cook the turkey bacon over medium heat until crisp and browned. With a slotted spoon transfer to paper towels to drain, reserving bacon drippings. Add the margarine and heat to medium, then stir in flour and whisk till smooth. Carefully pour the heated fat-free half-and-half into flour mixture and whisk constantly until smooth. Season with nutmeg, thyme and salt and pepper to taste.

    Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the sliced potatoes and cook until just tender, about 7-8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove potatoes and drain well.

    Lightly oil a 2-quart baking dish. Rub garlic on the inside surface of the dish, pressing hard to extract as much garlic juice as possible.

    Layer all potatoes in dish, overlapping if necessary. On top of each layer, sprinkle some chopped turkey bacon, grated cheese and additional fresh ground pepper, reserving 1/2 cup of low-fat cheese. Slowly pour the half-and-half mixture over the layered potatoes.

    Cover the dish with foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake 40 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining cheese, and continue baking until bubbly and lightly browned, about 10-15 minutes.

    How Art reduced the fat: Art substituted low-fat cheddar cheese and fat-free half-and-half for the cheese and cream called for in the recipe. Turkey bacon replaced pork bacon and the amount of salt was reduced substantially. Art's changes dropped the calories per serving from 407 to 320, and reduced the fat by almost half.

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