Mom’s Roasted Potatoes

I come from of huge family. My mother has seven siblings, and my father has five. As of last count, I have FORTY first cousins, ranging from age 6 to 33. I haven’t the slightest clue how many extended relatives I have beyond that, but it’s a lot and I know many of them. But the best part of this ridiculously huge family (other than the fact that they’re family and I love them dearly), is that the vast majority of them are spectacular cooks. My grandmothers routinely presided over amazing holiday meals (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter) that fed 50 to 75 people. When I think of different family members or different holidays, my mind immediately goes to particular dishes…

Granddaddy’s River donuts. Muzzie’s dip, the most iconic of them all. Grandmommy’s meatloaf, natles, and gravy. Jackie’s vinegary shrimp appetizer. Ann’s crab & egg dip. Dip o’clock at the Riv. Mo arriving at Thanksgiving with the fried turkey (to join the two other roasted ones and the ham). Peanut butter balls, that I think originated with Bobbie. Black Friday leftovers at Granddaddy & Gigi’s. Granddad’s incredibly alcoholic eggnog. Beth’s cakes & desserts. Grandmom’s sandwiches and cookies on Christmas morning. Lori’s punch. Muzzie & Bobbie’s rolls. Pickin’ crabs at the Riv. Martha’s spaghetti & meatballs. Grandmom’s beach breakfast. Lee’s egg sandwiches. That one time Ginny made amazing green beans, and she was more shocked than anyone else that people loved them. Townley’s bean & pasta soup. Shrimp night at the beach. Gigi’s oyster crackers. Ann and Lori’s crack saltines. Granddaddy’s cream chipped beef. My mother’s brownies. My mother’s chicken manicotti. My mother’s Oreo dessert. My mother’s meatballs & rice. My mother’s steak rolls. My mother’s kielbasa and potatoes. My mother’s cinnamon cookies. My mother’s poppyseed bread. My mother’s chex mix.

Wow. Once I started, I couldn’t stop. I’m going to just leave that there. Hopefully it’ll inspire me to make more of our family recipes that I love. Which was the point I was originally trying to make. I have this cookbook of family recipes that my grandmothers, aunts, and mother put together for all of the grandchildren a few years ago. I want to use it more! One of my personal life goals. The word vomit above shows that I have a lot of work to do!

So tonight, I knew I wanted to make potatoes to go with our steak and broccoli. But I decided to peruse the family cookbook for inspiration instead of the internet, which is my go-to. I came across my mother’s recipe for roasted potatoes. It isn’t an epic, nostalgic dish like the ones that popped into my head above. But seems like a perfect place to start. I adjusted it very minimally, so hopefully they come out as good as she makes them. Nothing ever tastes as good as when your mom makes it though…

Mom’s Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 lb of peeled & cubed potatoes
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp truffle salt
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 10 turns of black pepper

Instructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Mix olive oil with the last four ingredients. Stir to combine well.
3. Toss the potatoes with the oil mixture.
4. Place on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Bake for 45 minutes on a middle rack.
5. After 45 minutes, turn the oven up to broil. Leave the potatoes on the middle/lower rack. Cook another 2-5 minutes (while watching!) under the broiler, until the edges crisp up.

Serves 2 as a side dish.