Roasted Red Potatoes with Bacon & Cheese

Another quick & easy side dish from betterrecipes.com. This a website that sends me emails daily with recipes. They're not always low-cal/fat but, often they're easy to slim down. This one wasnt one that needed slimming, though. This was probably one of the faster sides Ive made lately.

I was actually sort of on the line about the ranch. Im really weird about using ranch as a "sauce", per say. Im a believer in ranch is for dipping or for salads. This definitely defeated that mode of thought.

Yields 6 - 8 servings.
202.9 calories per serving.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 c light ranch dressing
1/2 c reduced fat cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 c bacon bits
2 lb small red potatoes, quartered

Preheat oven to 375.

Mix ranch, cheese, & bacon bits in a large bowl.
Add potatoes & toss.

Transfer to a baking dish.
Bake for 45 minutes.



I topped with a little bit of pepper. Just added a little extra flavor

Garlic Bread

As I said in the previous post, I am the biggest garlic junkie of all time. It felt only natural to make garlic bread. Not to mention, we had Italian on Sunday night.

This is another quick & easy side. My biggest suggestion is to throw the margarine mixture into the microwave for about 15 seconds after put ingredients in the bowl. Makes it easier for both mixing and spreading.

Yields 8 servings.
212 calories per serving.

INGREDIENTS

1 loaf of Italian bread
1/2 c margarine
2 cloves garlic, smashed
3 tsp parmesan
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano

Preheat oven to 350.

Slice loaf into 8ths but leave the bottom intact & set aside.
[It's very important not to slice through the bottom. It helps the flavor spread when baking!]
Mix margarine with garlic, parmesan, basil, & oregano & set aside.
[This is where I was saying to throw it in the microwave for 15 seconds.]

Take a length of foil & place loaf lengthwise on top.
Very gently, spread slices apart without breaking the bottom & spread with margarine mixture.
When all slices are covered, use any extra on top of the loaf.
Wrap up sides of foil & leave top uncovered; twist ends of foil.

Bake for 20 - 30 minutes.