Potatoes are a staple in my budget friendly kitchen. These oven roasted Pesto Potatoes make for a perfect easy, go-to side dish. Only three ingredients, and they’re delicious. Crispy, crunchy pesto and Parmesan cheese coating on the outside, with a creamy tender center. They can’t be beat.
Sausage, eggs, and hasbrowns. Grilling and potato salad. Burgers and fries. Steak and baked potatoes. Notice a common theme here?
There’s a reason it’s known as a ‘meat and potatoes’ kind of thing. The two just go hand in hand. Seriously. Can’t you just picture them, hand in hand happily skipping down the aisle in wedded bliss?
Curiously, I don’t ever really hear anybody spilling the beans on the seasonings that make the match. Potatoes are amazing that way. They’re like a starchy blank canvas. They’re ready to take on (and enhance) whatever flavors & seasonings you throw there way.
It makes them a perfect side dish, ready to fit in with virtually any entree. Shake up the seasonings, add in a couple extra ingredients- and you can turn then into their own meal. Take these dishes for example: loaded baked potato and chicken casserole, twice baked crab stuffed potatoes, and even this ranch pork chop & potato sheet pan supper.
Maybe that’s why there aren’t any specific recipe ideas listed in the sayings. They’re that versatile that they don’t need any preconceived ideas, or any introduction. Find your own potato happy place, your own specific way to slice, dice, season, & serve them.
For us, it’s a bit of pesto tossed with our potatoes, and then cooked until they’re crunchy and, well, crunchier.
Ingredients Needed:
- russet potatoes
- pesto
- Parmesan cheese
Yep, three simple ingredients are all you need to make & enjoy these amazing oven roasted pesto potatoes.
I was skeptical the first time my sister told me about this recipe.
Is it really even a recipe? I mean, it’s that simple.
In the end, I decided it was since I still needed the ‘recipe’ to make them the first time.
I’m so glad I learned about them too, it was a game changer as far as enjoying potatoes on busy week nights.
There’s no peeling. No prepping a sauce. The oven does all the hard work, making it all come together like magic.
Tips & Tricks:
- This recipe calls for russet potatoes, but we’ve also made this using red potatoes & yukon gold with great success. Any roasting potato will work in this recipe.
- You do not need to use a non stick pan. Don’t be tempted to prepare the pan with non-stick cooking spray. The olive oil in the pesto will prevent the potatoes from sticking.
- While I suggest mixing the pesto and potatoes in a ziplocking bag, it’s purely for convenience. I’m just trying to conserve on dishes I’ll have to wash later. You can totally toss them together in a large mixing bowl, then transfer to the pan. Don’t mix together on the actual pan because it will be too much pesto and a mess.
- Leave the skin on the potatoes. It’s good for you.
- Do not be tempted to open the oven during cooking, and don’t feel the need to toss or stir. The potatoes will crisp up and cook fine all on their own.
How To Make
Wash & scrub the potatoes to remove any dirt. Use a paper towel or a clean dish towel to pat them dry. Completely dry!
Leaving the skins on, chop them into 1/2-1″ chunks.
Transfer the chopped potatoes to a large ziplocking bag. Pour the pesto sauce into the bag, and seal it shut tightly.
Turn it over, and over, shaking everything around to make sure all the potatoes get evenly coated in the pesto sauce.
Pour the potatoes out onto a large baking sheet.
Spread them out evenly so they’re in a single layer without overlapping. The cheese is then sprinkled out over top.
The pesto potatoes are then baked at 450 degrees for 25- 30 minutes, or until they’re golden brown and crispy on the outside.
That’s it! I wasn’t kidding when I told ya these potatoes were super easy, and only three ingredients!
Crispy crunchy oven roasted pesto potatoes are a simple, but majorly savory side dish. Pair them with your favorite meat entree for a 5 star meal.
Other Ideas For Easy Potato Side Dishes:
If you’ve tried these OVEN ROASTED PESTO POTATOES, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Pesto Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1-2 lbs russet potatoes
- 1 10 oz jar Pesto
- 3/4-1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Scrub and wash the potatoes, pat dry, and (leaving the skins on) roughly chop them up into ‘chunks’.
- Place the cut potatoes in a large zip-locking bag. Add the pesto sauce to the bag as well, seal, and shake everything around until all of the potatoes are evenly coated.
- Pour the pesto potatoes out onto a baking sheet and spread them out evenly. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over top.
- Bake at 450 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until potatoes are golden.
Notes
- This recipe calls for russet potatoes, but we've also made this using red potatoes & yukon gold with great success. Any roasting potato will work in this recipe.
- You do not need to use a non stick pan. Don't be tempted to prepare the pan with non-stick cooking spray. The olive oil in the pesto will prevent the potatoes from sticking.
- While I suggest mixing the pesto and potatoes in a ziplocking bag, it's purely for convenience. I'm just trying to conserve on dishes I'll have to wash later. You can totally toss them together in a large mixing bowl, then transfer to the pan. Don't mix together on the actual pan because it will be too much pesto and a mess.
- Leave the skin on the potatoes. It's good for you.
- Do not be tempted to open the oven during cooking, and don't feel the need to toss or stir. The potatoes will crisp up and cook fine all on their own.
Nutrition
recipe & pictures updated 5/8/19
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