Sunday, September 23, 2012

Cheese Roasted Baby Potatoes

Ahhh, FALL!!!  Fall is finally here.  Well, it is here according to the date on the calendar, but the Southern California weather seems to have other ideas.  Still, I'm being optimistic about cooler nights and dinners cooked indoors-- and with that, I have a quick and easy potato recipe to try.  These little potatoes pack a rich and potent punch and will be ready for the dinner table in under an hour from beginning to end.



Cheese Roasted Baby Potatoes

Ingredients:
1 bag of Baby Boomer potatoes (available at most local grocers), 1.5 pounds
1 cup finely shredded sharp cheddar*
2/3 cup plain yogurt
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 large sweet onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cold
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. white pepper (black pepper is fine too)
Dash freshly grated nutmeg, or 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

*About the cheese:  In my testing of this recipe, I used both pre-shredded and freshly shredded cheese.  If you choose to shred your cheese as I did in the photo above, you can sprinkle unseasoned breadcrumbs over the top in the last fifteen minutes of baking for a crunchy topping.  Fresh cheese will bring up a bit of oil that pre-shredded cheese from your grocer will not.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Lightly butter a shallow dish that is just big enough to hold potatoes close together.
Cut the baby potatoes in half and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine 2/3 of cheese, yogurt, sour cream, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
Add potatoes and coat thoroughly.  Transfer potatoes to your baking dish and sprinkle remaining cheese over the top.
Pop potatoes, uncovered, on your lower rack in the oven for 45 minutes.  If you want to add a breadcrumb topping, do so at the 30 minute mark and put the potatoes back in the oven for 15 additional minutes.
Let the dish rest for 5 minutes before serving.  The potatoes will be firm but yielding and satisfying from the combination of baked in flavors.

These tangy Baby Boomer potatoes will serve 8 as a side dish or 4 people if accompanying a crisp salad as a full meatless Monday meal.

If you make these cheese roasted potatoes, please feel free to let me know how yours turn out in the comments below.  I hope you enjoy them!