Have a Healthy Merrylicious Christmas & New Year with U.S. Potato Festive Dishes

Christmas is just around the corner! I'm sure everyone is looking forward to welcoming some seasonal cheers. It has been a challenging year with the Covid-19 pandemic, I think most of us are not planning to attend any major Christmas parties. Hence, many of us will appreciate the opportunity to just be able to sit down and enjoy healthy and nutritious meals with family and friends during the festive holidays.

Still cracking your head over what to cook for your Christmas dinner? Here are two wonderful U.S. potato-inspired festive dishes created by dietitian Indra Balaratnam for the Christmas holidays. Nutritious and healthy, U.S. Potatoes are incredibly versatile! You can concoct a wide repertoire of recipes for the holidays ranging from soup, appetisers, hot dishes to even desserts.  

Have Yourself a Healthy Merry Christmas!

 

According to dietitian Indra Balaratnam, Christmas time could be a stressful and over- eating experience.  Yes, meals should look appealing but never ignore the healthy attributes aspects of your festive dishes. Dishes can be both delicious and nutritious. A good way to add beneficial nutrients to your holiday meal is to include U.S. potatoes. 

U.S. Potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin C (30% of the DV), which plays a key role in supporting the body’s immune system. It’s always good to have natural Vitamin C even during the festive season – and all year.  

Did you know U.S. Potato has more potassium than a medium banana? It gives you 15% of your daily potassium serving. Potassium is a mineral that is an electrolyte for muscles to function well. You lose potassium through your sweat, so it needs to be replenished to keep your performance optimal.

A medium U.S. Potato with the skin on also provides 2 grams of fiber. Fiber has many benefits, one of which helps you to feel comfortably full for longer. This can help you to avoid over-eating and unnecessary weight gain during the festive holidays when one tends to over-eat or if your job is keeping you sedentary. 

Additionally, one medium U.S. Potato gives you 110 calories of easy-to-digest calories, making it a good choice food to provide you that extra to fuel the demands of your active routines during Christmas. It has zero fat, so it won’t weigh you down and great for a less fat guilt-free Christmas feasting!

If you are planning to have a more active 2021, be sure to you will be pleased to know that U.S. potatoes provide the complex carbohydrates, potassium, fiber and vitamin C you need to perform at your best.

Here are the two healthy and nutritious recipes created by Indra for the Christmas holidays.

U.S. RUSSET POTATOES MUSHROOM CHEESE CASSEROLE 

Nutrition packed U.S. Russet Potatoes make this luscious dish a stand-out on your festive table this year for the whole family!  

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

2 medium size Russet U.S. Potatoes (approximately 450 grams) -- thinly sliced

200 grams white button mushrooms

100 grams yellow onion -- thinly sliced

1 tablespoon (15 grams) butter 

2 cloves garlic – finely minced 

1 tablespoon wheat flour 

1 cup (250 ml) cups nonfat (skim) milk 

120g low-fat cheese (6 slices low fat cheese slices) 

½ teaspoon salt 

½ teaspoon black pepper 

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

English parsley -- chopped (to garnish)

Method:

• Heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. 

• Line the thinly sliced U.S. potatoes into a lightly buttered baking dish

• Melt butter in a small pot over low-medium heat;

• Add in onion and mushroom cook stirring occasionally until tender (about 5 minutes). 

• Stir in flour, then slowly add in the skim milk and stir till well combined. Bring to a slight simmer.

• Stir in 120 grams low fat cheese, salt, black pepper & cayenne pepper 

• Pour mixture into prepared baking dish then spread out to coat the thinly sliced potatoes.

•  Bake in the oven uncovered for 45 minutes. 

• After 45 minutes cooking time, cover with foil and continue to bake another 10 minutes more. 

• Garnish with finely chopped English parsley

Nutrition Analysis (per serving for 1 pax)

Calories:  160

Protein: 8g

Total fat: 5g

Saturated fat: 3g

Carbohydrates: 22g

Fibre: 2g

Cholesterol: 17mg

Sodium: 372mg

Vitamin A: 404 IU

Vitamin C: 7mg

Calcium: 177 mg

Potassium: 591mg

Iron: 1mg

Vitamin B6: 0mg 

HONEY MUSTARD GLAZED HASSELBACK U.S. POTATOES

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 kg U.S. Potatoes (mix of U.S. Russets, U.S. Red Potatoes or U.S. Blue-Purple Potatoes)

2 teaspoons olive oil

To make the Honey Mustard Glaze:

2 Tablespoon melted unsalted butter

4 teaspoons honey

4 teaspoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons mustard

Pinch of salt & crushed black pepper 

Method:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius

• Wash and pat dry the U.S. Potatoes

• Slice the U.S. Potatoes thinly Hasselback-style & arrange on a baking tray lined with baking paper.

• Lightly brush the U.S. Potatoes with a little olive oil and bake for 30 minutes

• Mix all the ingredients for the honey mustard glaze into a small bowl.

• After 30 minutes, remove the potatoes from the oven and brush with half the honey mustard glaze over the U.S. Potatoes and return to bake 10 more minutes.

• After 10 minutes, brush with some more of the lemon honey glaze & bake for another 10 minutes till cooked.  

• Remove from oven and garnish with a dash of salt, black pepper, finely chopped 

   

Nutrition Analysis (per serving for 1 pax)

Calories:  195

Protein: 4g

Total fat: 6g

Saturated fat: 3g

Carbohydrates: 34g

Fibre: 2g

Cholesterol: 10mg

Sodium: 58mg

Vitamin A:  122IU

Vitamin C: 11mg

Calcium: 24 mg

Potassium: 705mg

Iron: 1mg

Vitamin B6: 1mg 

So are you intrigued to try out this yummylicious U.S. Potato recipe for the coming festive celebrations? Check out the links below for the recipe videos!

U.S. Russet Potatoes Mushroom Cheese Casserole

https://uspotatogoodness.com.my/recipes/christmas-special-u-s-russet-potatoes-mushroom-cheese-casserole-by-indra-balaratnam/

Honey Mustard Glazed Hasselback U.S. Potatoes

https://uspotatogoodness.com.my/recipes/christmas-special-honey-mustard-glazed-hasselback-u-s-potatoes-by-indra-balaratnam/

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