Crunchy Creamy Taters

Potatoes are not exciting, they are not particularly tasty on their own, but they are such a part of the American diet that some people are not able to imagine a meal without them.
My sweetie, for example, likes to have potatoes – usually something like home fries or potato pancakes – with his breakfast. His ideal lunch contains potato chips or fries. Dinner? A baked potato, steak fries, potato skins, mashed potatoes, tater tots...
To me, potatoes are an afterthought. Were it not for him, I would probably never even think to make potatoes. Still, these tubers are good for you (as long as they aren’t fried or slathered in fat-laden condiments).
Potatoes contain vitamins and minerals that have been identified as vital to human nutrition, as well as an assortment of phytochemicals, such as cartenoids. A medium-sized potato (with the skin on) has 45 percent of the Vitamin C you need every day as well as 18 percent of the potassium and 10 percent of the Vitamin B6 you need. There are trace amounts of other vitamins as well. And, with 2 grams of fiber, a potato has as much fiber as a slice of whole grain bread.
Looking for a new way to serve the omnipresent potato, I came up with this creamy-crunchy baked potato dish.

Potatoes and Cream

4 medium potatoes, sliced paper thin
4 ounces of low fat cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon of dill
½ teaspoon of garlic powder
1 cup of seasoned bread crumbs
2 tablespoons of butter or margarine, melted
½ cup Parmesan Cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

• Beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until it is soft and easily spreadable. Mix in the dill and garlic powder. Set aside.
• Spray an 8” square baking dish with baking spray and put a layer of potatoes on the bottom.
• Spread the cream cheese mixture over the potatoes.
• Sprinkle half of the bread crumbs over the cream cheese layer. Add half the Parmesan over the crumbs.
• Add another layer of potatoes, pour melted butter over this layer and sprinkle with the additional crumbs and Parmesan.
• Season with salt and pepper to your own taste.
• Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.