CRISPY CRUNCHY PARMESAN POTATOES

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese with a sand consistency (don’t use shredded or Microplaned Parmesan cheese)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 lbs baby potatoes, halved (1.5-2 inch diameter; approx 20-22 potatoes)
• FOR DIPPING (optional)
• sour cream or Greek yogurt (or a half-and-half mixture)
• chopped scallions or chives

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.In small bowl, combine grated cheese, garlic powder, paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper, stirring with fork until mixed.
2. Pour olive oil into 9×13 glass baking dish. Tilt dish around until olive oil evenly coats entire bottom.
3. Carefully and evenly sprinkle cheese mixture over bottom of pan. (Don’t dump it in and then try to spread it out. Once it touches the olive oil, it becomes almost impossible to spread the cheese out evenly–it will clump. It works better to sprinkle slowly and evenly over the entire surface so that no spreading is necessary.)
4. Arrange potatoes in a single layer, cut side down, on top of cheese mixture. Press down to insure potatoes are flat and in contact with cheese layer.
5. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until cheese is browned and potatoes are soft when pressed or pierced with fork. Remove from oven and leave potatoes to rest in pan for 5 minutes. Remove potatoes from pan using a small spatula, being careful to keep the cheese layer intact on the cut side of potato. (Use a paring knife to cut cheese between the potatoes, if necessary.)
6. Arrange on serving platter cheese side up. Serve with sour cream or Greek yogurt, (or a half-and-half mixture) sprinkled with chopped scallions or chives, if desired.
7. TO REHEAT LEFTOVERS:  Place potatoes cheese side up in a med-hot non-stick skillet to heat the bottom side. In 1-2 minutes, flip them over with tongs–cheesy side down–and cook another 1-2 minutes until heated and crispiness is restored. Be careful not to let them burn; they reheat quickly.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION for one prepared potato (2 halves):

45 calories, 2.0g fat, .6g sat.fat, 2mg cholesterol, 118mg sodum, 142mg potassium, 5.6g carbs, .9g fiber, 1.5g protein.
Weight Watchers SmartPoints: 1 (for one prepared potato–2 halves)

Servings: 4-6 servings