Alfredo potatoes/cauliflower

This recipe is a tweak from A Taste of Home cookbook I have. We often serve it with a salad and call it a meal. It's a great version of twice-baked potatoes.

No real recipe, just general directions:

Potatoes

Alfredo sauce or packets to make sauce

Cheese, mozzarella or cheddar

Bake as many potatoes as you need, remembering that each potato will be halved. 

Bake potatoes, cool slightly, split in half and scoop out potato into a bowl (setting aside), leaving a 1/4 shell.

Make up a couple of cups of Alfredo sauce (or use canned sauce).

Mash up potato insides that were set aside and mix well with the Alfredo sauce. Add some salt/pepper and mozzarella or cheddar cheese. 

Refill each potato shell with Alfredo/potato mixture, top with a bit more cheese and bake again for 10-20 minutes, until cheese is melted and everything is warm and bubbly. 

YUM!

*This same thing can be done with mashed cauliflower for a lower carb dish. Drain the cauliflower well after boiling or steaming and mashing.

Warm Black Bean Dip

I believe I got this recipe from A Taste of Home magazine. 

When we attend a potluck type of event this is often what we take. 

I usually double it for family and triple it when I take to a dinner event.

1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp veg oil
1 can (15 oz) black beans-rinsed and drained
1/2 C diced fresh tomato
1/3 C salsa
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 C shredded cheddar
1/3 C minced fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp lime juice

Saute' onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add beans, mash gently. Stir in tomato, salsa, cumin and chili powder. Cook and stir just til heated through. Remove from heat; stir in cheese, cilantro and lime juice. Serve warm with chips.

*If you can find S&W Caribbean beans you can omit the cilantro and lime juice as they are already in the beans.

*We often don't drain the beans and make it a bit soupier and eat it as a soup for supper.