Day 15: Cheesy potato casserole with variations

I am so annoyed I missed posting yesterday.  We are halfway through NaBloPoMo, and I think having missed only one day is pretty good for me.  Onto today's post!

I am always looking for recipes that I can make when we have people over for dinner.  If you know me, you know I love cooking, and love hosting people at our house.  I love finding recipes for dishes that do not have to be made when people are here.  This recipe for Cheesy Potato Casserole is perfect to make earlier in the day, then refrigerate until you are ready to throw it in the oven.  It is true comfort food, and with the variations I made, it is better for you than the recipe I started with.  I started with this recipe, then made a few changes to bring down the calories and fat.  The finished result is absolutely delicious, and while it certainly cannot be considered healthy, it is less unhealthy than the original recipe.

My ingredients:

List of ingredients:

• 1 cup 2% fage plain yogurt
• 1/3 cup butter melted (I have not tried to make it with margarine, but might try it the next time)
• one small onion, diced
• 1 can of campbell's cream of mushroom or cream of chicken condensed soup 98% fat free)
• 2 lbs frozen diced potatoes
• 1/2 cup shredded 2% sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded regular sharp cheddar cheese

Set the bag of potatoes out to defrost for an hour or two.  Mix all ingredients in a big bowl after potatoes have defrosted. 

Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.  Pour everything into pan.  If you are like Luca, you will stare at the pan, smile, and admire the deliciousness.

Cook at 350 for about 1 hour - it should be bubbly and have started to brown in some areas.  Friends were here by the time this was done, so I do not have a picture of the completed dish.  And it is already gone today!

With the substitutions I made, I cut the calories to almost half, and the fat content to over half of what the original recipe calls for.  I also increased the protein content. 

Enjoy!