A Call to Arms .. Or Potatoes.

There comes a time in every SkinnyBitch's life where there is an insatiable craving for something.  You never know when, where or how it will hit, but know that it will with the fury of a small army of Killer Bees. 

The question is, will it be sweet? Will it be salty?  Crunchy?  Chewy?  But more importantly, how will I take care of this overwhelming Call to Arms (or Call of the Wild, as my Partner in Crime would affectionately refer to it)? 

Well, this afternoon, Ms. SkinnyBitch was tapped on the shoulder by The Cravings Gods.  Loaded Potato Skins.  At first it was just a slight tug.  LOADED Potato Skins.  I tried my best to suppress this slightly more intense nag from my belly.  LOADED POTATO SKINSSSSSSSSSS!!!!  I could no longer ignore the not overwhelming shouting that my stomach was now doing.  To give you a perspective: take a 5-year old into Chuck-E-Cheese, tell them to find a chair and sit in it quietly for 4 hours while the adults go play.  Yeah.  That bad. 

So, as I usually do, I sat down (coffee in hand) and began to work out a way to quiet the 5-year old at Chuck-E-Cheese that was bursting out of my upper abdomen.  I considered simply making the potato skins that my stomach too eagerly was asking for, but that would be too easy.  SkinnyBitch thinking cap, engage ....

Loaded. Skins. Potato. Salad. 

Yes.  YES.  Y-E-S!!  My stomach was in full agreement.

Here's how it went -

Ingredients -

1 1/2 lb cubed Baby Red potatoes (slightly larger than bite-sized) 

2T olive oil

1T salt

1/2T pepper

2t smoked paprika

2t thyme

6 slices of bacon

Combine everything into a Ziploc baggie and toss around a bit to make sure all the potatoes are well covered in spices and oil.  Place in an even layer across a foil liked baking sheet (make life EASY - no dishes!) and bake at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes; make sure they don't get too far gone into the "done-ness" realm.  We want them to hold their own in the salad.  Cool completely.

Now, don't get hasty and turn your oven off!  We're going to cook 6 slices of BACON in there.  Line a baking sheet with foil (again with the dishes business) and place bacon in an even layer across the sheet - bake until crisp and delicious!  Remove from tray and drain on paper towel.

1c scallions, chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

2c sharp cheddar cheese (bite-sized chunks)

1/2c fresh parsley, chopped

3/4c sour cream

1/4c mayo

2T Dijon mustard

Now, mix all your veggies together with the cheese, parsley and wet ingredients.  Toss in your 'taters and crumble in your bacon.  Fold gently.  Serve chilled with your favorite sandwich, grilled meat, or simply eat it by itself!  But allow to sit in the fridge for a few hours to "marry" the flavor.

Even as I type I hear in my head, "Blah, blah, blah".  This SkinnyBitch had a CRAVING of epic proportions to take care of - marriage of flavor for a bowl (well, two) ended up not taking place in the name of, erm, principle.  Marriage is so overrated anyways, right?

Well, that's the scoop on the SkinnyBitch's craving smasher.  And trust me, it did the job for me - give it a shot!  I'd love to hear if it did it for you!

Until then..

XOXO