Loaded Potato Soup - 4 points

The original post of this recipe seems to have been lost when Blogger went nuts a few days ago. It is so good that I hate to have it excluded from my blog, so I am putting it up again. Everytime I look at it three words circle through my head: potato, bacon, creamy. Those are good words.

Loaded Potato Soup - 4 points

6 cups shredded potatoes

12 slices bacon, chopped and fried

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup flour

1 chicken bouillon cube

2/3 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

6 cups fat free milk

1 cup green onions, chopped

1 1/4 cup fat free cheese

1 cup cauliflower

1 cup broccoli

1 cup carrots, chopped

1. Place potatoes on a large saucpan over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup water. Cover and cook for 9 minutes.

2. Turn potatoes, cover and continue to cook for 8 minutes. Set aside.

3. In a large pot over medium low heat, combine oil and flour to make a roux. Cook, stirring constantly, for three minutes.

4. Add bouillon, milk, salt, and pepper to pot. Cook over medium heat until milk begins to thicken, about 5 minutes.

5. Steam broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower in a microwave steamer or stovetop steamer until tender. Mash with a potato masher if you desire a chunky texture or puree in a food processor for a creamier texture. 

6. Add all vegetables, bacon, and cheese to the milk base in the pot. Simmer until heated through. 

7. Yields 20, 4 point servings (approximately 1 cup per serving) 

Sausage and Potato Casserole - 9 points

See the chicken with roasted potatoes? Well, it left me with a problem. Reheated roasted potatoes do not taste particularly good, and I had a lot of leftover roasted potatoes. I couldn't think of a thing to do with them that was not going to cost me a whole bunch of  Weight Watchers points. Lucky for me, I have a Sunday school class made up of people who - for the most part - are not counting points. Since I still had a few holiday ingredients that needed to get out of my fridge before temptation overtook me, I threw them in there too. I had one tiny bite when the casserole was done and it was awfully good. If you have the points, go for it!

Sausage and Potato Casserole
1 lb roasted potatoes, cubed
1 lb sage sausage
1 onion, chopped
10.5 oz goat cheese
6 eggs
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large skillet, cook sausage and onion over low heat until sausage is cooked through. Stir frequently to keep sausage from clumping.
2. Add potatoes to the skillet, just to mix. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour mixture into a baking pan or stone.
3. In a large bowl, beat eggs yolks and whites are blended. Pour eggs over potato mixture. Top the casserole with crumbled goat cheese.
4. Bake, covered, in a 350F oven for 30 minutes. Remove cover and broil for an additional 3 minutes to brown cheese.
5. Yields 10, 9 point servings

Roasted Chicken with Potatoes - 7 points +

Chicken dinner; it's a Southern tradition. Fried chicken is, of course, the real chicken of the South. Unfortunately, fried chicken is death on points. Fortunately, this roasted chicken is wonderfully delicious.

Roasted Chicken with Potatoes
1 medium chicken, cleaned and washed (make sure to remove giblet bag)
10 cups potatoes, sliced
1 lemon
1 orange
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp oregano
2 oz provolone cheese
1 green pepper, cut into four pieces
salt and pepper

1. Cut the orange in half. Rub the chicken outside of the chicken with the orange. Salt and pepper the chicken thoroughly.
2. Place the provolone and the green pepper in the chicken's cavity.  Place chicken in a roasting pan or stone.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine juice of the lemon, olive oil, and oregano. Add potatoes; salt and pepper to taste. Mix until potatoes are coated.
4. Place potatoes on baking dish around chicken.
5. Bake in a 350F oven for 60-90 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted in the breast reads 170F.  Starting at 45 minutes, baste chicken with pan juice in 20 minutes intervals.
6. The potatoes yield 8, 4 point servings. The chicken will vary according to cut - starting with 3 points for half a breast.