This is a great side to make when you’re already firing up the oven for your main course. The prep work is fairly light, seasoning options are plentiful and this side adds minimal clean-up since you’re using cookware that’s already being used for another part of the meal. (Of course, these potatoes make a great side regardless, and work just as well when made alone, but won’t get the added deliciousness of cooking in the juices from your meat course. In the pictures for this recipe, the potatoes were made alongside a pork tenderloin. The juices and fat from the pork and pancetta added a great flavor to the potatoes, which were only seasoned with a little salt and pepper.)

So, here we go with my easy roasted potatoes.

Ingredients:

• Small or medium red or gold potatoes
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

Wash the potatoes and remove any sprouts, eyes or other nasty blemishes, but leave the skin as intact as possible. Cut the potatoes into roughly equal-sized pieces. Typically for small potatoes I cut them into quarters, and for larger potatoes I will cut those quarters in half once more to make them all about the same size. (Note: If you can get your hands on some really small potatoes, my favorite way to make this recipe is with small whole potatoes. Potatoes this small aren’t always available, however, and the pieces shown here are about the size we want so that the potatoes cook through in the same time as the meat.)

Place all your potato pieces into a large zip top bag. Add a drizzle of olive oil (enough to lightly coat the potatoes, but not enough to drown them) and a little salt and pepper to taste. (Note: Obviously, if you wish to use other seasonings, this is where you would add them. I frequently will use the same rub as I’ve used on my main course. I have also used grated parmesan, which is an excellent addition and tends to lightly crust the potatoes.)

Seal the bag tightly and shake vigorously to evenly coat all of the potatoes with the oil and seasoning. Open the bag and spread the potatoes evenly onto your baking sheet or pan.

Place in the oven and roast for the duration of time required for your main course. (Note: Shoot for about 30 minutes at no less than 375 degrees. I typically do 400 degrees for 30 minutes unless this will ruin my meat. And, if you’re making the potatoes alone, you can go up to 450 to brown them a bit, but keep an eye on them. They will likely be done in about 25 minutes at 450. Even though many potato packages recommend 45 minutes at 450 degrees, I have never had luck with that temperature for that long.)

In addition to the convenience of not needing additional cookware for these potatoes, if you line the baking sheet with foil, clean-up is almost non-existent. If feeding very little eaters these potatoes, it is best to remove the skins (easily done with the edge of a knife after the roasting is done) and cutting them up as they retain heat for a long time otherwise. Enjoy!