Trick or...Tater! Halloween Recipes from the Idaho Potato Commission Bring Spooks and Spuds Together

EAGLE, Idaho, October 5, 2012—Halloween treats don’t always have to be about the candy. With the Idaho Potato Commission’s collection of ghoulish recipes, make this Halloween all about Idaho® potatoes! Easy and creative recipes like Creepy Crawly Idaho® Potatoes and Spooky Spuds add a bit of mystery and magic to mealtime.

Creepy Crawly Idaho® Potatoes

As these cute and quirky recipes demonstrate, potatoes are an extremely versatile vegetable, and they’re nutritious, too! Idaho® potatoes are loaded with important vitamins and minerals like potassium, vitamin C, fiber and complex carbohydrates that help keep your body fueled and strong¹, making them a smart choice for feeding hungry ghosts and goblins at home.

Yummy Mummy Heads

Creepy Crawly Idaho® Potatoes

This recipe for Yummy Mummy Heads is an especially festive and tasty snack, and sure to become a favorite Halloween tradition. They’re just as much fun to make as they are to eat!

Visit http://www.idahopotato.com/halloween for more Halloween recipe inspirations.

Yummy Mummy Heads
Serves 8

Ingredients

• 4 medium Idaho® Russet or Idaho® Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed (about 2 pounds total)

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 3/4 cup pizza sauce

• 16 turkey pepperoni slices, coarsely chopped

• 32 pitted ripe olives

• 8 mozzarella string cheese, unwrapped, room temperature

• 16 capers

• 1/4 of a red bell pepper, cut in 1/4-inch cubes

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

1. Slightly trim opposite sides of potatoes; cut each potato lengthwise into fourths, creating four flat ovals or "planks.”

1. Place the potatoes on a large foil-lined baking sheet. Brush both sides of the potatoes with the oil, sprinkle evenly with the oregano, salt and black pepper. Bake 8 minutes, turn and bake 7 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from oven and turn potatoes again.

1. Spoon equal amounts of the pizza sauce over each, (about 2 teaspoon per slice). Sprinkle evenly with the pepperoni. Place an olive near the center of each potato slice to form a "nose." Pull off thin strips of the cheese and lay across the potato to form the "bandages.” (Note: the cheese may hang over the edges of the potato slightly. They will form to the shape of the potato when melted.) Cut the remaining olives in half lengthwise and place two halves above the "nose" to form the "eye sockets.” Place capers and bell pepper cubes in the center of each olive half to form the "eyeballs."

1. Bake 3-4 minutes or until cheese has melted slightly. Remove with a flat spatula and place on a large serving platter. Serve hot or room temperature.

¹ http://www.idahopotato.com/nutrition_education

About the Idaho Potato Commission
Established in 1937, the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) is a state agency that is responsible for promoting and protecting the famous “Grown in Idaho®” seal, a federally registered trademark that assures consumers they are purchasing genuine, top-quality Idaho® potatoes. Idaho's ideal growing conditions, including rich, volcanic soil, climate and irrigation, differentiate Idaho® potatoes from potatoes grown in other states. For more information, visit www.idahopotato.com.
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