1 Potato, 2 Potato, 3 Potato, More!

     Being a Weight Watcher member may have led to the diminishment of my potato serving size but my love of potatoes has remained constant.  Mashed potatoes, cheese potatoes, roasted potatoes, grilled potatoes, fried potatoes - I love them all!  Potatoes my be a staple for many of us but variety is the spice of life!  
     Today's offering is an oven-baked potato, Puffy Potato Rounds.  They are easy to make, tasty and just a little different.  Many of us Weight Watcher members opt for oven-"fried" potatoes to try to cut out the fat.  One of the problems I often have when making oven fries is the "stick" factor - when I try to turn them over I end up leaving their nice brown bottoms on the pan (I think the potato's starch may be the culprit).  The little bit of flour used in this recipe seems to help hold the seasoning on the potato, seal in the moisture and keep them from sticking.  They're still a work in progress so any suggestions are appreciated!

 

Puffy Potato Rounds

 Ingredients:

A pound of raw potato rounds.

• A pound of smaller, thin-skinned potatoes such as red or yukon gold (I used 3 4-inch potatoes)
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 
• Salt and pepper (1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon each, to your taste) 
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic 
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (ground red pepper) 
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika 
• A plastic bag for shaking 
• Olive oil cooking spray

 

Putting it Together:

Ready for the oven.

       Preheat oven to 400 F (I used convection).  Spray a heavy baking sheet (I used my two burner-sized non-stick griddle which is oven-safe) with cooking spray.  Scrub the potatoes and slice into 1/4 -1/3 inch thick rounds; set aside.  Combine flour and spices in sturdy plastic bag, shake to mix well.  Place the potato rounds a handful at a time into the plastic bag and shake until lightly coated; remove and place on prepared sheet, trying not to overlap.  Continue with remaining rounds.  Spray rounds with cooking spray and bake in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes (turning rounds over half way through) or until softened inside and golden brown outside.  Serve immediately since like all oven-fried potatoes they wilt and soften when cool.    

      Weight Watchers Recipe Builder estimated a total of 9 Points for this recipe or 3 servings at 3 Points per serving.  I had half of the flour-seasoning mixture left, enough to coat another pound of potatoes, I would estimate.