Sliced Baked Sweet Potatoes

These Sliced Baked Sweet Potatoes were a fun and delicious accompaniment to the Ham dinner we had for Easter.  Each potato is an individual serving and offers the pre-cut perfection of scalloped potatoes without the added fat and calories.

Prep Time:  15 minutes

Cooking Time:  about 45 minutes

Servings:  4

Ingredients:

4 medium sweet potatoes

1 teaspoon salt

2 to 3 tablespoons melted butter

2 tablespoons of chopped fresh herbs or 2 teaspoons of dried herbs

      I used a fresh blend of parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme

3 tablespoons grated sharp cheddar cheese

1-1/2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Method:

• Peel potatoes and rinse them.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Cut potatoes into thin slices but not all the way through.
• Put potatoes in a baking dish.  Fan them slightly.
• Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with butter.  
• Sprinkle with herbs.
• Bake potatoes for about 30 minutes.
• Remove from oven.  Sprinkle with cheeses.
• Bake potatoes for another 10 to 15 minutes until lightly browned, cheeses are melted and potatoes are soft inside.  Check with a fork.

Recipe Links:

I found the original recipe in a box of cookbooks handed down to me from my Mother-In-Law. It was printed on a a recipe card and was being used as a book mark. 

Here's another posting.

Chicken Cacciatorre

Served over spaghetti squash and featuring boneless and skinless chicken thighs, this is a delicious and low calorie version of the classic dish.

The original version of this dish calls for using a whole, cut-up chicken, and serves it atop egg noodles, rice, or polenta.  I made it a couple of times that way, and it was delicious.  Nonetheless, my wife did not like the "picking out the bones" and "working around the skin", etc.  She suggested that we try it with boneless and skinless thighs.   

All of the flavor, much less of the fat, and none of the work...  That's my wife for you...my better half...!

Prep Time:  about 15 minutes

Total Time:  about 1-3/4 hours

Servings:  8 to 10

 Simple mise en place:  Sliced peppers, sliced onion, crushed whole garlic cloves, herbs and spices

Ingredients:

3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion sliced "with the grain"

6 to 8 cloves garlic, crushed

3 sprigs fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 cup tomato sauce

1/2 cup water

2 red bell peppers, sliced

2 green or yellow peppers, sliced

salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Method:

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Brown chicken in batches over medium high heat in a large dutch oven - set browned chicken aside.
• Add onion, garlic, and salt and pepper and saute for about 5 to 6 minutes.  There should be enough moisture from the onions to lightly deglaze the pan.
• Add rosemary, oregano, and pepper flakes.
• Add tomato sauce and water.
• Add chicken and more salt and pepper.
• Place the peppers atop the chicken and cover with a tight fitting oven proof lid.
• Place in 350 degree oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Recipe Links:

Here is the Original Video Recipe... a Tribute to Italian Chicken Hunters...