Perfectly Roasted Potatoes
We will be soo tasty….
Today I want to talk about potatoes. Now I know potatoes are not exciting and exotic, but looks can be deceiving. Today, we’re going to learn how to make the most perfectly seasoned, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, roasted potatoes you have had. Then, I’m going to suggest some seasonings, you will make it a few times like that, then you will take creative license and unrecipe the heck out of these potatoes.
Roasted potatoes (and truthfully all potatoes) have been hard for me to make. Almost every time I would roast a batch, they would be sad, undercooked yet charred bland messes of potato yuk. I finally got the technique down on how to get them cooked inside and out but failed in the flavor department as I ended up with flat, bland roasted potatoes. Not good stuff, folks.
Then finally, FINALLY one day the food gods smiled on me and I had perfectly seasoned, perfectly roasted potatoes…that I made 3 days in a row because I simply did not believe I had figured it out. What changed? I’m glad you asked:)
First, what kind of potato you use impacts what kind of dish you have. I have the best luck in both season and crispy cooked though when I use small red, gold, yellow or fingerling potatoes. Big ol’ Russets aren’t cutting it folks. Next, when I preheat the oven I put the baking sheet in the oven and let that get all hot right along with the oven. Then when it’s time for the potatoes to go in, I take the hot sheet out (carefully), drizzle some oil and add the potatoes. Next, I ensure that my little potatoes are cut as uniformly as I can get them to ensure an evenish cooking. Lastly, I rotate the potatoes and the direction of the sheet about halfway through to ensure all the potatoes get those crispy bits that I just adore.
So now that you have the tips, let’s add some seasonings and master the roasted potato for good!
Perfect Roasted Potatoes
Prep Time: 10 min. | Total Time: 55 min. | Serves: varies
Ingredients
Small potatoes (yellow, golden or red), cut into bite sized pieces 1 tablespoon salt (see note on seasonings in Notes) 1 teaspoon pepper 1 tablespoon garlic powder 1 tablespoon dried rosemary, crushed 2 tablespoons
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place a large baking sheet into the oven (see notes for best types of baking sheet) and allow it to preheat with the oven
- Dice potatoes into evenly sized pieces, place into a large bowl, drizzle with oil and add all seasonings. Mix and toss well to combine, ensuring oil and seasoning get on all your potatoes. Taste a sample of the oil/seasoning mix (use a spoon to scrape a bit off the side) and add more seasoning as your taste buds see fit.
- Remove baking sheet from oven, add just a quick pour of oil, shake sheet around to distribute oil and add seasoned potatoes. The quick sizzle is a good thing! Roast for 20 minutes, then remove sheet from oven, stir the potatoes and place the pan back in the oven, making sure to rotate so the side that was facing the front is now facing the back.
- Roast for 20-25 minutes more. The potatoes are done when they are crispy and brown on the outside and smooth and soft on the inside.
Notes
- Potatoes are not a food to have a light hand at seasoning. They are quite absorbent so the amount of seasoning you use may seem excessive, but trust me once you get these babies cooked you will see why!
- My seasonings and amounts are a suggestion! As an official “Unrecipe”, feel free to omit anything that makes you say yuk and add anything you know will go good together. Potatoes are such a wonderful blank canvas that you can do almost anything to them and as long as you season strong, they will be amazing.
- I highly recommend you use a dark large cooking/baking sheet for this. Putting empty cold glass into an oven always makes me a tiny bit nervous, plus the darker cookie sheets really seem to get that crisp much better than glass can.
- Try this often! Roasted potatoes go with almost anything and have so many flavor combs can be used that you can have a different style almost every night. I LOVE roasted potatoes seasoned with Indian spices (curry, garam masala) which will never be mistaken for my rosemary garlic combo:)
The egg sammich is totally optional…but totally recommended!