Grandma's Potatoes

Author & Photographer: Malka Schreier

potatoes.jpg

This is a recipe based off of my grandmother’s baked potatoes with herbs  that she always serves as a side dish for guests during special occasions. I started writing the recipe itself out, and it felt a little bit like I was betraying her, so I ended up modifying the recipe. I think my version is a little faster and easier, and doesn’t include the hard-to-find ingredients. However, it still tastes just as good and is aesthetically pleasing enough for the gram!

I didn’t put oil at the bottom of the dish or grease it beforehand, and I don’t think it makes a difference, but feel free to do so if you want. I also added a lot more salt afterwards, but I didn’t want to include that in the recipe because I like my food saltier than most. When I made this recipe over the summer, I used a lot more herbs from my grandmother’s herb garden (including sage), but in this recipe, I only used what I could find at the local grocery store; it leaves a lot of room for experimentation, though. Finally, I made one “layer” of potatoes because I don’t see that many people, but my grandmother often doubles or triples the recipe by layering potatoes in a single dish and adding herbs and garlic over each layer, so feel free to save that as a post-Covid option when we can all resume to hosting large dinner parties. While this dish may seem simple and plain,  it adds a nice touch to just about any main dish and tastes like comfort food. Enjoy! 

Recipe

Serves: 5

Preparation time: 20 minutes 

Cooking time: 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 5 large potatoes 

  • 6 cloves of garlic

  • 2 sprigs of rosemary 

  • 4 sprigs of thyme

  • 2 cups chicken broth

  • 1 tbsp salt (adjusted for taste)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. 

  2. Peel the potatoes and cut them into thin rounds. 

  3. Lay the potatoes, slightly layered one atop the other, in a tray of your choice. 

  4. Mince or crush the garlic and spread it evenly between the potatoes (not too much on top, or it will burn with the hot temperatures). 

  5. Spread thyme and rosemary on top of the potatoes. 

  6. Pour one cup of chicken broth over the potatoes. 

  7. Sprinkle in salt to taste (about 1 tbsp). 

  8. Bake for 30 minutes. 

  9. Take the potatoes out of the oven and pour in another cup of chicken broth. Depending on the size and shape of your dish, you may need more or less broth. The broth should not cover the potatoes, but should cover the entire bottom of the dish. 

  10. Bake for another 30 minutes, or until the top of the potatoes are golden brown and crisp and the bottoms are soft (you should be able to cut into them with a spoon). 

  11. Enjoy with another dish of your choice! 

RecipesMelanie WangComment