Seasoned Baked Potato Wedges

Baked Potato Wedges is something that I have been trying to get right for a long time, proabably several years. For some reason or another they don't turn out quite right. Too thick so they don't cook all the way through, too thin so parts burn easily, slimey because too much water in the potato, etc. I have been in search of a potato wedge that is soft and fluffy in the center but has a little crisp on the outside.

I gave up for a while, feeling that the search was hopeless and started buying bagged french fries to bake. I know, not the best option for me or my family but I felt broken and I needed a replacement. After all, the husband really like fries with any sort of sandwich on a bun that I serve. Plus, they are so so easy.

This past month, I have really buckled down on our grocery bill and tried to make do with what we have and the staples that I regularly buy. Potatoes are one of those things. I decided to parboil the potatoes before baking them and they turned out fabulous! The best yet. I have made them a few times since, just to make sure that it wasn't a fluke that they turned out so delicious. They turned out just as good then too. So here is how I made them. Not an exact science when it comes to seasoning, depends what you like.

Seasoned Baked Potato Wedges
3 pts
Serving Size - 8 Wedges

1 potato for each person
Non-stick spray or oil spritzer
Adobo seasoning (or seasoning salt)
Paprika
Dried Parsley

Bring a salted pot of water to boiling. Clean potatoes and remove any parts that look less than savory Sometimes there are a few gnarley eyes that I dig out. These were in pretty good shape. Cut each potato into eighths. Carefully drop potatoes in boiling water and boil 4-5 minutes. The potatoes should not be easily pierced but not as firm as when raw. They should hold their shape and not easily be broken or heaven forbid fall apart on you. If they do, you are having mashed potatoes for dinner instead.




Once potatoes have been parboiled. Drain and set out on a clean kitchen towel. The towel will absorb extra water and the potatoes will have steam coing from them that will help dry the inside.

The seasonings listed are the ones that I use but the potatoes can be seasoned with anything. I think that thyme is nice when serving with chicken. I also use the oil sprizer instead of non-stick spray because it is easier on my pans and bakeware. I use a Pampered Chef Stoneware Large Bar Pan for these wedges. I think it does the job well but any baking sheet is fine. My stone is non-stick from years of use but if you are using a regualr baking sheet I would give it a spray. Lay the potato wedges skin side down and spaced evenly. Make sure they had enough room between them so they can crisp up. Spray the potato wedges and season to your liking. Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 35-40 minutes. Remember this is the time it take on my stoneware so if you are using something different, I would start checking them at 30 minutes. Removed from oven and serve hot.



I usually eat mine with ketchup and sometimes a little mustard but I have some good ideas for some dipping sauces that I will have to try soon. Hope you like them as much as we do.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Revisited and Almond Onion Rice

Since making this Chicken Cordon Bleu a few weeks ago, my husband has been begging (literally) me to make this again and to make several of them so he can take them to work for lunches. I finally picked up some more ham this past week so I set out to make a bunch of them on Monday night. We had them for dinner that night and I paired it with some almond onion rice (recipe below) and a green salad topped with craisins, dried apples and raspberry vinegrette. It turned out as good as the first try and the experimental rice turned out amazing! Last time I had a request for pictures so here is the recipe again with pictures. The rice recipe is posted too.

Chicken Cordon Bleu
5 pts
2 servings

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 large deli slices of ham
2 wedges of Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss
1 egg white (mixed with a splash of water)
1/4 c panko style bread crumbs
1/2 c Fiber One cereal, pulsed in food processor or blender until fine crumbs

Thaw chicken. Place between two pieces of plastic wrap. Pound to about 1/4 inch thick with meat mallet or rolling pin. Remove plastic.


Place a slice of deli ham over each piece of chicken. Spread a wedge of cheese on half of each piece of chicken/ham. Roll like a burrito starting with the cheese side first so that it is in the middle of the roll. Secure with toothpicks if necessary.



Put egg white in a bowl. Combine panko bread crumbs and fiber one crumbs in another bowl. Dip the chicken in egg white and then roll in bread crumbs, coating entire chicken roll. Place on a cooking sheet that has been spray with nonstick spray. Repeat with second piece of chicken. sprinkle remaining bread crumbs on top of chicken.



Bake 350 degrees for about 25 minutes. Allow to cool a few minutes before serving because cheese inside will be very hot.



If freezing these, cook before freezing. Can be reheated in the oven or thawed in the fridge and them reheated in the microwave.



Brown rice takes forever to cook. I sometimes cheat and use instant brown rice on days that I forget to set the rice cooker early. I have heard that rice freezes well and have been meaning to try it so when I made fried rice on Sunday night, I cooke 2 extra cups of brown rice to freezer for quick meals during the week.

While the chicken cordon bleu is absolutely amazing, it is a little time consuming. I recommend making a bunch at one time like I did and freezing them for later meals. After preparing the chicken, I realized that I had forgot to throw on some rice. I had planned on making fresh rice because I wanted to season it with chicken stock and the rice I had cooked earlier in the week was plain. With only 25 minutes till dinner, I needed to figure out something fast. Rather than breaking out the instant rice, I pulled out the precooked rice from the night before and this is what I came up with. By the way, it was delicious!

Almond Onion Rice
1/2 c = 2 pts or 1 c = 5 pts
Serves 2-4

2 c cooked brown rice
1/4 c water
1 T chicken base
1/2 t mined garlic
1 green onion, sliced
canola oil spray
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray

If frozen, break rice into smaller chunks to fit in a microwave safe bowl. Ad water, minced garlic and chicken base. Cover with plastic wrap. Microwave 3 minutes or until warmed through. Uncover and stir. If water still remains in the rice microwave at 30 second intervals until water is evaporated or absorbed.




In a dry nonstick skillet (I used cast iron.), toast almonds until golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside. Spray pan with canola oil spray and return to medium heat. (I have a oil sprayer from Pampered Chef that I love. Nonstick spray is not very good for your pans.) Add sliced onion and saute lightly.



Spray 10 sprays of butter spray to pan. Add rice and base mixture and mix until combined. Let rice cook 2-3 minutes without stirring. This will give the rice more of a "fried" flavor. Stir lightly and let cook another 1-2 minutes without stirring. Mix in toasted almonds. Serve and Enjoy!
(I think that 1/2 c of rice is the perfect serving but my husband always want at least 1 c.)

Candied Yams - 4 pts

Every year for Thanksgiving, each family always brings the same thing, the thing they are "famous" for. My mom brings the spinach salad, one aunt the desserts and one aunt the cranberry waldorf. Well, my Aunt Marla has two things that she always brings to Thanksgiving. The apricot jello salad and the candied yams. I love her cadied yams and have made them for my own Thanksgivings since moving away from home. Short version of her recipe: a slice of a yam, a huge slab of butter, a scooping tablespoon of brown sugar and melt in oven. Not figure friendly but oh so delicious.

Right after the holidays, Costco was clearing out their yams for $3 for a huge box. I couldn't pass on the deal so I have been searching for ways to incoporate them into our menu. They havebeen baked, mashed, and cut into fries. This, however, is our favorite way to eat them:

Candied Yams
3 pts
Serves 4 (2 slices)

2 large yams or sweet potatoes
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray
4 t Splend brown sugar blend

Wash and boil unpeeled yams until cooked through and easily pierced with a fork. Remove from water and let cool just until you are able to handle them. Slice each yam lengthwise into 4 slices. Remove peel on all slices. Lay flat on stoneware or baking sheet.



Spray each slice 6 to 8 times with the butter spray.



Put 1/2 t of Splenda brown sugar blend on the top of each slice. Spread sugar evenly over each slice with fingers or a butter knife. Splenda brown is 2 times as concentrated as regular brown sugar so a little goes a long way.



Put in hot oven (450 degrees) and let sugar start to melt and bubble on the top of each yam slice. Remove from oven when sugar crystals have melted.



Serve immediately. These cool quickly and are best when hot. 1 serving is 2 slices of yam. These are some of the meals that I have served these yamns with recently.

Ham, Yams & Garden Salad


Pork Ribs, Yams & Spiced Apples