55 Easy and Super Hearty Potato Recipes
No matter how you like 'em—whipped, mashed, fried, smashed, grilled, baked, sautéed, stuffed, or scalloped—potatoes offer an endless array of possibilities. These starchy beauties carry various flavor profiles well and can step in as a side dish or serve as the base of the main event. You can easily cook potatoes for every meal in the day without repeating a recipe twice. Whether you're looking for an impressive dish or something quick and casual, here are some of our favorite easy potato recipes to get you started.
Sesame-Ginger-Chickpea-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Sesame-Ginger-Chickpea-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes Recipe
Sesame, especially toasted sesame oil, is a key flavor in many Asian cuisines. It makes sense that tahini would fit here too, especially as a finishing touch for roasted sweet potatoes with Sriracha.
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BBQ Beef-Stuffed Potatoes
BBQ Beef-Stuffed Potatoes Recipe
Be sure to wrap the potatoes in parchment paper; foil can add a metallic taste to the dish.
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Crispy Potato Cakes with Smoked Salmon
Crispy Potato Cakes with Smoked Salmon Recipe
Frozen shredded potatoes are a fast cook's friend: They need no draining or thawing. Serve for brunch with a side of fruit.
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Parmesan-and-Herb Roasted Potatoes
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Slow Cooker Beef-and-Sweet Potato Chili
Slow Cooker Beef-and-Sweet Potato Chili Recipe
Leaving the peels on the sweet potatoes has three benefits: Prep is faster, you add more fiber, and the potatoes hold their shape better after the 7-hour simmer. Besides, the peels get so tender that you barely notice they're there. If you'd like to change things up, try parsnips in place of the sweet potatoes; they have a similar sweetness and earthier flavor. For less sweetness, you can try small red potatoes or baby Yukon Golds. You don't need to fully cook the ground beef before it goes into the slow cooker; just cook it enough to "set" the shape of the crumbles.
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Gingered Sweet Potato Soup with Toasted Coconut and Pumpkinseeds
Gingered Sweet Potato Soup with Toasted Coconut and Pumpkinseeds Recipe
Pureed sweet potatoes are topped with coconut and pumpkinseed kernels making this soup perfect for fall.
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Picadillo-stuffed Mashed Potato Balls
Picadillo-stuffed Mashed Potato Balls Recipe
Papas rellenas (stuffed potato balls) are a traditional Spanish dish. Baked instead of fried, they're a healthy and delicious way to make a meal out of leftover mashed potatoes.
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Chicken and Chile Hash
Ground chicken has a touch more fat than ground chicken breast, key for a more flavorful hash. Let cooked potatoes dry out so they'll be extra crisp in the hash. Leftover potatoes would be even better. While the potatoes cook, make sure to cook the chicken mixture. As the hash crisps, start poaching the eggs to save on time while cooking. The dish is perfect for dinner, lunch or a weekend savory brunch option. You can easily make this a vegetarian hash but omitting the chicken and adding other vegetables such as zucchini or sweet potatoes.
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Ham and Sweet Potato Hash
Ham and Sweet Potato Hash Recipe
This colorful breakfast-for-dinner dish uses sweet potatoes and red bell peppers for a double hit of beta-carotene, a carotenoid that most recently was shown to potentially lower breast cancer risk.
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Crispy Chicken Thighs with Spinach-and-Pea Potato Salad
Crispy Chicken Thighs with Spinach-and-Pea Potato Salad Recipe
Sneak another veg into the potatoes with our green dressing that has peas and spinach. This recipe's a time-saver, too: A quick sear and a sprinkle of panko cuts prep and cook time in half compared to breading and baking. Serve with Chili-Lime Corn.
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Potato and Leek Gratin
A mandoline will slice the potatoes quickly and to the same thickness, though a sharp knife will also work. Instead of being buried in cream, the potatoes and leeks are simmered in and drizzled with milk so the potatoes get wonderfully crisp and tender and the cheeses form a melty, golden crust.
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New Potatoes with Shaved Celery, Buttermilk, and Dill
New Potatoes with Shaved Celery, Buttermilk, and Dill Recipe
Crisp potatoes and a mild creamy dressing help keep this chunky potato salad from being anything but boring. Chill at least 1 hour before serving.
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Speedy Shepherd's Pie
Making the most of supermarket convenience items gets this family favorite on the table in a flash. Precut matchstick carrots are easier to chop into small pieces quickly, and using prepared mashed potatoes for the topping is a good trick for when you don't have leftover mashed potatoes on hand.
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Smoky Potato and Greens Tacos
Smoky Potato and Greens Tacos Recipe
Cooked greens and crispy potatoes are great as a base for a skillet hash, but why not try something new? Pile into lightly charred corn tortillas, and top with vibrant toppings such as fresh cilantro and radishes to turn a one-note leftover into a tasty, satisfying main. Our trick for crispy potatoes without the added fat: After boiling and draining, we spread them out on paper towels to remove any extra moisture, then stir occasionally as they sauté for even browning on all sides. If you're starting without a batch of collard greens, wilt or sauté any hearty green like kale or chard.
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Classic German Potato Latkes Get a Cool Modern Twist
Classic German Potato Latkes Get a Cool Modern Twist Recipe
Whenever I visited my grandmother Lisa for a few days, she would ask me for a list of the recipes I would like to eat during my little holiday. I used to give her a long list, always far too long for my short visit, but I loved this ritual. One of these meals, an absolute highlight, was German potato latkes, called Kartoffelpuffer or Reibekuchen. Lisa fried them to perfection—crisp on the outside and juicy on the inside. In western Germany, where I grew up, we usually eat potato pancakes with apple compote, sugar beet syrup, or, my childhood favorite, granulated sugar, but I had a new idea.
I was raised on sauerkraut and it often tops the list when people think of my home country’s food—apart from wurst (sausage), of course. The classic version is served with mashed potatoes and soft southern liver sausage—that might not sound appealing, but it’s actually quite addictive—but why not experiment? I mix the sour fermented cabbage into grated potatoes and turn it into the sauerkraut Kartoffelpuffer featured in my latest cookbookEat In My Kitchen. It’s great, especially with a juniper-scented sour cream dip on the side.
Potato-Sauerkraut Latkes with Juniper Sour Cream Dip
Ingredients
Excerpted from Eat in My Kitchen: To Cook, to Bake, to Eat, and to Treat by Meike Peters. Copyright © 2016. Published with permission by Prestel Publishing. All rights reserved.
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Smoked Potato Salad
This is the recipe you need for those potluck gatherings where you really want to impress but then find you’re supposed to bring … potato salad. This version will wow, from its beautiful indigo color to its rich, smoky flavor. A nice hit of cumin and chipotle chile powder amplifies the smokiness and makes for a deeply savory salad. If the purple potatoes (or other small, waxy potatoes if you can’t find purple ones) are larger than we specify, cut them in half so they’ll cook evenly and get tender.
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Mom's Smashed Mashed Potatoes
Mom's Smashed Mashed Potatoes Recipe
From the Kitchen of…David Bonom, Longtime Contributor
"My mom, a child of the Depression, embraced convenience foods like instant mashed potatoes, and we ate them all year--except on Thanksgiving, when she made 'real' potatoes that she never fully mashed. I still make them her way but have added ingredients like caramelized onions and olive oil."
To keep potatoes warm until the meal is ready, place them, loosely covered, in a heatproof dish or bowl, and set them (without submerging them) in a larger pot of hot water over very low heat. They'll stay warm without scorching on the bottom.
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Creamy Chunky Mashed Potatoes
Creamy Chunky Mashed Potatoes Recipe
The secret to perfect mashed potatoes? Knowing when to stop. Mash potatoes with softened butter and warm milk until they're creamy but still have some chunks remaining. Thin-skinned potatoes, cut into pieces, cook quickly and are easiest to mash.
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Rustic Mashed Potatoes with Whole-Grain Mustard
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1-Ingredient Potato Frittata
1-Ingredient Potato Frittata Recipe
It’s the end of the week and you basically have nothing in your kitchen except potatoes. Here’s the only one-ingredient recipe you need. OK, fine. This frittata recipe calls for four ingredients, but you always have salt, pepper, and olive oil on hand, so they basically don’t count. A few potatoes and a mandoline (the best kitchen gadget for quick slicing) will yield a crispy frittata that’s half french fry, half potato gratin, and 100 percent breakfast.
Slice the potatoes using a mandoline, but don’t wash them—it’s the starchy potato that keeps this frittata intact. Cook the potatoes in whichever fat you prefer: olive oil, butter, bacon fat, or, if you’re on a health kick, coconut oil. Layer the slices in your pan and cook low and slow to ensure the potatoes have cooked all the way through. If the heat is too high, the crust will burn before the inside is done all the way. When the middle is almost cooked (stick a knife under the layers to get a good peak), crank up the heat to get a nice golden brown crust on both sides. Serve this one-ingredient frittata recipe with a sprinkling of salt and pepper and dunk into ketchup or the breakfast condiment of your choice.
1-Ingredient Potato Frittata
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Chimichurri Chicken Thighs with Potatoes
Chimichurri Chicken Thighs with Potatoes Recipe
An herb-packed chimichurri sauce makes this meat-and-potatoes main vibrant and exciting. Double the mixture and spoon it over grilled steak or fish on another night. For less heat in both the chimichurri and the potatoes, remove the seeds from the Fresno chile.
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Quick Loaded Potato Soup
Quick Loaded Potato Soup Recipe
With one simple extra step, the standard mashed potato process leads to a creamy soup adorned with all the great baked potato toppings. For the best texture, stick with russet potatoes; starchier varieties won't yield as creamy a result. The soup reheats well, so it's a good make-ahead candidate; just store the toppings separately.
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Pan-Seared Mojo Potatoes
Pan-Seared Mojo Potatoes Recipe
Serve these seasoned, pan-seared potatoes for a sophisticated twist to a classic side. For the topping, try plain, nonfat Greek yogurt in place of sour cream. It’s less than half the calories, and you won’t be able to tell a difference!
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Silky-Smooth Mashed Potatoes
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Traditional Sweet Potato Casserole
Traditional Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe
Thanksgiving isn't complete without a homemade sweet potato casserole. Top this lightened version of an easy marshmallow sweet potato casserole recipe, topped with both marshmallows and toasted pecans. (For more classic dishes, visit our sweet potato recipes collection.)
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Creamy Potato-and-Ham Hock Slow-Cooker Soup
Creamy Potato-and-Ham Hock Slow-Cooker Soup Recipe
The potatoes absorb the rich, smoky flavor of the ham hocks in this one-pot soup. Serve with crusty bread, a salad, and hot sauce on the side for an easy meal both kids and adults will love.
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Sweet Potato Gratin
Alternating layers of buttery-rich Yukon Golds and earthy sweet potatoes become even more delicious with Parmesan cheese and Gruyere cheese.
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Twice Baked Potatoes With Fontina and Chives
Twice Baked Potatoes With Fontina and Chives Recipe
If you’re ready to go beyond the standard pot of mashed potatoes, we highly recommend giving these cheesy, twice-baked spuds a go for your next dinner party or holiday feast. We love the nutty-rich flavor and creaminess that the combo of Parmesan and fontina provides, but feel free to switch up the cheese to include your favorites. This recipe is easily adaptable to include whatever stir-ins you’re craving—from crumbled bacon to wilted spinach. If you want to get a jumpstart on your prep, these potatoes can be made up to 2 days in advance through step 2 of the recipe.
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Turmeric Lamb Chops with Crispy Potatoes and Broccoli
Turmeric Lamb Chops with Crispy Potatoes and Broccoli Recipe
Lamb loin chops (shaped like mini T-bones) save about 11g sat fat per serving over rib or shoulder chops. You can also ask your butcher to cut "steaks" from a leg of lamb, also lean, or sub 2 (8-ounce) beef sirloin steaks.
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Broccoli and Cheddar Mashed Potatoes
Broccoli and Cheddar Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Jazz up those mashed potatoes by adding in hearty broccoli florets and melted cheddar cheese.
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Roasted Greek-Style Potatoes
Roasted Greek-Style Potatoes Recipe
The oven temperature may seem too high, but don't fear: The wedges are thick enough that they will cook through without overbrowning.
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Black Pepper and Herb Mashed Potatoes
Black Pepper and Herb Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Mashed potatoes get a flavor boost here with the welcome addition of freshly cracked black pepper and a mixture of flavorful herbs.
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Spinach and Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Spinach and Garlic Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Jazz up those mashed potatoes by adding in healthy spinach and flavorful garlic.
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Bacon and Onion Mashed Potatoes
Bacon and Onion Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Jazz up those mashed potatoes by adding in savory bacon and sliced onions for some out-of-this-world flavor.
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Potato-Bacon Hash
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Classic Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes
Classic Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes Recipe
Gently stirring twice while baking promotes even cooking and creaminess to this hearty scalloped potato recipe. Pull out of the oven, stir once more, then sprinkle with cheese, and continue baking without stirring for a casserole that's golden brown on top. For a scalloped potato recipe that doesn't require a ton of hands-on time or a plethora of ingredients, this delicious dish is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
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Salt and Vinegar Home Fries
Salt and Vinegar Home Fries Recipe
The best flavor of potato chip is without a doubt salt and vinegar. As much fun as it would be to eat a family-sized bag of salt and vinegar potato chips first thing in the morning, when you have to make it through the rest of the day, something a bit heartier is in order. Salt and vinegar home fries incorporate all the sour and salty goodness of the classic chip, but with the potatoes in home fry-form.
Boil sliced potato wedges in white vinegar and salted water until soft, then smash them gently (smashed means for surface area, and more surface area means more potato gets crispy in the next step). Toss the smashed wedges into a pan filled with hot oil and fry the potatoes until golden. Shower the home fries with kosher salt and a splash of white vinegar. Toss them with chives and try not to burn your tongue as you scarf. To make the home fries into a meal, top the potatoes with a fried egg.
Salt and Vinegar Home Fries
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Slow Cooker Cheesy Cottage Potatoes
Slow Cooker Cheesy Cottage Potatoes Recipe
Cottage potatoes can be both a side dish and a main dish—especially at breakfast. Either way, they’re always popular. The ingredients are pantry staples, and if you don’t have a bell pepper on hand then just leave it out. Serve this with a good cranberry sauce.
Note: This recipe is ideally suited to a six-quart oval slow cooker, but use what you have.
Cottage Potatoes
Excerpted from Stock the Crock by Phyllis Good. Copyright © 2017 Oxmoor House. Reprinted with permission from Time Inc. Books, a division of Time Inc. New York, NY. All rights reserved.
Tips
This is a great use for leftover baked potatoes.
These potatoes also make great hash browns the next morning.
Make it gluten-free
Use gluten-free bread for the bread cubes. Cornbread is also a delicious option.
Make it for picky eaters
If you have veggie-haters, omit the onions and green peppers and increase the amount of potatoes, bread cubes, and cheese. The flavor changes, but it’s still tasty with the rosemary, butter, and cheese.
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Sheet Pan Chicken with Roasted Baby Potatoes
Sheet Pan Chicken with Roasted Baby Potatoes Recipe
A very hot oven quickly roasts the potatoes and finishes the chicken without overcooking. You can substitute fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise, for the small Yukon gold potatoes.
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Baked Potato Soup
Best Soup. "This recipe was originally for our Lighten Up column. Most everyone was happy with it the first time we tried it, but I knew the soup could be better. The soup originally used fat-free sour cream, which I felt gave it a too-tart taste. After tweaking a few ingredients, the recipe now calls for reduced-fat sour cream, and we all are much happier with the results." --Recipe by Ann Taylor Pittman (October 2002)
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Lemon-Herb Potato Salad
Lemon-Herb Potato Salad Recipe
Lemon-Herb Potato Salad isn't your mother's potato salad. Made with peppery arugula, kalamata olives, fresh herbs, and lemon, this potato salad will stand out among the other side dishes at your next gathering.
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Warm Potato Salad with Ramps and Bacon
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Braised Beef with Onion, Sweet Potato, and Parsnip
Braised Beef with Onion, Sweet Potato, and Parsnip Recipe
Revamp classic pot roast with parsnip and sweet potatoes.
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Leek and Pancetta Potato Rösti
Leek and Pancetta Potato Rösti Recipe
Maximum surface area means more crunchy bits in this rösti, essentially a large potato pancake, perfect for the hash brown lovers in your family. If making ahead, cool on a wire rack, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Reheat in an ovenproof skillet at 350° for 10 minutes or until recrisped.
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Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes with Toasted Marshmallows
Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes with Toasted Marshmallows Recipe
In this clever version of candied sweet potatoes with marshmallows (one of Gary Vaynerchuk's favorite Thanksgiving dishes), Grace Parisi mashes sweet potatoes with deeply flavorful grade B maple syrup and butter before stuffing them back into their skins and baking them a second time.Slideshow: More Thanksgiving Side Dishes
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Two-Toned Scalloped Potatoes
Two-Toned Scalloped Potatoes Recipe
Using both sweet potatoes and Yukon gold potatoes gives classic, comforting scalloped potatoes a delicious upgrade. Perfect for family gatherings and holiday dinners at any point in the year, this impressive potato side dish delivers creamy richness, robust savory flavor, and a delightful crunch with a herby panko-pecan topping. You can assemble the dish (minus the topping) ahead of time and refrigerate up to 12 hours before you’re ready to bake.
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Rotel Potatoes Aligots
This is a marriage of two of the greatest comfort foods of our time: Rotel dip and mashed potatoes. We’re talking very satisfying and suuuuuuper-rich. This would be great served with a protein like pork chops, but you can also add a little milk to turn this into a dip. This method of mashing potatoes essentially emulsifies whole butter into hot potatoes, and it’s important that you work quickly and don’t let the potatoes get too cool. The potatoes will continue to break down as you add the butter, so don’t overmash them.
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Sheet Pan BBQ Chicken Thighs with Green Beans and Potatoes
Sheet Pan BBQ Chicken Thighs with Green Beans and Potatoes Recipe
Looking for a sheet pan meal that’s just as delicious as it is seamless? These tender, juicy sheet pan chicken thighs have just enough bbq sauce glaze to make them super tasty and beautiful. The potatoes get cooked until they’re tender in the middle, but crispy on the outside, and the green beans cook while the glaze achieves perfection. Everything comes together in an hour, and cleanup is a breeze. Be sure to section off the sheet pan and make enough room for each ingredient so you won’t have to waste time or oven heat.
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Sheet Pan Scalloped Potatoes with Ham and Peas
Sheet Pan Scalloped Potatoes with Ham and Peas Recipe
This dish is all the best of potatoes au gratin packed into the convenience of a sheet pan supper. There’s plenty of crispy, cheese topping that’s got a nice element of fresh thyme flavor, the corners and edges maintain a nice crisp, and the potatoes are perfectly cooked in the center. The ham and peas make this a full meal, but not so much that anyone will feel like this is anything but comfort food. When you’re adding the cheese sauce, shake the baking sheet a bit to make sure the sauce permeates the potato layers and settles in—this will result in perfect distribution and prevent any overflowing in the oven.
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Ultimate Crispy Ranch Smashed Potatoes
Ultimate Crispy Ranch Smashed Potatoes Recipe
This practical (and much tastier) alternative to loaded potato skins is both fun and filling. The savory potatoes are crisp and salty on the exterior, and soft and creamy inside.
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Classic Potato Salad
No need to rush to the store—we’ve got the perfect potato salad recipe right here. Creamy and rich, with hints of tangy vinegar and crunchiness from fresh vegetables, this classic potato salad is hearty and perfectly delicious. Russet potatoes are the ideal here, because they break down a little and make the potato salad creamier. Also, feel free to add in fresh herbs or more veggies to customize it to your tastes—think of this recipe as a basic canvas for foolproof potato salad.
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Za’atar Roasted Chicken over Sumac Potatoes
Za’atar Roasted Chicken over Sumac Potatoes Recipe
On countless visits here before I made Israel my home, I’d buy giant bags of za’atar from the shuk; that way, after I left and no matter where I was, if I was pining for the sun and spice of this magical place, I could sprinkle it back into my life, if even just for the duration of a meal. For something that takes 10 minutes to throw together, the roasted chicken is a masterpiece. I rest the bird right on top of the potatoes, so the za’atar-scented drippings coat the tangy, sumac-coated potatoes while they cook in unison. If you’re having a crowd, throw this in the oven during cock- tail hour, then pull it out for oohs and aahs. If you’re feeding a smaller group, be happy because this chicken, pulled off the bone and tossed into a salad, makes a killer next-day lunch.
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Ranch Mashed Potatoes
Not to brag, but this is the best version of homemade ranch mashed potatoes around. The fresh herbs really add some zing to this side and beautifully complement sour cream and buttermilk’s tang. For the fluffiest mashed potatoes, place the potatoes back in the pot after draining them and put them on low heat—this will remove any extra and unwanted moisture. This recipe will also work with russet potatoes instead of Yukons or plain yogurt instead of sour cream. Thin out leftover mashed potatoes with a splash of milk or water.
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Sweet Potato Casserole with Rosemary and Goat Cheese
Sweet Potato Casserole with Rosemary and Goat Cheese Recipe
This savory take on sweet potato casserole has a lovely nuttiness and aromatic nature. The tang of the goat cheese plays nicely with the sweetness of the potatoes, while the crunchy pecans and crispy rosemary give a great texture and incredible looks. It’s like the traditional sweet potato casserole aesthetic, but with a little more personality, plus cheese. Be sure to brown the butter with the fresh rosemary—not only does it infuse the butter with flavor, but it also crisps the rosemary leaves and provides a nice crunch.
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Crock Pot Scalloped Potatoes
Crock Pot Scalloped Potatoes Recipe
This highly comforting, classic dish has never been easier thanks to your trusty slow cooker. Yielding a creamy, savory potato side the whole family will love, this recipe for crock pot scalloped potatoes is sure to be a new holiday go-to.