The Best Red Potatoes

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Happy Halloween! I love Halloween; it’s hard not to love a holiday that encourages dressing up and accepting candy from strangers. But since you can’t really make a meal out of candy corn and Reese’s(well, you can, and that would be my idea of heaven, but I won’t) I was cooking a lot through the relaxing weekend including these potatoes I had to use up.

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I picked up red potatoes from my farmers’ market. After having them baked plain one night, I remembered I really wasn’t a fan of red potatoes. They don’t seem as starchy as other varieties, and if I’m having a potato I’m looking for that warm, starchy comfort food.

Since I had almost a pound to use up, I knew I’d need to find a way to make them taste irresistible. This method of soaking + roasting with garlic makes the potatoes soft, crispy, and full of flavor. Red potatoes still aren’t my favorite, but this recipe makes me like them a whole lot more.

The Best Red Potatoes

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1lb red potatoes
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 5 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • Diced chives(optional)

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Method:

  1. Wash the red potatoes thoroughly but keep the skin on.
  2. Cut the potatoes into halves or quarters depending how big they are into bite-sized wedges.
  3. Soak the wedges in hot water for 20-30 minutes
  4. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
  5. Drain the potatoes from the water but don’t dry them. Toss with the olive oil, garlic, and salt until evenly covered.
  6. Lay the potatoes out on a roasting tray and roast for 45 minutes or until the potatoes have started to brown and wrinkle.
  7. Remove from the oven and serve hot. Garnish with chives if desired.

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Most of the garlic burns by the time the potatoes are ready. You can pick them out and discard them; by now the garlic flavor has totally soaked in. I’ll admit: It’s a lot of garlic. If you have plans to be in public later or dress up like a vampire, you may want to save this for another time.

Luckily I wasn’t a vampire. Who was I? Ron Swanson.

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This may be hard to believe, but that’s not my actual facial hair(I know—absorb the shock). And now I have 10 extra fake mustaches to wear whenever I feel like it. Cool beans. I also like to think Ron Swanson would enjoy these potatoes, even if he wouldn’t care at all how they’re made and insist on eating them with all the bacon and eggs he has.

What were you/will you be for Halloween?

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14 Responses to The Best Red Potatoes
  1. Anna @ On Anna's Plate
    October 31, 2011 | 10:03 am

    Ron would DEFINITELY love those potatoes. With a bloody steak, of course.

  2. Liz @ Tip Top Shape
    October 31, 2011 | 10:23 am

    Ha, LOVE your costume!! I actually really like red potatoes, they’re my favorite. Meaning this recipe is being made very, very soon 😀

  3. Lindsay @ Lindsay's List
    October 31, 2011 | 10:29 am

    Evan – you look really skinny! That was a compliment..not like you’re getting too skinny. You look good. I’ll stop talking now.

    • Evan Thomas
      October 31, 2011 | 10:32 am

      Haha, thank you, that’s probably a good thing when you’re standing next to a picture of Ron Swanson.

  4. Leanne @ Healthful Pursuit
    October 31, 2011 | 10:57 am

    “But since you can’t really make a meal out of candy corn and Reese’s” I was like… uhh wait a minute, Evan would LOVE this as a meal!!

  5. Claire @ Un Bello Aperitivo
    October 31, 2011 | 3:34 pm

    Haha, great costume!

    There’s no go for Halloween here, but last year I was Lady Gaga. I considered dressing up again this year but then decided all the little old German ladies would be scandalized. So, I guess I’m going to the old standby: being me. Haha, not.

  6. Kelsey @ Snacking Squirrel
    October 31, 2011 | 4:05 pm

    HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

  7. Sarena (The Non-Dairy Queen)
    October 31, 2011 | 4:45 pm

    Oh my gosh I love your costume. Seriously, who doesn’t want to be Ron? I’m a girl and I still want to be him! That meal you made, with the potatoes…you can have candy any day, that one is my all time favorite! Roasted potatoes, greens and eggs…perfection!

  8. Hannah
    October 31, 2011 | 6:21 pm

    Brilliant! A blogger friend of mine’s boyfriend also dressed up at Ron Swanson, but from the episode where he gets cornrows and goes to prison 😀 Sadly I shan’t be dressing up; no Halloween shenanigans on this end!

  9. Russell van Kraayenburg
    October 31, 2011 | 6:53 pm

    Hehe I like your Happy Halloween black and orange text. And you have an awesome costume. I hope you plan to stay in Ron Swanson character all week/month/forever.

    And yum roasted potatoes!

  10. Emily
    October 31, 2011 | 9:55 pm

    There’s really not much better than roasted root veggies 🙂 Thanks for the soaking tip, I think that’s what I’ve been missing.

  11. Jennifer @ Peanut Butter and Peppers
    November 1, 2011 | 7:11 am

    Huh, I never thought of soaking the potatoes then roasting them! I like that, I have a bag here, that needs to be eaten, I think I’ll try that!

  12. Christin@purplebirdblog
    November 2, 2011 | 12:07 pm

    Roasted potatoes totally rock. Never thought about soaking them beforehand, will totally have to try that method.

  13. […] This recipe was my inspiration, but I needed something quicker! […]