Herb Roasted Potatoes

This is by far my very favorite way to eat potatoes. Which is really saying a lot considering that I love everything about potatoes. I love them mashed, french fried, baked, twice baked, hash browned, in soup, au gratin. If it’s potatoes, I like it. So calling this my favorite recipe is monumental. I found it at Allrecipes.com (love that website!) and modified it just a little.

These are very simple to fix. Start out by creating your herb mixture. Pour 1/4 cup of olive oil in a bowl. It doesn’t have to be exact, so I usually just kind of eye-ball it.

Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. I like to use Kosher salt because I like the texture, but any kind of salt is just fine. I know that seems like a lot of salt, but potatoes can handle it. Add 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (or more if you like lots of pepper).

Add in your choice of herbs. I like to use oregano, thyme, basil, and parsley. You could also add marjoram, dill, chives, rosemary, or any other herb that your really like. That is the beauty of cooking, it can be tailored to your exact tastes and preferences. I add about 1/2 teaspoon of each herb, but you could add more or less depending on your preferences. If you are using fresh herbs, you'll want to double that amount.

Now here is the secret ingredient that really makes these potatoes special. Are you ready for it? Please, please, try to contain your excitement.....

Crushed red pepper flakes.

I know, who would have ever thunk to add that to potatoes. Not me for sure. That's why I have to rely on other people for recipes. I just enjoy showing you all the really good ones that I find.

I normally add about 1/2 teaspoon, but you can add more or less depending on how spicy you would like it to be. Adding 1/2 a teaspoon makes the heat level somewhere between mild and medium.

Then add about 4 cloves of garlic minced, or if you decide to take the easy way out like I did this time around, use two heaping teaspoons of minced garlic out of the jar.

Finely dice a medium sized onion and add it to the mix.

The longer you let this mixture sit, the better. The longer it sits, the more the flavors infuse into the oil and later transfer to the potatoes. I usually mix this up first, before I start getting anything else ready for dinner. That way, hopefully it can sit and infuse flavor for 30 minutes or so before I need to put the potatoes in the oven. The next step is to simply prepare the potatoes. I like to use red-skinned potatoes because they have a nice texture and you don’t have to peel them. But any potato will do. Just chop up 7 or 8 small to medium potatoes into bite sized chucks and put them into a roasting pan. Then pour the herb mixture over the potatoes and stir them to get them well coated with oil and herbs.

Cook in a 400 degree oven for about 40 minutes or until the onions are a nice golden brown and the potatoes are cooked through. You will need to stir the potatoes around a couple of time during the cook time so that they get evenly browned.

This recipe makes enough to serve 3 to 4 people if they eat normal sized portions. However, if you are like me and Nathan and can’t get enough of these potatoes, this recipe only serves two.

It can easily be adjusted to make more or less as needed. I really hope you try them out because they are so good. I shouldn’t write a post about food on an empty stomach. Now I’m STARVING. Maybe I need to go fix myself a little batch of potatoes and devour them.