Potatoes
1358 recipes found

Pasta e Patate (Pasta and Potato Soup)
Pasta e patate is a fortifying, soothing Italian soup made for blustery days. The starchy combination of pasta and potatoes makes for a rich and satisfying broth. Avoid the temptation to use chicken or vegetable broth instead of water, and be assured that the pancetta, Parmesan rind, olive oil and starchy potatoes all add ample flavor and body to the humble soup. (In southern Italy, tomatoes are also added for a red version of the dish.) If you use bacon instead of the pancetta, be mindful that the results will be smokier and saltier.

Mashed Potato Casserole
This casserole may upset some mashed potato purists, but take heart: one bite and they'll be won over. The genius of this recipe, besides its utter deliciousness, is that it can be made the day before, or even two. Cook the potatoes, assemble the casserole, wrap tightly and store it in the refrigerator. When dinnertime comes, dust it with the cheese, butter and bread crumbs and bake the whole thing off. (And for everything you need to know to make perfect potatoes, visit our potato guide.)

Red Peas Soup
This hearty soup, a favorite of Jamaican restaurants and home cooks alike, can easily pass as a stew. In fact, think of it as a chili alternative, just as thick and spicy. The dumplings are easy, and cook in the soup, but they’re entirely optional. Other versions of this soup may call for salted pig tails, but here, they’re swapped out for smoked turkey necks. Either one adds a deep smokiness. Cock-flavored soup mix, such as one from Grace, gives this soup yet another layer of flavor; you can find it in the international aisle of most supermarkets.

Party Wreath
This party-size vegetarian version of a sausage roll takes a bit of inspiration from potato- and pea-filled samosas: The filling is a coarse mash of peas and potato mixed with fresh ginger and green chiles, along with cumin, fennel and sesame seeds. Seasoned with lemon juice and garam masala, it has a tangy, gently spicy flavor that’s even more sumptuous when it’s wrapped in buttery store-bought puff pastry. Be sure to cut the roll almost all the way to the inner edge before sliding it into the oven, so that the baked pieces are easy to tear away. Serve with green chutney, tamarind chutney, a squirt of Maggi ketchup, or just as is, with a few wedges of lemon or lime on the side.

Aloo Masala (Spiced Potatoes)
A little bowl of simply spiced half-mashed potatoes and onion, glistening with fat, is a standard side dish at bustling restaurants that serve dosas. It’s also one of the best vegetable dishes — inexpensive, quick and delicious — to add to your repertoire as a home cook. The key to these potatoes is water, not fat. Overcooking them just slightly ensures that they’re tender, and that they hold enough moisture so when you drop them into the hot pan, they break up and meld into the sautéed onion mix, becoming almost indistinguishable from it. Though aloo masala is great with a hot dosa, it’s a versatile dish that can also work as a side with other meals.

Crushed Sour Cream Potatoes
These extremely rich, highly textured potatoes are no less luxurious than the silky mashed variety, but they are a lot less work. There’s no ricing, mashing or whipping — just a simple crush to expose the potatoes’ craggy interior. From here on out, the key word is “cream”: Creamy potatoes meld with the garlicky heavy cream mixture and lots of sour cream. Small (and yes, creamy) potatoes on the waxy side, like a new potato or even a fingerling, work best here, but a more floury potato cut into large chunks would also work in a pinch. Don’t skimp on the black pepper or chives. They truly make this dish.

Chorba
In Morocco, chorba refers to a soup that hasn’t been thickened with flour or cream, giving it a light and wholesome consistency. Traditionally, it’s enjoyed during winter and during Ramadan to break the fast. There are many versions of chorba, but this hearty, mostly hands-off version features lamb, chickpeas, potatoes and noodles seasoned with turmeric and saffron for a cozy and aromatic one-pot meal. The lamb adds loads of complex flavor, but feel free to use beef instead.

Potato Kugel
Make this ahead — the flavor really comes out after it has been reheated.

Carne Guisada (Stewed Beef)
Among the most recognizable dishes of my culture, carne guisada will cure what ails you. Beef is slowly braised with aromatic sofrito and tomatoes, producing a rich, delicious dish you’re likely to eat too much of. For those who have lived in Puerto Rican enclaves such as New York, Philadelphia, Chicago or Orlando, Fla., this is a daily staple at cafeteria-style lunch counters, as it is on the island. You can also use this recipe to make pollo guisado, equally popular and common, simply by using chicken and adjusting the cooking time accordingly.

Chicken Cafreal
Galinha cafreal or chicken cafreal is a classic dish that’s often included in Goan Christmas and other noteworthy celebrations, accompanied by bread or rice. This dish is widely believed to have its origins in Mozambique and was brought by the Portuguese to their former colony of Goa in India. The signature hallmark of this dish is the fragrant concoction of spices and fresh herbs that’s used as the marinade and then cooked to form a very thick “dry” sauce, in which most of the water is driven out through evaporation to form a thick, flavorful coat on the chicken. Typically, the potatoes are fried, but boiling them in water and then roasting them in the oven produces a creamier interior and crispy exterior.

Mashed Potatoes With Garlic and Basil

Cazuela
Puerto Rican cazuela, a richly spiced crustless pie with a texture between thick custard and bread pudding, is a unique dessert with a complex history. The name means “cooking pot” in Spanish, and the key ingredients — batata (white sweet potato), pumpkin and coconut milk — and the traditional cooking process speak to the island’s African ancestry. Flavored with ginger, cloves, cinnamon and anise, this dish also includes spices brought to the Caribbean during the spice trade. Cazuela has been prepared since at least the 19th century, and today it’s largely reserved for holidays. This version is an adaptation of the classic, with sweet plantain added for flavor, and a tip for using canned ingredients. While this dessert may seem challenging at first glance, it is incredibly adaptable and can be prepared days in advance in a casserole dish, ramekins or even foil cupcake tins.

Sweet Potato Confit With Chorizo and Crème Fraîche
Chefs have a way of taking the most humble ingredient and elevating it, which is what Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman of Hog & Hominy in Memphis did with sweet potatoes. The trick is to confit thick slices slow in fat, which transforms the texture into silk. They use pork fat at their restaurants, but home cooks can get a similar effect with olive oil seasoned with some bacon fat. It works well with olive oil alone, too. The chefs also make their own chorizo, and mix up their own crème fraîche with heavy cream and buttermilk, then spike it with yuzu. Home cooks can make things more reasonable using pre-made chorizo and store-bought crème fraîche with a hit of lemon juice (though yuzu is better if you can find it). The confit itself can be done a day or two ahead of time. Just lift the sweet potato slices from the oil and chill them. (To save a few minutes, you can toast the pecans in the oven as you bake the sweet potatoes.) A last note: It does seem like a daunting amount of olive oil, so a reasonably inexpensive brand will do. The leftover oil can be saved in the refrigerator to slick the bottom of the sauté pan or round out a pasta sauce for future meals.

Oven-Fried Patatas Bravas (Crispy Potatoes With Two Sauces)
Served with spicy salsa brava and garlicky allioli, crispy hot patatas bravas are traditionally served in tapas bars throughout Spain. The salsa brava is made with pimentón, the smoked Spanish paprika sold as picante (hot) and dulce (sweet). Some cooks include a lot of chopped tomato, but my friends in Madrid tell me they prefer this version, which looks a bit like rusty gravy. As for the allioli, you can mount it by hand with a whisk, or use a stick blender as most Spaniards do. Though patatas bravas are typically pan-fried on the stovetop, I came up with this easier, oven-fried method. The potatoes emerge beautifully browned and crisped, and their flavor is sensational cooked in extra-virgin olive oil. This is not fancy fare. Grab a fork and dip the hot potatoes in both sauces for the optimal experience.

Twice-Baked Potatoes With Cauliflower and Cheese
This is a recipe that nods at a lesson taught by the British writer Nigel Slater, which is to poach the cauliflower in bay-leaf scented milk while the potatoes bake. The soft florets are then mashed in with the potato flesh and a healthy splash of the cooked milk. Add butter. Top with cheese.

Eastern North Carolina Fish Stew
This quick-cooking fish stew, with its raft of eggs and no-stir preparation method, is specific to eastern North Carolina. Church fund-raisers and family gatherings center on the stew, where traditionally men would layer chunks of fish with bones and skin, thinly sliced potatoes, onions and spices in a caldron and stand around the fire watching it cook. About five minutes before it was done, someone would crack an egg for each guest into the tomato-rich broth. Eggs were a cheap filler and a way to stretch the stew to provide enough protein for a crowd, along with fish like striped bass or flounder from North Carolina’s Atlantic shore. Vivian Howard, who left New York to open Chef & the Farmer, a restaurant in Kinston, N.C., offers this version for home cooks. The key is not stirring it at all, and watching the heat so the bottom doesn’t scorch. Serve it with a couple of slices of squishy white bread (Sunbeam is traditional), which act as delicious sponges for the broth.

Skillet Vegetable Potpie
Loaded with the season’s finest offerings, this pie comes together in one skillet and manages to be hearty yet light. Leek provides a sweet and aromatic base, potatoes add body, fennel delivers an earthy note and asparagus imparts crisp freshness. (You could also use broccoli or green beans.) Sour cream in the base offers a slight tang and keeps the sauce light. Be sure to chop all of your vegetables around the same size to ensure they cook evenly and are tender by the time the pastry is golden. If you like, add other seasonal vegetables like peas or fava beans in the spring, or cauliflower or brussels sprouts in the fall and winter. (Frozen vegetables work well, too.) When using store-bought puff pastry, thaw it in the fridge overnight. If you don’t have an ovenproof 9- or 10-inch skillet, simply transfer the mixture to a similar-sized round or square baking dish.

Smashed and Fried Potatoes
As enjoyable as pounding the lights out of an innocent garlic clove or olive may be, probably the most satisfying flat food to prepare are these smashed and fried potatoes from Susan Spungen, which draw in part from a technique used to make tostones. You steam baby potatoes until they’re just tender, let them cool enough to be handled, then press them between your palms until they flatten a bit and you hear their skins begin to snap. Next, you heat up some oil in a skillet and fry the potatoes until they’re nice and brown on their flat sides. Each potato is then crisp and caramelized but still moist inside.

Garlic-Braised Greens and Potatoes
Winter greens take well to braising, transforming from hearty and sturdy to tender and sweet as they mellow in a garlic-infused olive oil bath. This dish makes use of both the leafy greens and the stems, cooking them alongside potatoes, which add creamy bites. Use your favorite greens or any combination of collard greens, kale, Swiss chard and escarole. The dish is finished with mild shallots, tangy lemon juice and fresh parsley to create a bright sauce. Serve these garlic-braised vegetables with crusty bread or over a bowl of grains or pasta.

Potato Tart With Goat Cheese and Thyme
Store-bought puff pastry is the true workhorse in this elegant recipe, which involves three basic components: puff pastry, cheese and potatoes. When cooking with limited ingredients, quality is key, so use puff pastry made with real butter if you can get it — the flavor is better and the puff is, simply put, puffier. The dough is formed by a process called “lamination” in which alternating layers of butter and dough are folded together. As it bakes, the butter creates steam between the layers, providing the puff. Be sure to use the tines of a fork to “dock” the dough before baking; this creates little chutes for steam to escape instead of getting trapped and forming unsightly bubbles. Master the puff pastry part and this tart is easy and versatile: Play around with various spices and top with any fresh herbs you have on hand.

Sauteed Potatoes With Garlic

Kare Rice (Curry Rice)
Kare rice is instantly nostalgic and hearty, a dish that’s both warming and filling. Japanese curry has origins in India, and it made its way to Japan’s populace by way of the British. By the late 1960s, kare rice became a common sight in Japanese markets and restaurants, and the dish has since found its way into kitchens all over the world. There are as many variations of kare rice as there are cooks preparing the dish: It can easily be made pescatarian (utilizing seafood as the protein), vegetarian or even vegan (omitting the chicken and utilizing a vegetable-based broth). In this version, dashi is used to add umami, with a range of vegetables to add texture to the dish alongside its chicken.

Potato Korokke
Korokke, or Japanese croquettes, are comforting oval-shaped staples. The dish was introduced to Japan in the late 1800s and is said to have descended from French croquettes. Now, you’re as likely to find these crunchy-creamy cakes in a neighbor’s kitchen as at a butcher’s shop, street vendor or convenience store counter. Potato korokke consists of mashed potatoes folded into a mixture of onion and ground beef, but that formula is a platform for endless variation. Kabocha korokke substitutes potatoes with Japanese squash; kani cream korokke is filled with crabmeat and bound by bechamel; kare rice korokke eats like a distant cousin of arancini; kon kurimu korokke uses corn and cream. Leftover korokke can be reheated and eaten with toasted milk bread for a miracle sandwich.

Brunswick Stew
Few American dishes are more comforting than Brunswick stew, a motley mix of tomatoes, corn, beans and shredded meat. Chicken is most commonly used today, though some stew experts throw in beef chuck or pork shoulder for flavor and fat (or they prepare it in the old way, using game meat such as squirrel and rabbit). Both Brunswick County, Va., and Brunswick, Ga., lay claim to this hearty fall stew. This version borrows from the sweet and savory Virginian tradition. Thickened with potatoes, the stew tastes great on its own, alongside a hunk of cornbread or with a sleeve of saltine crackers.