Skinny Cheesy Potato Casserole

This Skinny Cheesy Potato Casserole is a lighter version of my favorite holiday side dish! It has all the flavor of the traditional calorie heavy casserole without the guilt! 

It’s getting down to the wire for creating your Easter menu.  So far on ours there will be this Brown Sugar Mustard Glazed Ham, Honey Roasted Carrots, Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls and for dessert Lemon Curd and Vanilla Cheesecake Parfaits. I always have problems narrowing down what I want to make. Sometimes I wish I could host a brunch or dinner and invite 50 people just so I could go crazy and make 20 different things!

One thing that has been and always will be a part of my Easter meal is a cheesy potato recipe that my mom has made for as long as I can remember. The version she makes isn’t what you would call healthy by any means, but dang is it good!

This year I decided to take those cheeserific taters and turn them into a side dish that’s a little lighter but still full of that creamy cheesy flavor you want. So here it is, Skinny Cheesy Potato Casserole!

So what did I do to make these cheesy potatoes lighter so that mound of them sitting on your plate looking like Mt. Everest won’t leave you shopping for a larger pair of pants the next week? Well I did several things. First was eliminate most of the butter, not all, but most. The entire casserole only has one tablespoon.

The next thing to eliminate from the original recipe was the canned cream of chicken soup. I thought about making my own, but then I started wondering if it really made the potatoes that much better.

I took a chance and eliminated it and instead increased the amount of plain non fat Greek yogurt I used. The result was just what I was hoping for, I didn’t notice a difference in taste or texture at all.

The remaining changes to the recipe were using skim milk, cutting back on some of the cheese used, and replacing half of the amount of sharp cheddar cheese with part skim mozzarella. The potatoes were amazingly creamy and cheesy even with all the substitutions!

Now I have to let you in on the secret to what makes this cheesy potato casserole so special. It’s that instead of mashing the potatoes you boil them until they are almost tender, but still have some bite and then shred them. The texture is a cross between hash browns and mashed potatoes and something about that makes them taste that much better!

If you’re like me, then potatoes will be the main side dish with your Easter dinner, so why not change up the regular mashed version for this shredded and super delicious Skinny Cheesy Potato Casserole!

More Easter Side Dishes 

Brown Butter Green Beans with Slivered Almonds

Balsamic Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts 

Berries and Feta Salad

Skinny Cheesy Potato Casserole

Yield: 8-10 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

You'll never suspect that this creamy, cheesy potato casserole has been lightened up with healthier ingredients!

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Ingredients

• 3 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, washed and peeled
• 1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 2 ounces low fat cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/2 cups plain non fat Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4 cup part skim mozzarella, divided
• 3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, divided

Instructions

1. Spray a 3 quart casserole dish or a 9x13 dish with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Cut the washed and peeled potatoes in half and add them to a large pot of salted water.
3. Bring the potatoes to a boil and cook them until almost tender, but still have some bite, about 8-10 minutes.
4. Let the potatoes cool until you are able to handle them, then using a box grater shred them using the largest grate.
5. In a large bowl whisk together the melted butter, cream cheese, Greek yogurt, milk, salt, and pepper.
6. Add in the shredded potatoes, green onions, and 1/2 a cup each of the shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese.
7. Fold everything together until combined then pour the potatoes into the prepared casserole dish.
8. Top the potatoes with the remaining 1/2 cup each of shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese.
9. Bake the potatoes at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 264Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 545mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 3gSugar: 4gProtein: 13g