Parmesan Roasted Potatoes
October 27, 2017
We're taking a little trip down memory lane today.
I've always been a foodie.
When I was little, I remember playing 2 things with my stuffed animals: school and kitchen. I had this Fisher Price Kitchen set that I remember having set up in our living room area. I don't remember what I cooked for my guests, but I'm sure they loved it.
As I got a tad older, I had one go to meal that I could make for myself: baked beans with a cut up hot dog, chopped white onion, and cheddar cheese. You couldn't pay me to eat that now. But when I was 6, I thought I was one of the great chefs of the world.
In my late middle school to early high school years, I starting reading recipes. It's something I still do today. Reading recipes is part of my daily routine. We used to get these recipe cards in the mail, and I always called dibs on them. I don't know where they came from. I don't know why we got them. I don't know if anyone paid for them. But, I know I loved them.
The recipe cards came from a couple of different sources, and I used to love it when I saw a pack in the mail that looked like it was going to be recipe cards. I used to categorize them by type of cuisine, and I always put the ones I wanted to try on top. Those recipe cards were my favorite things ever. It was like my version of collecting baseball cards.
I'm sure my mom still has them tucked away somewhere in her house. I'd be curious to look at them today to see if I still love them.
There was one recipe card that we tried that my mom and I made over and over again. It was for Parmesan Roasted Potatoes.
We made these potatoes ALL of the time.
They were not always perfect. Sometimes, we used too many potatoes. Sometimes, we didn't use enough oil. Sometimes, we forgot about them and burned them. But, we still loved them all the same. Her and I would take turns making them, but I think we both agreed that they were better when I made them. :-) Love you mama!
Over the years, I tweaked the recipe and made notes on the recipe card about what I did differently. I don't know if she still has the original recipe card, but I have a copy of it. I think I change a little something every time I make these. So, my paper has a lot of notes!
So, what I'm sharing with you today is my version of those Parmesan Roasted Potatoes!
These potatoes are sooooooooo versatile! They're great alongside some eggs for breakfast. They're great as the base of a hash. They're great as a side dish for pretty much any protein. They're even fancy enough to serve at a special “I'm trying to impress you with my skills” dinner.
So, let's talk about what makes them so great. The original recipe calls for russet potatoes, but I like to use a yukon gold potato with these. Yukon golds are my favorite potato, by far. They're just so creamy and buttery! I've also made these potatoes with red potatoes, which work great. And today, I actually made them with a medley of baby gold, red, and purple potatoes. Talk about fancy!
The original recipe calls for you to toss the potatoes in vegetable oil, but I feel like olive oil is the only way to go when you're roasting potatoes. So, that's what I do! With the olive oil, the potatoes get tossed with this amazing spice mix of parsley, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne, and parmesan cheese. It is just so flavorful!
Plus, the parmesan creates this crispy crust on the potatoes that absolutely can't be beat. There's nothing better than a crispy potato.
We pop them in the oven, roast them up, and enjoy. That's it! It's sooooo easy!
And for me, there's a sense of nostalgia that comes along with these potatoes, so that makes something that was already delicious ten times better.
Those mystery recipe cards stopped coming in the mail many years ago, but I'm thankful for finding this one for sure. I hope this becomes one of your beloved family recipes some day too!
Enjoy, and let's eat!
Parmesan Roasted Potatoes Serves: 4 Print
Ingredients:
2 ½- 3 lbs yukon gold or red potatoes, diced
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
2 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
cooking spray
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large sheet pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. In a small bowl or ramekin, combine parmesan, parsley, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and cayenne. Place potatoes in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and spice mix. Toss to combine, making sure the potatoes are evenly coated in the spice mix.
Transfer potatoes to prepared baking sheet. Place in oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, and toss potatoes with a spatula. Place back in the oven for another 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are golden brown and crispy. Serve immediately.
Recipe notes:
*I prefer roasted potatoes with the skin on, but you can eat these either way you prefer: skin on or peeled.
*You can use yukon gold, red, purple, a mix, or even russet potatoes for these roasted potatoes. But, I prefer the creamier potatoes.
*Don't skip the step of lining the sheet pan with foil and spraying it with cooking spray. Trust me.
*To reheat these, pop them back in the oven at 375 degrees for about 8-10 minutes or until they start to crisp up again.
