Dana Peterson in her kitchen, where she and son Karl worked on the back-splash

For Dana Peterson, the new Loaded Baked Potato Chowder recipe from The Pampered Chef hits the spot.

Peterson is a sales director for The Pampered Chef, and joined the company shortly after moving Cornelius in the mid-1990s. A new neighbor was a sales associate and Peterson thought it would be fun to have old friends see her new house and also meet new people in the neighborhood by hosting a party for the kitchen tools. As she learned more about the company, she realized it was a good fit for her.

“I always thought I was a pretty good cook,” she says, and having a flexible schedule was ideal for the mother of three young boys.

Ken and Dana Peterson moved with their children to the Magnolia Estates neighborhood about 13 1⁄2 years ago from the University City region after seven years there. When not taking care of business, she likes to spend time with family and attend the many sporting games her sons play in for their high school teams. Keith is a senior at Hopewell High School and Conner is a freshman at Lake Norman Charter School. The oldest, Karl, 20, is serving in the Air Force.

Peterson picked the Loaded Baked Potato Chowder recipe to share. The Pampered Chef comes out with new recipes every six months, says Peterson. “When this recipe came out, it sounded perfect for cool weather.

“It’s comfort food and only $2 a serving.”

As a youngster, Peterson started cooking by helping out in the kitchen while in middle school and high school. “I like to cook but I don’t like to ‘have to’ cook,” says Peterson.

And she believes having the right tools helps in preparing a recipe. “Pampered Chef helps with that,” she says.

Why is this recipe a favorite? “It’s quick and easy.”

How often do you serve it? Once a month.

Time to prepare? Less than 30 minutes.

Special instructions? For a lighter version, omit butter. Substitute fat-free (skim) milk, reduced-fat (Neufchâtel) cheese and light cheddar for the 2% milk and full-fat cheeses.

Loaded Baked Potato Chowder

Ingredients

3 baking potatoes (about 2 1/2 lb)
3 1/2 cups milk, divided
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 Tablespoon butter
2-3 green onions with tops (1/4 cup sliced)
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 1⁄2 tsp salt
1⁄2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
Optional toppings such as chopped cooked bacon, sour cream or steamed broccoli florets

Instructions

Slice potatoes in half lengthwise; place in a deep covered baker. Pour 1/2 cup of the milk over potatoes. Microwave, covered, on HIGH 11 minutes. Remove dish from microwave. Rotate position of potatoes for even cooking, moving center potatoes to ends of baker and outer potatoes to center. Cover; microwave on HIGH 8-11 minutes or until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. Remove dish from microwave. Coarsely mash potatoes.

Meanwhile, whisk cream cheese until smooth in large bowl. Slowly add remaining 3 cups milk, whisking until smooth. Add cream cheese mixture and butter to dish containing potatoes. Microwave, covered, on HIGH 3-5 minutes or until mixture is hot.

Slice green onions.

Carefully remove covered dish from microwave. Grate cheddar cheese over chowder; add green onions, salt and black pepper and mix until cheese is melted. Serve with toppings, if desired.

Yield: 6 servings (8 cups)

Nutrients per serving: (about 1 1/3 cups): Calories 390, Total Fat 19 g, Saturated Fat 11 g, Cholesterol 65 mg, Carbohydrate 43 g, Protein 14 g, Sodium 880 mg, Fiber 3 g

U.S. Nutrients per serving: Calories 300, Total Fat 8 g, Saturated Fat 5 g, Cholesterol 30 mg, Carbohydrate 43 g, Protein 16 g, Sodium 890 mg, Fiber 3 g