Twice Baked Faux-tatoes and Baked Tilapia coated in Panko

Sunday night I made a casserole dish full of twice baked faux-tatoes to go along with baked tilapia coated in Panko crumbs (recipe below).  Needless to say, there were not many leftovers and even my brother, who is a "meat and potatoes" kind of guy, loved the faux-tatoes made with cauliflower.  Several have requested the recipe, so I figured I'd post it here.

You'll need:
1 head of cauliflower
4 oz. Neufchatel cheese
1/2 cup low fat sour cream
1 bundle green onions, chopped finely
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4 slices of bacon, crumbled

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Chop the stem off of the cauliflower and cut into small pieces.  Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, placing the cauliflower in the pan.  You want the cauliflower to be tender, but not too soft.  Drain well, place into a large mixing bowl, and mash with a potato masher.  Mix in Neufchatel cheese, sour cream, green onions, Parmesan, and 3/4 of the cooked and crumbled bacon.  Spread evenly in an 8 x 8 casserole dish.  Sprinkle cheddar cheese over the top and bake 30-35 minutes.  I cooked covered mine for 20 minutes, then removed the cover for 10 to allow the cheese to brown.

 

Twice Baked Faux-tatoes

The Faux-tatoes are delicious served with Baked Tilapia coated in Panko Crumbs.  To make, you'll need:
 3 Tilapia filets
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tbsp. lemon juice
3/4 cup unseasoned Panko Japanese bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. "Slap Ya Mama" cajun seasoning

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a baking pan lightly with cooking spray.  In a shallow dish, combine the melted butter, garlic powder, lemon juice, and cajun seasoning.  Dip each piece of tilapia in the butter mixture then press into the Panko.  Place the Panko covered filets onto the baking pan.  Bake for 15 minutes, or until the fish is flaky.  Garnish with slices of lemon if desired.

Twice Baked Faux-tatoes and Baked Tilapia coated in Panko.