Home Fries

A breakfast favorite, home fries are potato chunks cooked in a little bit of oil and plenty of seasoned salt. This yummy classic couldn’t be easier.

It’s no secret that potatoes are one of my great loves. In fact, I was almost embarrassed when I realized three or four of the posts I had planned for January feature potatoes. Almost embarrassed. But not quite because, judging by the popularity of most of my potato-related posts, I’m not the only one who loves them.

Really, what’s not to love? They’re versatile and inexpensive, easy to prepare and not too bad for you (unlike a lot of the things we like to add to them). Sure, this recipe calls for oil, but it’s a pretty small amount; it’s not like we’re deep frying anything. Life is all about perspective, right?

My mom has been making these potatoes for as long as I can remember. They’re a much-requested food for my siblings and I at our birthday dinners, typically paired with her to-die-for homemade chicken strips. I only make them myself on occasion, even though every time I think, “these are so easy. I should make them more often.” The way the exterior develops that crispy crunch while the inside remains soft and fluffy is just mouthwatering.

To be honest, I often make the recipe with only one potato and enjoy these little nuggets as a meal all by themselves. Other times I serve them as a side with supper, to accompany chicken or burgers. Home fries are also perfect for breakfast or, one of our family’s favorites, breakfast-for-dinner. You can serve them with eggs cooked just the way you like, a little bit of salsa and some shredded cheese, and you’ve got a hearty, restaurant-worthy meal.

There’s really no wrong way to serve home fries. Just like the cooking process, the presentation is pretty hard to mess up.

Home Fries

Ingredients

3 to 4 large baking potatoes
vegetable oil
seasoned salt (you can’t go wrong with Lawry’s)

Instructions

Begin by baking potatoes in the microwave or the oven. Alternately, you could use leftover baked potatoes. Bake potatoes just until fork tender; be sure they aren’t overcooked. Dice potatoes into one-inch chunks, leaving the skin on.

Add oil to a heavy-bottomed skillet- this is where my favorite cast iron works beautifully- covering the bottom with about a quarter inch. Heat the oil over medium-high heat and sprinkle with seasoned salt. Add the potatoes and avoid stirring them for a few minutes. This will allow the pieces that are in the oil to form that lovely crunchy crust. Alternate stirring the potatoes and letting them rest, sprinkling with seasoned salt as you go, until they’re all cooked and crusted.

Serve warm.

Can’t get enough potatoes? Try one of my favorite recipes, like parmesan garlic roasted potatoes or twice-baked potato casserole.

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