Lighter Loaded Mashed Taters

Lighter Loaded Mashed Taters, Farmers Wife Original

I'm having one of those days again... The kind where all I want to do is sleep and my energy level is well... *ZZZzzzzzzz* Oh sorry, what was I... Oh right energy, doesn't exist for me today. I would much rather lay down and sleep the day away than share this recipe with y'all. Sorry if that offends or upsets, you know I love you guys, just have absolutely no drive or vision today. But I wanted to share this fantastic recipe with y'all!

Now I'm sure loaded mashed/baked potatoes is nothing new to you. They've been all over since some of the big chain restaurants added them to their menus. Now I will admit to the guilty fact that I have tried them before at said restaurants, and while my conscious regretted it later, my tummy enjoyed it at the moment. lol! So when working on side dishes to compliment the perfect Barbecue feast one of the first things that came to mind was loaded mashed taters... But how could I make these little bad boys just a little healthier? Well, it's not as good for you as eating steamed veggies, but this is good and not nearly as guilt ridden as the big chain restaurants version! And just so you get an idea of just how low in calories this is, we got 5 servings out of it totaling 249 calories per serving! Not to shabby if you ask my flabby... ;-)

Ingredients:
4 Medium Potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 Tablespoons Margarine
1/2 -2/3 cup Non Fat Sour Cream
1/8-1/4 cup Milk (I used 1% but you can use Skim or whatever you have on hand)
3/4 cup Shredded Cheddar
4 slices Turkey Bacon, cooked and diced
2 Green Onions, diced
Salt and Pepper to taste
Dash of Garlic Powder

Directions:
Peel and cube the potatoes and place in a stock pot and cover with water. Cook on medium-high heat, bring to a boil and let cook about 20-30 minutes or until fork tender. Once cooked, drain and place back into pot, then add in milk and butter. Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes until creamy and mostly if not fully lump free *You can use a hand or stand mixer to mash the potatoes I just prefer the old fashioned way.* Add the sour cream and spices and mix well. Then add your cheese, cooked diced bacon and green onions and stir. Serve warm.

Review:
We really enjoyed this, and did not miss the fat in this recipe AT ALL! I will be making this repeatedly. 5 stars!