Sweet Potato-Feta Rounds

Ingredients:

• 3 long, thin sweet potatoes, peeled
• 1 tbsp.+ 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
•  4 oz. reduced-fat feta cheese, crumbled (3/4 cup)
• 2 tbsp. chopped fresh chives
• freshly ground black pepper

Makes 10 Servings (3 pieces per serving)

1. Heat oven to 450 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
2. Cut potatoes into 30 (3/4-inch thick) rounds. With a melon baller, carefully scoop a pocket into each potato piece, being careful not to scoop through bottoms; discard scooped-out portion. 
3. Combine potato pieces, 1 tablespoon of the oil, and garlic in a large bowl; toss to coat. Spread potatoes out on the baking sheet, scooped-out side up, and roast until potatoes are just tender and edges are starting to brown, 18-20 minutes. 
4. Meanwhile, mash feta, chives, and remaining 1 teaspoon oil together in a small bowl. Season with pepper to taste. 
5. Remove potatoes from oven and fill each pocket with a heaping 1/2 teaspoon  cheese mixture. Return to oven and bake until heated through, about 5 minutes. Serve warm. 

WW POINTS VALUE: 1 pt.

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Parties & Holidays Cookbook. These treats make a delicious snack or hors d'Oeuvre at a party. I like to think of these treats as upscale baked potato chips with cheese. The texture of the sweet potatoes are perfect for roasting and using them as filling cups to fill with herbs and cheese. If you don't have feta cheese on hand, goat cheese will work just as well. The cheese mixture can be prepared up to a day ahead of time, refrigerate in a covered container until ready to use. The sweet potatoes can be roasted (without the cheese mixture) up to 8 hours before you serve them, just cover them and leave them at room temperature and then fill them with the cheese mixture and warm through just before serving.