You Say Potato, I Say Om Nom Nom

I love potatoes. I mean, I love starch in all its forms, but the potato is one of the best. If you love potatoes as much as I do (or even if you love them a little less), you're sure to love this collection of recipes featuring the humble - but delicious - potato.

Duchess Potatoes

2-1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
3 large egg yolks
¼ cup cold unsalted butter
¼ cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon salt, more or less to taste
½ teaspoon white pepper
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Peel the potatoes and cut into 1-1/2" cubes. Place in a large pot of generously salted water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until tender (15 minutes). Drain the potatoes and rice or mash in a large mixing bowl. While still warm, mix in the egg yolks one at a time. Add remaining ingredients and stir until butter is melted and mixture is smooth.

Transfer mixture to a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch star tip. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and pipe potatoes into 2-1/2" diameter swirls about 2" apart. (You can also drop spoonfuls into mounds like drop biscuits, or pipe or drop into small ramekins.) Note: At this point, you can freeze the potatoes for about an hour, then place in a freezer bag. When ready to bake, return to a parchment-lined baking pan and continue with directions.)

Preheat the oven to 425 and place the racks so they divide the oven into thirds. Spray the potatoes lightly with cooking spray and dust with paprika, if desired. Bake for 15 minutes, then rotate the pans top to bottom and front to back, then bake for an additional 10 minutes. Keep an eye on them, as cooking time will vary based on size and moisture content. Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheets for two minutes before transferring to a serving platter.

Mashed Potato Cakes

1 3/4 lbs potatoes
2 eggs
2 tablespoons onion, finely chopped
1 cup pancetta, ham, or bacon, diced
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons chives, chopped
Salt and fresh cracked pepper
1 tablespoon milk
4 tablespoons breadcrumbs or Panko

Peel and cut potatoes into chunks and boil in salted water until cooked through (about 15 minutes). Fry onion until translucent and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine potatoes, eggs, onion, pancetta, butter, and chives. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Adjust texture with milk, if needed.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and use a ring mold to sprinkle a layer of breadcrumbs, then scoop in potato to a height of 1-1/2". Press down slightly with a small spatula and cover with another layer of breadcrumbs. Repeat until all cakes are formed (makes about 4).

Bake at 400 for 10 minutes, until just golden. Sprinkle with grated parmesan, if desired. Serve warm.

Crispy Rosemary Balsamic Potatoes

2 lb baby potatoes
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, diced finely
1 ½ - 2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp onion powder
salt and pepper to taste
3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Cut potatoes into uniform, small chunks. Place in a bowl and add all remaining ingredients except vinegar. Mix well and spread out on a baking dish lined with parchment paper.

Bake at 400 for 20 minutes, then drizzle vinegar over potatoes and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, until fully cooked and crispy.

Garlic Parmesan Potato Wedges

3-4 large russet potatoes, sliced into wedges
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
Chopped parsley or cilantro (optional)
ranch (or blue cheese) dressing for dipping

Place potatoes in a large bowl and drizzle with oil, the toss to coat. In a small bowl, whisk together salt, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Sprinkle the potatoes with the parmesan, tossing to coat, then sprinkle with the seasoning mixture.

Place potatoes skin-side down on a greased baking sheet and bake at 375 for 25-35 minutes until tender and golden. Sprinkle with parsley or cilantro if desired and serve with dressing for dipping.

Mini Potato Gratin Stacks

1-1/2 lb potatoes (as cylindrical as possible)
2 tbsp butter
2 garlic cloves, crushed
¼ cup cream or half and half
½ tsp salt
Black pepper
2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves or 1 tbsp dried thyme
1 cup grated cheddar (or other low-melting cheese)


Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray. Peel potatoes and slice into thin slices (about 2mm thick). Use a small biscuit cutter or a knife to form stacks of equal diameter and the same height as the muffin tin is deep.

Melt together butter and garlic in a small bowl in 30-second bursts in the microwave. Add cream, salt, and pepper to butter and stir until salt is dissolved.

Place half of each stack in the muffin tin and drizzle with half the cream mixture, then sprinkle with half the thyme and half the cheese. Replace the top half of each stack and drizzle with remaining cream then sprinkle with remaining thyme (set aside remaining cheese). Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle with remaining cheese, and bake without foil for an additional 10 minutes, until potatoes are soft and golden. Let stand for 5 minutes before removing from tin with a butter knife or large spoon.

Hasselback Potatoes

4 russet potatoes
4-6 tbsp butter, melted
kosher salt and black pepper
fresh chopped herbs, any combination (rosemary, chives, sage, parsley, thyme, etc.)

Cut a thin slice off the side of each potato to make a flat base. Set slices flat side down on a baking dish or sheet lined with foil. Slice potatoes, 1/8" thick, almost all the way through (place chopsticks or wooden spoons on either side of potatoes while cutting) and place, flat side down, on top of reserved slices, allowing potatoes to fan slightly.  Brush generously with butter, allowing to drip between slices, reserving excess butter for basting. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and herbs. Bake at 425 for 30 minutes, baste with remaining butter, and bake an additional 30 minutes until crispy. Garnish with fresh herbs and serve.

Mashed Potato Puffs

2 cups mashed potatoes
3 large eggs, beaten
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
¼ cup bacon bits
¼ cup chives, chopped
Pepper to taste

¼ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
Sour cream, for garnish

Mix together potatoes, eggs, cheese, bacon bits, chives, and pepper. Grease a muffin tin and mound a spoonful of potato in each cup. Sprinkle with parmesan. Bake at 400 for 35-40 minutes until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from tin. Serve warm with sour cream.

Potato Pancakes (Latkes)

6 medium potatoes
1 onion
2 eggs
4 tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper

4 tbsp oil
applesauce and sour cream for serving

Shred the potatoes in a food processor or grate by hand. Put in a colander over the sink and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Let sit for 5 minutes then squeeze out any remaining liquid. Grate the onion in a food processor or chop finely by hand. In a large bowl, mix together potatoes, onion, eggs, flour, salt, and pepper.

Heat the oil in a large non-stick frypan over medium-high heat. Form the potato mixture into patties (squeeze out any liquid) and place in pan. Fry for 5 minutes, then flip and fry for an additional 3 minutes, until golden brown and crispy, adjusting heat as needed. Serve immediately with applesauce and sour cream.

Crispy Potato Roast

3.5 pounds russet potatoes
1 small onion or 4 shallots, peeled and sliced very thin
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
½ teaspoon pepper
3 ounces bacon, cubed
4 - 6 fresh thyme sprigs or leaves

In a small bowl, combine melted butter and oil. Brush the bottom of a 9" baking dish or pie pan with the mixture. Peel the potatoes and slice very thinly with a mandolin, arranging in the prepared pan in concentric circles. Wedge onion or shallot slices between every few potato slices. Season with salt and pepper and brush with remaining oil mixture. Bake at 375, uncovered, for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

While baking, fry cubed bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towel and set aside. Remove potatoes from oven and sprinkle with bacon and thyme sprigs, then bake for an additional 35 minutes, until potatoes are fully cooked and top is crispy and golden. If potatoes brown too quickly, cover with foil. Sprinkle with salt before servings.

Mashed Potato Cheese Bites

2 cups cold mashed potatoes
¼ cup minced chives or green onions
16 cubes quick-melt cheese (aka Velveeta)
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
2 beaten eggs
1 cup panko

Vegetable oil for frying

Stir chives into potatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Form balls by scooping out golf-ball-sized portions of potatoes and pressing a square of cheese into the center of each, then enclosing the cheese and rolling into a ball. Roll each ball in flour, then eggs, then panko. Freeze the balls for an hour, until firm.

Heat 2" of oil in a medium suacepan over medium heat until it reaches 350 degrees. Remove balls from freezer and carefully lower into oil. Fry for about 4 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oil using a slotted spoon and cool slightly on a paper towel. Serve with gravy for dipping, if desired.