These crispy on the outside, creamy and tender on the inside Roasted Southwest Golden Creamer Potatoes are the perfect side dish; seasoned with chili powder and smoked paprika for a smokey, subtly spicy nugget of goodness.
ME BEFORE THE RECIPE…
I just want to say, I’m cool. Yep, cool mom here. It’s confirmed. I just got back from volunteering in Braelyn’s third grade class and one of her little friends said she liked my shirt. It’s a sweatshirt. I wear it almost every night as pajamas. But I was cold this morning and it has flowers on it AND it’s a skater brand, so I told myself it was okay to pair it with some skinny jeans and black boots.
Looks like I was right. Mama’s got a cool kid wardrobe!
Also, I played the captivating game of “Would You Rather” with the kids at lunch. Oh man, I had those third graders hootin’ and hollerin’! It takes a real mature mom to come up with scenarios like:
- Would you rather eat toenail clippings on your toast or mucus in your sandwich?
- Would you rather sport a permanent rainbow mohawk or have stained blue teeth?
- Would you rather be physically attached to your worst enemy or have to do the worm to get to wherever you need to go?
- Would you rather have hairy armpits that you can never shave or feet that constantly smell like boiled eggs?
- Would you rather have to cock-a-doodle-doo every time you blink or have your finger permanently stuck up your nose?
And those are only a few of the classy questions I came up with. I’ll tell you one thing, though, anything to do with bodily functions seems to be absolutely hilarious in the eyes of an 8 year old.
Ah, to be a third grader again and live the simple life. The most complicated life choice at that age is what boy’s name you’re going to plug into the infamous “K-I-S-S-I-N-G” song. Hey, it’s a doozy. Choose wrong and you could be stuck in a tree, getting married, and having babies with a weirdo. But aren’t most boys at that age pretty weird anyway???
HERE COMES THE RECIPE…
Speaking of the simple life. I was truly torn about posting the recipe for these Oven Roasted Southwest Golden Creamer Potatoes. They’re too darn simple. They’re pretty no brainer. They’re so easy, I felt like it may be verging on insulting to post the recipe, implying that you couldn’t figure it out on your own.
So if you’re offended, sorry.
Also, let’s be honest. These pictures aren’t the greatest. They’re no cat’s meow, that’s for sure. Like I said, I wasn’t even planning on posting these for recipe purposes. They just so happened to be our side dish one evening alongside some heavenly bacon wrapped chicken breasts. I pulled them out to include in the photos for the chicken the following day and then thought, “What the heck?! These babies deserve some attention too!”
And so I snapped some shots of the potatoes on their own and VIOLA! There you have it, a few bland and boring pictures of some super tasty, toasty, southwest flavor flarin’ taters! You win some, you lose some. But I guarantee you, NO flavor is lost in these potatoes.
I’m all about roasting veggies lately. I’ve been roasting ALL the things: sweet potatoes, parsnips, beets, cabbage (surprisingly crispy and delicious!), carrots, mushrooms, onions, yada, yada, yada. But roasting potatoes will always be my favorite. There is just something about roasting a potato that is so reminiscent of eating a french fry. And who doesn’t love a french fry???!
When I buy potatoes now, I splurge on the slightly more expensive mini creamer potatoes. They come in gold, red, or purple varieties, but they are so smooth and creamy. They are worth every penny. Plus, I like how easy it is to just quarter them in prep for baking.
Literally, cutting the potatoes is the hardest part of this recipe. Once you have them chopped, all you gotta do is drizzle them with olive oil, throw on some seasonings, give them a loving massage, and spread them around the baking pan before shoving them in the oven. How many steps is that? Like five??? Does it get any easier? I think not.
These potatoes are fantastic fresh out of the oven, or you can roast them ahead of time and then crisp them back up on a cast iron skillet. I’ve been doing this routinely the past few weeks for breakfast. Top them with a fried egg and sliced avocado and your mornings will magically become the best part of your day.
Feel free to adjust the spices in this recipe to your liking. I opted for southwest seasonings like chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika. But honestly, use whatever combination of spices you love for these roasted potatoes. Decide your own fate!
So the next time you’re beating yourself up over simplicity, remember that sometimes the best things in life are simple. We can learn a lot from those third graders!
YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY…
- Jalapeno, Bacon and Cheddar Mashed Potatoes
- Southwest Sweet Corn and Zucchini Saute
- Italian and Garlic Seasoned Oven Roasted Broccoli
- Simply Roasted Cauliflower and Rainbow Carrots
- Gluten Free Mashed Potato Swirls
- 4 cups quartered or halved (depending on size) golden creamer potatoes*
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon freshly chopped oregano or cilantro (optional)
- sour cream (optional)
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Cut potatoes* and place on cooking sheet. Evenly season with spices, salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil. Toss to combine. Spread potatoes out so they are not or barely touching.
- Bake potatoes at 450 degrees for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and tender when pierced with a fork.
- Remove from oven and top with freshly chopped oregano or cilantro. Serve with a dollop of sour cream.
