So my hubby sprang (sprung??) it on me 2 days ago that we are hosting a small contingency of his family...oh joy... for Easter Sunday. OMG. We rarely have people over. Not because our house is a pig sty or anything, but because we have multi-levels (small ones to boot) that are never good for the Grandma/Great Grandmas (no bathroom on the kitchen/dining level, etc). Plus I do not cook. Add to that I do home daycare so the entire basement is a daycare area. And we have cats. (And I don't cook, did I mention that part?? I can not stress it enough!)
So my lovely FIL is making a ham and bringing it...whew! One thing done. Hubby assured them this will be low scale dinner. Not a big overdone all day event. He said we will do a lettuce salad, some sort of simple veggie and a potato dish. Easy enough?
Well these folks are accustomed to a whole big she-bang. Creamy cheesy drowning in this and that. BUT, my very heavy set MIL, who I am very proud of, has lost 65 pounds in the last 7 months, goes to the gym 5-6 days aweek and is very careful with her eating and calories. So we want to honor her choices and the ones we at least attempt to make, altho not with her dedication as of late.
So we are doing the lettuce salad and will saute some veggies in a simple way, but for the potatoes we were at a loss. My teenage daughter suggested baked potatoes and I extended that idea by saying lets make it like a potato bar..self serve so they can decide for themselves what to add on, taste and calorie-wise.
So now, what to buy? I am a plain loads-of-margarine-eat-the-skin-and-all sorta gal for the rare rare times I eat one. I know sour cream is a hot item. Maybe some sort of bacon crumbles and shredded cheese? What else? Any ideas for what would be "standard" for you and yours, or some interesting, but easy things I can chop, or use the can opener on and put in some pretty bowls and say VIOLA!
I hope everyone enjoys their "forced family fun" as much as I will...LOL
Happy Easter!
I love mushrooms ...you can use canned mushrooms or stir fry with olive oil and soy sauce,
pico de gallo , shredded chicken,
Favorited toppings here
Broccoli cheese mixture or broccoli cheese soup
Salsa, Cheddar over Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream
Sour Cream/Greek Yogurt with bacon bits
Chili w/ SC/GY and chives
SC/GY and chives
I personally like butter and A-1 sauce.
Sour cream (you can get low fat for MIL)
Chives
butter
bacon bits
cheddar cheese
Chopped Brocolli
OMG!!! I just recently experienced a very yummy potato bar at a scrapbook event. They had bacon crumbled (it was cooked bacon they crumbled up - very yummy), cheese (but the nacho cheese type you scoop out - also very yummy), broccoli, chives, sour cream and butter. It was so delicious and I just might have to do one of these some day! :) Good luck!
butter
sour creme
shredded cheese (get low fat)
bacon bits
scallions/chives
my kids love chili
Keep it in the simple theme you created. Just put out the stuff you would get if you ordered a loaded baked potato at a restraunt. Butter, sour cream, chives, and sour cream. That wont clash with the other traditional flavors at the table.
What about some good rolls. Parkerhouse self rising frozen rolls are phenominal and they are perfect for ham sandwhiches later.
Chives
Bacon bits
sour cream (you could even get light)
cheese
salt & pepper
We used to do these for the Teacher Appreciation Day luncheons at my daughter's school, they were always a hit. There's a lot that is healthy and not fattening, in addition to the butter, shredded cheese and sour cream, that is ; ) Put out bowls of:
fresh chopped broccoli
fresh grated carrots
Salsa
chopped tomatoes
turkey bacon crumbles (they're sold in a bag already done, in the salad/dressing/crouton section)
chives
chili (with beans or without)
sunflower seeds
butter
sour cream and/or Greek yogurt
shredded cheese and/or melted cheese sauce
Be care, though, you might start a tradition that will be hard to break ; )
I would do roasted potatoes. They will be easier and less mess. I use this recipe and always get compliments on how good they are. You can even do them ahead and then just warm them up in the oven (not the microwave because that can make them soggy) before you serve them. I use olive oil, sea salt, fresh ground pepper, and minced garlic (fresh or dried). I abe used fingerling potatoes or a mixture of small red, white, and yellow Yukon potatoes. You can find small bags of them at most grocery stores. One of the keys is to at least slice the potatoes in half so they get a little crispy. I have also used sweet potatoes but they usually don't need to roast as long.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/garlic-roas...
sour cream, chives (fresh) bacon bits, salt pepper ranch butter
chillie, bacon, sour cream, salsa,
I actually like a lowfat vegetarian chili over my baked potato, in addition to some small florets of blanched broccoli. It's full of healthy stuff, yet fairly low calorie and TOTALLY filling. One of these combos and your MIL will probably not have to eat anything else, she'll be so stuffed. Salsa would also work and be very yummy. Anything to maximize flavor (because of the bland nature of a plain baked potato) without adding too many calories would work.
And good for your MIL for getting healthy - she's a real inspiration!
Butter
Sour Cream (regular and lite)
cheese (regular and lite)
chives
bacon
Broccoli and cheese
If you have any chilli (left over or canned) you can heat that up and put it out too
How about sweet potatoes? They are better for dieters - and everyone else - low glycemic index and all that. Make oven fries! Easy and healthy!
Buy a few sweet potatoes (not yams - they are not the same thing) and some different colors of other potatoes. Peel the sweet potatoes and slice into wedges. Cut white, Idaho, Yukon gold, red bliss potatoes, whatever you want (wash but do not peel). Cut into similar sized wedges or (for small round potatoes) in halves or quarters so that all are approximately the same thickness. Cut up a yellow onion or two in wedges. Put everything on a cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil and any herbs you like (salt & pepper, dill are good, but you can use rosemary and parsley too). Toss lightly so everything is coated with a little bit of oil. Bake in the oven at 350 for about 30 minutes or until the largest slices can be pierced with a fork.
This can be transferred into a casserole and put on the "potato bar" or on a hot plate. You can also add in broccoli florets or cauliflower pieces and roast those. If you don't like to chop, then buy the fingerling potatoes and roast them whole with a sliced onion or some small onions. You don't have to know how to cook! It's perfect for you!! LOL.
You can always do this separate from the baked potatoes and do your toppings. Chopped chives, chopped scallions, shredded cheddar, bacon crumbles, sour cream, are all good choices. So are diced green peppers, very small broccoli florets, peas (use frozen/defrosted) and carrot shreds. See if you can find some stuff pre-chopped at the supermarket to save you time, especially if there is a salad bar there. OR enlist the aid of early arrival guests. If you don't have enough small dishes, use coffee cups or mugs, or plastic wine cups! Make several "stations" because it's time consuming for people to choose their toppings and the buffet line doesn't move. If you can, put it on a table and run 2 lines down either side of the table, or pass the toppings at the main dining table.
mushrooms
grape tomatoes
jalapenos
carmelized onions
pimentos
When I set up a baked potato bar in my kitchen, here's how it goes: Boil potatoes until soft--not mashable soft, though. I don't want them to fall apart when I grab them. Then, I slice them in half lengthwise, set them in a large pan open side up, and put them in the oven. I bake/roast them until they are very soft. (You can season them before the oven with garlic and parsley and rosemary if you'd like.) Then, I set them out for the guests to dress. Dressings: butter, sour cream, chili, chives, cheese...baked potato toppings.
