The Painted Apron

Recipe Box, Magic Potatoes

Posted by the Painted Apron on December 20, 2012 · 12 Comments 

Have you run out of time and energy yet? Are you wondering how you are EVER going to get everything done?  Are you thinking, why did I volunteer to make Martha Stewart’s  authentic French Potato Au Gratin with homegrown potatoes from your organic garden?  Don’t worry! Relax! I’ve got your back…Magic Potatoes are the answer to your prayers!

Not only can you literally put this together in minutes, the results are outstanding! They are crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and full of roasted, cheesy, salty, buttery flavor.  Can you see the cheesy crust and the soft white potato peaking through

We have made these twice lately, once with regular Idaho baking potatoes and once with petite red potatoes, and they were equally delicious.  Make them for 2 or make them for a crowd, you WILL be a rock star!

Wash the potatoes, halve lengthwise and sprinkle with garlic salt

Use whatever kind or size potatoes you like and adjust cooking time according to size.

Tip: line pan with parchment paper first to really prevent sticking, and then add butter

Pour melted butter into a baking pan until it is about 1/4″deep and drizzle liberally with Olive oil.  Combining the oil with the melted butter keeps each from burning.  Lining the pan with parchment first really helps keeping the potatoes from sticking

Make a PILE of Parmesan in the spot where each potato half will go

Top potatoes with a drizzle of Olive oil and sprinkle with Kosher or sea salt

Bake potatoes at 400 for about 1 hour, basting half way through cooking time with pan juices.  Adjust cooking time according to size and type of potato.

When potatoes are done, immediately turn them over gently, using a spatula and keeping cheese crust in place.  By doing this right away, while they are hot from the oven, they won’t stick to the pan.

The crust is kind of like Frico and when you bite into these and get a bite of the salty crust and buttery soft potato you will be so happy!

Now is the time to SIMPLIFY! Start crossing things that aren’t really necessary off your to do list.  Do those gifts really need that fancy time consuming wrapping job that you dreamed of doing back in September, while you leisurely drank a cup of tea by the fire watching old Christmas movies on the Hallmark channel?  Forgettaboutitit! Throw that gift in a bag with some tissue and enjoy your holidays!  Go by the bakery and pick up some fabulous dessert that’s already made instead of laboring in your kitchen for hours trying to recreate Aunt Mary’s Famous Fruitcake.

Here’s the recipe:

Magic Parmesan Garlic Butter Potatoes

1 large baking potato will serve 2, smaller potatoes allow 2-4 potatoes per person}

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Ingredients

  

• Idaho baking potatoes, red potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes
• Kerry Gold Garlic Herb butter or unsalted real butter
• sea salt or garlic salt
• finely grated Parmesan cheese be generous
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt

Instructions

 

• Choose a pan size that will fit the number of potato halves you are cooking
• Cut washed potatoes in half lengthwise. Line pan with parchment paper to keep potatoes from sticking if desired.
• Pour melted butter, enough to make a pool about 1/4″ deep, into a baking pan or on top of paper
• Add about 1/4 cup Olive oil, drizzling it evenly over butter in pan. Make one mound of cheese where each half will go. Put potatoes cut side down on top of cheese.
• Drizzle potatoes with more Olive oil and sprinkle liberally with salt. Roast at 400 about 1 hour, checking for doneness. Baste with pan juices halfway through cooking time
• Immediately and gently invert potato halves when you remove them from the oven to prevent the crust from sticking to the pan.

Notes

You can serve these as an appetizer by using small potatoes, and placing them on a platter with a sour cream style dip

These are a delicious finger food

Great for football watching parties

Keyword baked potatoes, do ahead side dish, Kerry Gold butter, magic potatoes, Parmesan Garlic Butter Potatoes, potato casserole

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