A golden crust is the magic that happens when a clever baking method meets olive oil and Parmesan cheese in this versatile recipe that takes five minutes to prep.
When I think of St. Patrick ‘s Day, I think of Leprechauns, four leaf clovers, and wearing green. I also think back to elementary school when a friend’s mother delivered Shamrock Shakes for the entire class every March 17th. It was most definitely a lucky day!
But since we can’t exist on green milkshakes alone, I have a few other Irish-inspired recipes that are especially fitting in the month of March. And what could be more Irish than potatoes?
(Or soda bread…click here for my original, wholegrain version with steel cut oats and here for a slightly sweet sunflower cinnamon option, which makes delicious French toast!)
The following recipe came about one weekend many years ago when I forgot to buy bread at the store. Grilled cheese and PB&Js, which were my boys’ top lunch picks at the time, were out. Undeterred (and hungry!), I figured I could do something creative with a few potatoes that needed to be used.
I borrowed a cheese crust concept I typically use in a baked mashed potato recipe and applied it to whole potatoes. The result was a crusty exterior, tender insides, and flavor similar to that of potato skins. Happily, the inventive lunch was enjoyed by all.
In the time since, the easy recipe has become a reader side dish favorite and a frequent request by my kids and husband alike.
The recipe is well-suited to entertaining too, because it’s quick to prep and complements a wide range of proteins and vegetables. For added convenience, you can prep the potatoes an hour or so in advance, let the baking dish sit at room temperature, and bake when ready.
Try it once, and this versatile side dish might just become a new favorite in your house too!
The easy steps for success are shown in the video, above, and photos below, along with some helpful tips:
Quick tip #1: Thinner, longer potatoes will offer a better ratio of crusty, cheesy topping to tender, fluffy insides. And a Pyrex or similar glass baking dish will let you gauge when the potatoes are just the right amount of golden brown.
Quick tip #2: A glass baking dish is helpful because you can glance at the bottom of the dish to make sure all of the potatoes are laying flat in the olive oil-Parmesan mixture – this will ensure they become evenly crusted with the cheese as they cook. To gauge when the potatoes are perfectly cooked, look again towards the end of the baking time. If they aren’t golden enough, you can return them to the oven for a few more minutes.
The olive oil should fully cover the bottom of the baking dish. Once added, the Parmesan cheese is sprinkled over top, followed by the salt and pepper.
Place the potatoes, cut-side down, in the dish. Yukon gold or baking potatoes may be used, as per preference. If necessary, trim the ends so the potatoes lie flat. The cut surface needs to be touching the olive oil-cheese mixture. That’s it! They’re ready to bake.
This cheesy, golden brown crust will forever reinvent baked potatoes, and you won’t believe how easy it is!
- 3 small to medium baking potatoes, halved lengthwise (longer, thinner potatoes work well)
- 2½ tablespoons olive oil
- ⅓ cup (30g) grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon kosher or sea salt and a few turns of the pepper mill
- Fresh chives or parsley, optional
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Preheat the oven to 400℉.
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Coat the bottom of a 9×9 or 7×11 baking dish with the olive oil – the potatoes should fit in the dish with as little extra room as possible. (Helpful hint: Using a glass baking dish will allow you to accurately gauge how brown the potatoes are on the bottom.) Evenly distribute the grated Parmesan over the olive oil, and then sprinkle with the salt and pepper. (See notes.)
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Place the potato halves, cut side down, on top of the cheese mixture and bake for 45-50 minutes or until the potatoes are very tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. Check a few minutes early, as all ovens vary. (Helpful hints: If using a dark coated pan, the Parmesan will brown quicker than with a light colored or glass dish. Precise baking time will also vary depending on the thickness of potatoes.)
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Cool for 5 minutes before serving. Use a metal spatula to transfer to a serving platter or dinner plate, garnishing with snipped chives or parsley, if desired.
Want to make a bigger batch? If you wish to make enough to fit in a 9×13 pan, you will not need to fully double the olive oil. You want to just cover the bottom of the pan in a thin layer of oil, and then add enough Parmesan cheese to lightly cover the oil. After you have followed the recipe once or twice, you will be able to “eyeball” it.
Can I vary the type of potato? I tend to use small baking potatoes, although Yukon gold potatoes work well too. (Baking potatoes are starchier and fluffier compared to the creamier, denser gold potatoes.) Yukons are usually smaller and rounder, so you will need more to fill the pan and may need to reduce the cooking time.
Appetizer size: I sometimes make this recipe with bite-size new potatoes for use as an appetizer or salad topper. In that case, bake for approximately 30 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when a sharp knife poked through the skin meets no resistance.
Recipe first posted on March 14, 2014
You may also enjoy:
Loaded Baked Potato Frittata is fashioned after the favorite side dish, and the bell pepper “shamrocks” add a whimsical nod on St. Patrick’s Day.
Homemade Bailey’s Irish Cream is quick and easy to make at home and every bit as delicious as the store-bought bottle－less expensive too. Irish cream is delightful in coffee, on the rocks, or in a variety of baked goods. It’s a novel treat for holiday and hostess gifts and perfect for St. Patrick’s Day!
No yeast is needed for Brown Soda Bread with Steel Cut Oats, which is a fitting St. Patrick’s Day choice that tastes great any time of year.
For a satisfying salad, try this recipe with small potatoes. Cooked this way, smaller potatoes make a tasty, bite-size appetizer too.
We love your recipe! I’ve already made this about ten times. Sometimes I make half with regular potatoes and half with sweet potatoes – they are all delicious!
Fantastic news, Jan! Thanks for the great feedback and love the idea of mixing in sweet potatoes!
How is the best way to reheat these? I made them and they were great and want to eat the leftovers tonight!
I think they reheat best in the oven. Depending on size, they should take about 15-20 minutes at 350 F. Glad you liked!
I made this last night with several small new potatoes as well as two small russet potatoes. They cooked with another dish so the temp was at 350. The were done within 45 minutes – perfect! I also used some season salt with the Parmesan cheese. Everyone (6 of us) loved it and said please make this again.
I’m delighted that these were liked by all and that they worked well at 350 alongside another dish. Thanks so much for your comment, Lois!
Mine were not as pretty as yours but dang, they were good!!!
Luckily, looks don’t matter as long as they taste great. I’m so happy they were a hit!
I’m so happy to come across your recipe. I used small yellow potatoes and instead of salt and pepper I used garlic salt. They were absolutely amazing. My fussy 6 years old daughter LOVED them and went for seconds. Thank you again for the great recipe!
You are very welcome, Jennie. I’m so happy they were a hit!
Every time I made these, they came out great! Lately though, the Parmesan burns before the potatoes are done!!! What’s going on?
Hi Lynn, Has anything changed with your recent attempts–type of Parmesan, the pan you’re using, size of potatoes? With a little more information, we might be able to fix this!
Every since these came across my face book I have been waiting for a time to make them !
Fixing them with baked pork chops tonight. My husband gets home late at night for dinner so in order to have to not worry about them getting done……..I am going to precook the potatoes in the microwave, but not all the way done……..then follow your recipe. I bet they are going to be just fine ……wishing myself luck. 🙂
Hi Mary, I haven’t tried precooking the potatoes. My only concern is that the potatoes might be done baking before the Parmesan is golden and crusty. I’m sure they will taste delicious though, and I’d love to know how you make out!
My family loves it!
I’m so glad, Anna!
I tried these tonight and despite using the shredded version of cheese (just now read the comments where you said the powdery kind is better), and having the oven at 425 (because of something else in the oven that had to be at that temp), they were delicious. They did not look so great because they were so brown on the bottom but it didn’t hinder the taste. Your picture seems to show shredded cheese but maybe I’m wrong? I’d like them to look like your picture and just wondering if I’ll be able to accomplish that with the powdery canned (not refrigerated) kind?
Hi Gina, The picture that accompanies this recipe was made with the grated version. (I buy the freshly grated as opposed to the version in the green container–but I think that should work, too.) That’s what I typically use, and I think you’ll achieve the same look if you reduce the oven temp next time. For the salad with the new potatoes pictured under the recipe, I did use Sargento’s pre-shredded Parmesan. I hope that helps and am glad you enjoyed. These potatoes are always a hit here. : )
Ok, so I made these potatoes with a slight modification. I used good ol’ salted sweet cream butter in place of olive oil. I added chives and served. My family was incredibly surprised. This makes a great snack or compliments a meal very well.
Great feedback, Gary. Thanks for taking the time to comment, and I’m happy they were a hit with your family!
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I tried these tonight. I was disappointed in that the butter all around the potatoes and underneath burnt. It really is a n easy dish to prepare, so I’m thinking of turning down the heat from 400 to 350. I’m wondering if anyone else has had this problem?
Hi Deb, Butter burns quicker than olive oil because of the solids in it, so this might have been the culprit. Mixing the butter with olive oil and/or reducing the oven temperature should help. To be sure, until you know how long these take in your oven, check them a little early and flip them and reduce the oven temperature if you find that the bottoms are sufficiently browned but the potatoes are still not cooked through. I hope this helps!
I used 4 Tbsp butter also, I started out at 400 for 10 minutes and then reduced the heat to 350 and cooked another 30 minutes. My redskin potatoes were awesome. I sure hope you got some good results, because these are wonderful!
Tried these tonight & very good. In south its all about the butter. Used 4 T butter & 1 T olive oil while doubling potatoes. Impressed that potatoes actually looked like your photograph. Repeat.
Sounds wonderful to me, Becky. I’m glad these will be repeated and that they looked true to the picture!
Ann, by grated, you mean like Kraft in the green can, right? Or do you mean fresh or shredded?
I have tried them both and grated Parmesan works better than shredded, Rick. I haven’t specifically used the green can version but think it would work well. The key is to use the more powdery version as opposed to the bigger shredded strands. I hope that helps!
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Anyone have these stick to the cookie sheet??? What a mess! Soo disappointed; and what a waste of good parmesan. 🙁
I’ve made these so many times and have never had them stick, Ilene. Did you use the olive oil and add it to the baking dish first? Also, if you used a cookie sheet instead of the stated baking dish, that could be part of the reason. Whatever the reason, I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you.
Yeah, same thing happened to me. Stuck and useless.
Have made these quite a few times as they have become a wonderful yummy family request. Thought it was about time that I let you know!
Glad they are a hit with everyone!
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on our site. Keep up the good work.
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