Foodie Fridays

We are going for fast, easy, delicious and three ingredients today. Perfect, yes?

Potatoes are a serious staple in our house. My burst of happy happy on Saturdays comes from my ability to buy 50 pounds of potatoes for $10 at our local farmers' market. One day I scored 100 pounds for $15!!! I quite nearly did a back flip of joy...nearly. Not literally. Inside I was cartwheeling. You just couldn't see my inner gymnast that day.

Did you know, that potatoes are higher in potassium than the world famous potassium hog "bananas"? And did you know that if you ate enough calories to sustain yourself daily in potatoes alone, you would exceed the daily requirements for protein? Don't be fooled into thinking that you can't be healthy and strong by eating a vegetarian diet, or by eating carbs like taters. They are brilliant. Not to mention the most versatile "vegetable" in existence. (I know, it isn't technically a veggie. It is a tuber, but still...)

My daughter and I sat down one day and made a list of all the recipes I make with potatoes, and realized we could eat potatoes in a different form every night for supper for a WHOLE MONTH without repeating! Genius. And for the pennies it costs to buy them, it isn't a bad idea to try out.

Without further ado: Fan Potatoes!

You need:

** a baking dish with sides (I use my 9x13 glass pan...okay, who am I kidding: we use two pans)
** as many potatoes as that pan will hold (assuming you are cooking for several folks)
** Zesty Italian Salad Dressing
** Parmasean Cheese

Holding the potato lengthwise on the cutting board, make several, thin, vertical slices into the potato, but not all the way through the potato. It will still be entact, but looking like a fan (that doesn't really want to open up very much). Place cut side up into your pan.

Repeat for all the remaining potatoes.

Pour Salad dressing over and in between the cuts on the potatoes (I use nearly a whole bottle for the 9x13 pan. I find it helps in flavour, thorough cooking, and lack of 'sticking-to-the-pan-ness' to have the dressing puddle around the base of the potatoes.)

Next, liberally sprinkle the potatoes with parmasean.

Bake in 375F oven for 45min to an hour, or until the potatoes are soft in the middle and crispy on top, and browning beautifully.

I find these are really forgiving potatoes. If you need your oven hotter (or cooler)for some thing else you are cooking, they are happy to cook in even a 350F to 425F oven. Just watch the times and check them often.

We serve these as an entree with a big salad and steamed veggies, but clearly they would be delicious with anything...roast beef, chicken etc. We have even done these on the BBQ come summer time and they work there too.

The best part? If you can make enough to ensure leftovers, they fry up to make the most insanely yummy homefries for breakfast the next day. Just slice them or dice them, fry them up, and YUM! :-)

Here is a link to the original recipe that I don't look at anymore :-)