When I came to college, I could tell you pretty clearly that I like potatoes in exactly two ways: as French fries and covered with cheese and cream and the like in my grandma’s goody potatoes.
Otherwise, though, I think potatoes can be pretty boring. They aren’t all that flavorful on their own. Frying a food and covering it with cheese are pretty solid ways to make it taste good. Fat imparts its magical flavor and – ta-da! – you have delicious food.
So while I’ll absolutely get a mountain of crispy, fluffy fries alongside my burger, I’ll pass on mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving. #unpopularopinion
Fun fact: my school’s dining hall doesn’t do many foods all that well. It’s all edible, but I choose to cook for myself most nights. However, last year, I didn’t really have that option. That’s how I discovered my love for roasted potatoes. I would usually build a big salad or eat pizza for dinner, but I always sought extra carbs. I’m not really a fan of rice, so potatoes seemed like the natural option. Fortunately, they were actually pretty good.
Since then, I haven’t been able to claim a general hatred of potatoes, but I’m okay with that.
I love that roasting gives plain ol’ potatoes crispy outsides and perfectly creamy insides. The different textures add interest to what I’ve always considered a “blah” food. And with a touch of seasoning, they’re downright delicious.
I’ve taken to roasting up a big batch for myself at the beginning of the week. I usually season them simply: salt, pepper, olive oil, and oregano. I eat them as sides with dinner, on top of salads, and sometimes as snacks. The snack thing? That’s a big deal coming from a girl who gravitates toward sweet snacks nine times out of ten.
Because I love condiments, I generally dip them in ketchup. But last week a craving for something a little more complex led me to mix up an easy and crazy-addictive sauce that I’ve been eating not only with potatoes, but with chicken, tilapia, and cooked veggies. It’s tangy, smoky, sweet, and just a tiny bit spicy. I can’t get enough.
- 1 lb. Yukon gold potatoes
- 1 T. olive oil
- 1/4 t. salt
- 1/4 t. pepper
- 1 t. oregano
- 1/4 c. ketchup
- 2 T. maple syrup
- 2 T. spicy brown mustard
- 1/2 t. smoked paprika
- 1/4 t. chili powder
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray or lightly coat with oil.
- Cut potatoes into bite-sized pieces (about 1-inch).
- Toss chopped potatoes with olive oil, salt, pepper, and oregano.
- Place potatoes on baking sheet and cook for 20 minutes. Toss potatoes so they cook evenly and return to the oven for 20 minutes.
- Broil potatoes for 3-5 minutes to make them extra crispy.
- Serve roasted potatoes as a side, drizzled or dipped in maple-mustard sauce, or enjoy on their own!
- Combine ketchup, maple syrup, mustard, smoked paprika, and chili powder in a small bowl. Season to taste.
Have you ever totally changed your mind about a food?
Damn girl, I’m really glad you’re giving potatoes more love! I don’t think I could be your friend anymore if you didn’t 😉 But still if you want more potato YUM, buy a Japanese sweet potato, microwave-bake it then stuff it with some coconut butter and cinnamon and cut slices off with a knife and eat those slices with your hands….that’s like my daily happy meal 😛
That sounds fantastic, so I need to find Japanese sweet potatoes! Are they different than the regular ones?
Yum potatoes are so great and so versatile! My favorite way to eat them is latkes. The one food I changed my mind about was kale. I at first loved it in smoothies, but now unless it’s fried, I turn up my nose at it hahaha
Frying has a magical way of turning things delicious 😉
I used to completely hate mushrooms, I had to pick them out of everything. Now I actually choose to put them into my cooking. Haha I guess that’s just part of growing up!
Very true – our taste buds mature as we do. Also, yessss to mushrooms! I especially love them sautéed in garlic and butter ?
I’m obsessed with that sauce! I absolutely love ketchup, mustard and maple syrup, so together it’s probably so good!
Perfectly sweet and tangy!
Ooooh this looks SO good! I love mustard and love including it in recipes!
I never used to like potatoes but now I love them! I just cannot do mashed potatoes – bleh!
Same!!
Roasting my potatoes is the only way I’ll eat them, they are just so good! They get so crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Love that you also made a sauce to go with!
That texture contrast is so good! Thanks, Rachel 🙂
Yeaaaaaah potatoes!!! 😀 These sound so amazing! <3!!! Can't wait to try out that maple-mustard sauce too! :]
Thanks, Farrah! The sauce is so.addictive. Love it!