10 Ways to Prepare Potatoes

Fall is coming! Yes, I said it. Fall is on its way here people, you can feel it in that brisk morning air. 

“What a glorious morning! Makes me SICK.” – Winifred Sanderson (except it doesn’t make me sick, I love it.)

Okay anyway, back to the point. While I absolutely love me some autumn, I will definitely miss the summer vegetable situation. Colder temperatures mean we’re limited to produce that grows on the ground like gourds and squash, and underground like potatoes and carrots. 

If you know me, you are aware of how much I love potatoes. But even as a tuber-obsessed human, potatoes can get a little boring. I mean, a person can only smother things in garlic butter so many times before it gets old- yes, I actually said that. 

So without further ado, here is the first in a series of posts I’ll be doing on 10 ways to prepare an ingredient, with this one focusing on…you guessed it: potatoes!

1. Roast them.

Probably the simplest preparation but it does take a bit of time. The great thing about roasting potatoes is that the spice combination is basically limitless. Cut up your taters, toss in olive oil and any dry seasoning you can think of (no fresh ones because the temp goes so high that you’ll char the crap out of anything not already dehydrated) then crank your oven up to 400 and let ‘em go. I personally like mine almost burnt, so crispy that you hear the first bite from across the room. 

2. Bake them.

My go-to when I have no idea what to make for dinner. You can put anything on top of a baked potato and call it a meal. Chili, pasta sauce, taco meat, random vegetables you have lying in your fridge, cheese of any kind, cured meat of any kind. Seriously this list could keep going. The key to a fluffy baked tato is to stab it a bunch (this lets out the steam as it cooks), microwave it for a few minutes if you can, then rub it in olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss in the oven at like 400 degrees for a while. Once you split them open, the steam stops fluffing up the inside so make sure the outsides look good and crispy before you go for it. Don’t forget the butter.

3. Nacho tatoes.

This is a fun one for game day or a party. Slice up your potatoes super thin then bake them like chips. Make sure you season them pretty heavily and spread them out on a greased pan so they get evenly cooked. Then, pile them high with normal nacho toppings, bake for a few more minutes to melt your cheese. Boom, nachos that you can claim are “healthy” because potatoes are a vegetable.

4. Do the mash.

CLASSIC. I can eat my weight in mashed potatoes and will never apologize for that. I always see recipes for “low fat mashed potatoes” or whatever and honestly it makes me sad. The only way you’re going to achieve a silky smooth, utterly delicious bowl of mashed taters is with a lot of butter and milk…and I mean a LOT. Boil the spuds then get to mashing. Alternate adding in milk and butter, plus some salt, until they’re the texture you want. I guarantee you’ll need to buy more butter for the house once you’re done. 

5. SMASH.

Not the same as #5, although that is a common misconception. I discovered these bad boys from my girl Chrissy Teigen (go get her book like now) and I’m truly obsessed. Find the little baby potatoes or the fingerlings, boil them till they’re just tender, then it’s time to get aggressive. Grease up a pan, place the hot potato on the surface and smash it with the bottom of a cup (or if you’re like my father and have no nerves left in your hands, use your palms). Make sure you don’t obliterate them, you want the insides to be sort of intact but split open. Now you can season with garlic, herbs, melted butter, and flip halfway through cooking. Each side gets insanely crispy while the inside is unbelievably fluffy.

6. Make them au gratin.

By definition, anything au gratin has grated cheese that gets nice and browned when baked. I’ll be honest- these aren’t for the faint of stomach- there’s a whole lot of cream and cheese involved here. Think mac and cheese but with potatoes plus tons of herbs and garlic. 

7. Hash it out.

A hash is a great way to use up the random stuff in your fridge for literally any meal or snack, and potatoes help beef it up so you feel full after. Chop up veggies, get some herbs, maybe some meat, scramble some eggs, throw in your roasty potatoes and there you go. A big pile of delicious that keeps your belly stuffed and happy.

8. Fry ’em up.

I mean, what’s better than a french fry? Now you could dump a bunch of oil in a pan and actually fry your fries (maybe you’re fancy and have an air fryer) but you can also bake them. The key here is to slice them so they’re skinny but evenly-sized, and evenly coat them with olive oil and salt. Make sure they’re spread in a thin layer on a greased pan and don’t turn the temperature up too high- unlike regular roasted potatoes which are best when extremely crispy all the way through, you want your fries with a bit of soft inside to a crisp outside. Turn them a couple times throughout cooking and don’t forget a dipping sauce.

9. Like them a latke.

While a latke may be a Hanukkah related food, there is never a time that isn’t appropriate for a potato pancake. I refuse to give away my secret latke recipe- you’ll just have to come over for dinner- but what I can say is that every good potato pancake starts with a shredded, not grated, potato. They can be any combination of spices and serve as a fun side to any meal. 

10. Souper duper!

I love, and I mean LOVE, potato soup. On one of those blustery, gray winter days, you can find me making an enormous pot of leek and potato soup, topping it with pancetta and parmesan, and eating the whole thing in one sitting. Some are made with cream but that’s a little heavy for me so I like to use chicken stock. It’s got everything you could want: it’s creamy and salty, but the pancetta is crispy and chewy, plus the leeks make it a little smoother and fragrant. It’s just perfect in every way.

Okay so this post may have been a bit silly but in all honesty, potatoes are a fantastic item to add to your stock pantry list. They’re super cheap, one normal-sized spud can serve two people so they’re cost-effective, and they’re extremely versatile! 

I am an equal opportunity potato eater – I’ve been known to love every potato I come across. Let me know in the comments below which kind of potato preparation you love the most!