Cheesy Potatoes

Cheesy Potatoes

I had a minor surgical procedure this afternoon so Dan made the bulk of the dinner tonight; he made lobster tail and scallops and we steamed fresh asparagus.  In addition to giving me the night off, he wanted to thank Mama Pirri for watching our dog, Eddie, while were away for a few days.  Mama Pirri loves her lobster! 
I wanted an easy, cheesy side dish to go with it; one which wouldn't require me to stand for a long period of time.  If you've been reading my blog, you also know that I don't like using the oven in the summer.  So I compromised and made this dish half in the microwave, and it only needed 20 minutes in the oven and a short time under the broiler to finish. 

I used KRAFT Philadelphia Cooking Creme as the base for this dish.  I used the savory garlic flavor, but you could also kick it up and use one of the other flavors, like Santa Fe (pictured below).

This dish can be made ahead.  Just cover it with foil, turn the oven off, and keep it in the warm oven until ready to serve.

What you need:

Four medium Russet Potatoes, scrubbed clean of the skin and sliced thin
3 tablespoons Water
5 ounces (1/2 tub) Savory Garlic or Santa Fe Blend KRAFT Philadelphia Cooking Creme*
1 cup shredded mild Cheddar Cheese
3 tablespoons Butter, cubed
1 cup 2% Milk
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
Freshly Ground Pepper, to taste

Other: 

Butter Flavored Cooking Spray
Fresh Chopped Chives

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Add sliced potatoes to a microwave safe bowl.  Add water and cover with plastic wrap.  Microwave on high for seven minutes.  Drain water from potatoes and return to bowl.

While potatoes are warm, mix in cooking creme.  Cool slightly so that you can handle.

Spray rectangular baking pan with cooking spray.  Place one layer of potatoes on the bottom of the pan.  Top with 1/2 of the cheddar cheese, 1/2 of the butter, and 1/2 of the milk. 

Repeat with second layer.  Top with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh ground pepper.

Bake potatoes in oven for 20 minutes.  Turn on broil.  Broil for 3-5 minutes until cheese is all bubbly and brown. 

Great with seafood or ham.

*Not a paid endorsement and no product was supplied to blogger.