Skinny Cheesy Potatoes
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Cheesy Potatoes! Ahh, my favorite Midwestern staple that you’re sure to find at every get together, pot luck, or BBQ. They’re a perfect side for a turkey or ham dinner, cheeseburgers, grilled chicken… pretty much anything. So I went ahead and gave’m a Skinnyish Dish twist. These Skinny Cheesy Potatoes have all the taste, thanks to a few surprises hidden in there that keeps’m easy, dreamy, and cheesy!
First things first – I’m looking out my window… It’s snowing, and it’s April 14th. Who else is COMPLETELY over this? I was just thinking about taking Pepper to the greenhouse to pick up some flowers, and we could start planting our own little garden. But it’s a good thing we didn’t! Because here we go again… the weather in the Midwest has always got a few hi-lar-i-ous tricks up its sleeve. So until this madness passes, I’ll just continue putting comfort food on the menu. Because in this weather, it’s easy!
Now let’s talk about these Skinny Cheesy Potatoes. How does one make something as rich, gooey, and delicious as these good ol’ cheesy potatoes into something called “Skinny Cheesy Potatoes?” To be completely honest, it took quite a few attempts. I kinda hoped lightening these babies up would be a no brainer.. but I wanted to get em juuuuust right for y’all! And, well, I’m a lil bit of a perfectionist when it comes to things like Cheesy Potatoes.
How did I lighten them up?
Some easy tricks like swapping out the sour cream for nonfat Greek yogurt and using sharp cheddar cheese made with 2% milk… but that’s the obvious stuff. I also decided to be sneaky, and add frozen cauliflower rice to bulk it up with some nutrition!
You all still with me? Don’t close this browser window just yet! I know guys, cauliflower. In my experience, you’re either a fan of it, or simply not much at all.. and truthfully, I’m not a big fan of it, most of the time, by itself. You usually won’t find me swapping out regular rice for the cauliflower kind. But what you will find me doing is using cauliflower to bulk up meals. And it turned out to be the perfect addition to these Skinny Cheesy Potatoes! The cauli rice add an extra dose of nutrition, and bulks up the serving size without breaking the bank on points/calories.
If you’re from the Midwest, you’ve more than likely had somethin’ like these at a get-together like a family party, BBQ, holiday dinner, or… funeral. Yep, they’re sometimes called “Funeral Potatoes”. But for reasons I don’t need to explain, I moved away from that name, so I’ll never call’m that. You might be wondering where the crunched up cornflakes are, because that’s an ingredient that many people throw on top. You won’t find’m here! I’m following in my mom’s culinary footsteps. In her recipe, there never were any cornflakes. I’ve always enjoyed ’em this way, and I just feel like they weren’t all that necessary. So to save on the extra calories, I’m gonna go ahead and skip ’em.
And then there’s also a lil tiny addition of some cottage cheese. (Just trust me… Have I let y’all down before?)
But enough of the chit-chat. Here we go friends, say it with me: “Let’s get in the kitchen!”
How to make Skinny Cheesy Potatoes
First up, preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Then you’ll need a big bowl. Throw in a 32oz bag of frozen hash brown potatoes, either diced or shredded will do fine. (Personally, I prefer it with the shredded hash browns. But I wasn’t paying attention, and grabbed these diced ones at the grocery store- they worked fine.) You’ll also need about 3 cups of frozen cauliflower rice. I let both those frozen ingredients thaw for 8-10 minutes before adding anything else in. You don’t have to do this, but it makes it easier to stir.
Throw the goods into the bowl. You’ll actually see here that there’s some cream of chicken soup in there… I took these photos before this was all finalized, and because it was part of the original family recipe, I figured cream of chicken soup was necessary. Turns out, it’s not! At least not in this Skinnyish recipe, folks. I Also know some of you have strong feelings against it, so I just left it out. Just ignore that in the photo. You can totally add it if you want, but it’s not needed.
- 1-1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese. Don’t panic! It’s good in stuff like this. You won’t even know it’s there. I do not like cold cottage cheese. I actually think it’s gross! But once you’ve been around this ol’ blog for a while, you’ll see that I tend to use it quite a lot. It helps make things creamy without a ton of fat and/or calories.
- 1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt. This is an excellent healthy alternative to sour cream. And with the right amount of flavor in the mix, it’s pretty tough to detect.
- 1 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese (the “Made with 2% milk” variety). No way to have cheesy potatoes without it! Definitely go with Sharp Cheddar, because that cheddar flavor needs to be right up front, at the head of the line.
- 2 Eggs. These just help bind it all together.
- 1/4 cup Dried minced onion. You can find this easily in your grocery store where all the other dried spices are.
- 2 tsp Lawry’s Seasoned Salt. This is my personal favorite all-purpose seasoning salt. But like I always say, go ahead and use your family’s fave if you want!
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder. Because… garlic! You can also mince up a few cloves if you have the fresh stuff.
- 1 cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth.
- Pepper.
Stir it up really, really good! Like, so good.
Grab a 9×13 casserole dish. Spray it well with cooking spray, and then scoop your cheesy potato mix into the dish. Now top it off with 3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, and then lightly spray the top with cooking spray. (This helps keep the cheese from sticking to the aluminum foil.) Cover it up with aluminum foil, and pop it into a preheated 375-degree oven for about 40 minutes. Remove the foil, then continue to bake for another 15 minutes to brown it up a bit.
(NOTE: If you like your Cheesy Potatoes to be a lil’ extra brown and crispy on top, go ahead and turn it to broil… but make sure to watch it closely! I wouldn’t let it go much longer than 4-5 minutes at 500 degrees.)
Oh heavens, this Skinny Cheesy Potatoes situation I’ve got goin’ on here is just amazing.
Seriously… There’s not much to say, except these babies deserve a spot on your dinner table tonight.
Bring Skinny Cheesy Potatoes to any old family dinner or gathering of friends, and you’ll be the talk of the table! They are just so stinkin’ yummy. No one will believe they are healthy, even if you tell them! This dish is the perfect marriage of healthfulness and indulgence.
I made these just yesterday for a big family dinner, and everyone loved them so much! The only person who was a bit iffy on ’em was my brother-in-law, because he really hates cauliflower. (Trust me – when it comes to food, my family knows not to lie to me. If I cook for them and they don’t like it, I may get a little salty. But I’d be even more mad if they lied to me!) But even he finished his entire helping, so I’m calling that a victory over a picky eater… Skinny Cheesy Potatoes For The Win! Haha!
Leftover Skinny Cheesy Potatoes? Here’s an idea!
This recipe makes a boatload of potatoes, so you’re likely to have leftovers if you’re not feeding a bunch of people. I love using these as the base for a bowl. You know, the whole internet craze… Breakfast Bowls, Meatloaf Bowls, Chicken Bacon Bowls, Burrito Bowls, Taco Bowls, and so on and so forth. (I don’t think meatloaf bowls are a thing yet, but they probably should be, right?)
I’m surfing this crazy internet food wave too, folks! To tell you the truth, some of us were way ahead of the curve on this whole bowl-meals-of-mixed-food thing. Since I was a kid, I’ve been mixing all my food up in one bowl… so it comes natural to me! Example: the other night I baked up some turkey smoked sausage with peppers and onions. Then I piled it on top of a helping n’ a half of these Skinny Cheesy potatoes, and called it a meal. It was DELICIOUS! I also love mixing these in with a couple eggs and a crumbled-up piece of bacon. And now I’m getting an idea for some kind of fritter, but I’m all out of Skinny Cheesy Potatoes… it’ll have to be next time.
My readers are a lot like me- they love food, and they enjoy mixing things up. So if you come up with more great Bowl ideas, share them in the comments section below or on Instagram or FaceBook, and let us know!
OHH, so dang yummy. I’ve made these four times in the past week and half, and I STILL want to make some more! Skinny Cheesy Potatoes are a perfect addition to life.
Remember to let me know if you’ve made them! I love seeing your photos on Instagram.
Need some other yummy side dishes? Give these a try!
- Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Mash
- Sweet Potatoes with Parmesan and Bacon
- BLT Pasta Salad
- Garlic Parmesan Drop Biscuits
With love from my kitchen to yours,
Star
Psssst… Printable recipe below!
Skinny Cheesy Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 32-ounce bag hash brown potatoes, frozen shredded or diced, slightly thawed
- 3 cups riced cauliflower, frozen slightly thawed
- 1½ cups lowfat cottage cheese
- 1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1¾ cup shredded Sharp Cheddar made with 2% milk 3/4 cup reserved
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ c dried minced onion
- ½ tsp pepper
- 2 tsp Lawry’s Seasoned Salt or your favorite all purpose seasoning should work
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- cooking spray I use olive oil cooking spray
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In a large bowl add the hash browns, riced cauliflower, cottage cheese, 1 cup sharp cheddar, seasoned salt, pepper, eggs, Greek yogurt, and chicken broth. Mix together VERY well.
- Spray a 9×13 casserole dish well with cooking spray. Add cheesy potato mixture, and spread evenly into the dish. Top with the remaining 3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese. Spray top of the casserole with some more cooking spray to prevent cheese from sticking. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
- Bake for 40 minutes covered. Remove aluminum foil, turn the oven up to 425, and let the cheese brown up for another 15-20 minutes.
Hey these look amazing! Any healthy alternative to adding some crunch on
Top? Adding texture vs original cornflake topping? If so, would I just sprinkle on top before baking? Thanks!
I think adding the cornflakes on top is still probably the healthier alternative just do a little less! =) I would sprinkle them on top towards the end so they don’t get burned though. I have had that version before, but have never actually made it with the cornflakes. You could also do bread crumbs (but toast them in a pan with a little cooking spray before adding)
I came across your recipe while searching for a lightened version of “funeral potatoes” (as we call them). I had everything on hand, so I gave it a try. WOW!! We loved them, even my picky eater went back for seconds. I halved the recipe, and used one, 20oz package of refrigerated, diced Simply Potatoes. I left out the dried onion and used minced fresh onion instead. Other than that, everything was as you wrote it. It seemed a bit soupy when I took it out of the oven, so I very loosely covered with the tin foil and let sit for about 18 minutes while my pork chops baked. It was perfect at meal time. I will definitely be adding these to my rotation. Thanks so much!
What could I replace the eggs with (allergy)?
I made these for my family and we loved them! I will definitely hold the recipe next time to better fit our needs, but YUM! Thanks for sharing!!
Planning on making this Saturday and was thinking about adding some diced green chilies. Do you think that would be a good addition?
that sounds super yummy!!
Love love love this! I make it and have it all week as side’s for dinner. pairs well with so many different main dishes!
I love this dish so much! And so does my husband. So easy to make and so good with any meat! My Instagram handle is tabatha_caudill.
I made this for the PICKIEST MAN THAT EVER LIVED. Not kidding. He LOVED IT! The blend of turkey and beef is like magic, it tastes like all beef but lightens it up a lot. This meatloaf is so incredibly easy and oh soooo so yummy!!! Next time I make it I am going to double the recipe to have enough for lunches. YUM!
How come the 1/4c dried minced onion and garlic powder are not in your recipe?? Please update!!!
updated!!!!
I think the update didn’t take. I just put these in the oven and followed the directions and realized it wasn’t listed in step 1.
I’m not sure what you mean, Anna. I checked the recipe. It looks good on my end. But its possible I’ve missed something. Can you explain a bit more? Thanks!
I just made this tonight and my husband and I both loved it! It was super satisfying and filling. Thanks for a great dish!.
Hi Seema, So happy you both enjoyed!!
Do you have nutritional value so I can figure out we pp?
We don’t eat cottage cheese, is there a good substitute?
I was scanning you website for vegetarian recipes and found this-what would you sub for chicken broth to actually make it vegetarian? I was really looking forward to making this! Thanks.
That would work just fine.
Wondering if you decided to omit the minced onion from the recipe? Noticed it in your blog, but not in the recipe.
Hi! I’m making this right now. Quick question–you mentioned dried minced onion and garlic powder in your article, but I don’t see them in the actual recipe. Should I add them?
5 stars! I made this for a neighbors party and it was a hit! Numerous requests for recipe, I sent them to your site. This was the first recipe of yours I used, but not the last! I have also made the chicken fajita pasta and the Italian sloppy joes. Loved them all, a lot of flavor! Thank you for sharing your recipes!
Ps the stars do not light up when choosing them, so not sure what shows, but so far all 5 star ratings.
Thanks so much for letting me know Sue!!! so happy you’re enjoying the recipes
I am not a fan of Greek yogurt, but maybe you don’t taste it? Or would regular FF yogurt work as well? Looks Yummy!!!
I don’t taste it really, but it could be that I’ve just gotten used to the taste. You could definitely try regular yogurt or low fat sour cream too!
Made this tonight and it was great! I too liked it better than the original and without the soup. Will make again for sure.
So, so good! This was my first time making one of your recipies, and it will NOT be the last. The potatoes were so good that even my picky 13 year old son went back for seconds! Now the hard part – deciding what to make next. Everything looks so good!
I’m so happy you enjoyed, Patty!
In your picture above, what is the yellow blob next to the cottage cheese, that looks sort of like condensed soup or mustard?
It’s condensed soup. Right below the photo I wrote that i photographed it in the first go around with the recipe, but when I finalized the recipe later it wasn’t needed. Less ingredients, less points/calories, totally delish! total win. I hope you enjoy!
WOW this is amazing, I love this version more then the classic one! I can’t wait to add this into burritos and serve it with eggs for breakfasts for the rest of the week. So so so good!
Hey Rae! I saw someone add this to breakfast burritos on Instagram and it looked so good! I was making breakfast “bowls” out of it, but I can’t wait to make another batch and make burritos with it. I’m so happy you loved!
‘OHH, so dang yummy’ is so true
made this recipe yesterday…it was really good!!!
the cauliflower rice pairs well with the hash browns
and its’ creamy. this recipe is a keeper!
I always love your recipes, including this one our family made for Easter today!! These tasted great, but we’re very watery once we took them out of the oven and served them. Do you have any tips to make them so they don’t turn out watery? Thanks!
Hey Nora! I’m so sorry. I really don’t know why that happened. I actually made these about 6 times during testing it out and that never happened. The only thing I can suggest is to remove the foil and let it cook for a bit longer.
Thanks so much! When we reheated them as leftovers we cooked them longer and they were delish! 🙂
I just made these and they taste delicious. Mine are watery though and I’m not sure what I did incorrectly. I did did fresh onion, and my grocery store only had shredded hash browns. Next time I will try diced and see if that helps.
Nevermind… I see what you wrote about the chicken broth and cream of chicken soup.
Is that chick broth in the mixing bowl photo? Because it looks like cream of chicken soup. I’ve never heard of putting chicken broth and cheesy potato casserole.
Can I put these together a day ahead and refrigerate them till baking?
should be totally fine!
You just knew that I needed a “hash brown” casserole recipe for Easter!!! Can’t wait to try these!!!
I hope you enjoy, Sarah! Let me know how it goes!
Do you think these could be done in the crockpot?! Fingers crossed!
I don’t really see why not, but I haven’t tried it. Make sure to spray the crockpot well with cooking spray. I would say low for for maybe 4-5 hours, but I’d keep an eye on it from time to time so it doesn’t overcook. Let me know how it goes if you try it!
I’m in charge of the cheesy potatoes for Easter this year, found my recipe! Thank you 🙂
You’re welcome, Jen! I hope you love them as much as I do!