Loaded Hash Browns

I became obsessed with these hash browns toward the end of my Whole33. They're easy/quick enough to make whenever the desire strikes. (Daily, in my case.)

Loaded Hash Browns

2-3 tbs olive oil
1/4 onion, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 medium (2 small) yukon gold potatoes, grated and squeezed of excess water
2 big handfuls of baby spinach, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

In a large non-stick skillet, heat 2 tbs olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and red pepper, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally until softened, about 5 minutes. Add grated potato, season with salt and pepper, and stir together. Let cook and brown, stirring every few minutes, until nicely browned, about 7-10 minutes. Stir in spinach and wilt slightly. Turn out onto a plate and devour with scrambled or fried eggs.

Butternut Squash Tart

When you live in Oklahoma and you use the phrase "a house divided," you are usually talking about a couple in which one person cheers for The University of Oklahoma and one cheers for Oklahoma State University. In the case of some good friends of ours, one person is a vegetarian and one is a big fan of all things carnivorous. So when it came time for our small group's Thanksgiving party this week, I made a special dish just for Kevin, and one for his wife Lindsay. 

Kevin is the vegetarian, and for him I tried out an appetizer from a recent issue of Bon Appetit. It was a hit, and is a great way to use up any leftover butternut squash you may have from Thanksgiving. 

Butternut Squash Tart with Fried Sage
from Bon Appetit Magazine

1 17.3-ounce package of frozen puff pastry

1 butternut squash

1 egg

1/4 cup honey

2 tbs water

1 fresno, jalapeno, or red Thai chile

3 tbs olive oil

fresh sage

1/4 cup shaved parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375°. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Gently roll out 1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed, on a lightly floured surface to a 10-inch square (just enough to even out). Transfer to prepared sheet.
Brush pastry with 1 large egg beaten with 1 tsp. water. Arrange twelve 1/8-inch-thick rounds peeled butternut squash (cut from squash's neck) over pastry, overlapping as needed and leaving a 1/2-inch border. Place another sheet of parchment paper over squash. Set another large rimmed baking sheet over the tart. (This will weigh down the pastry dough and steam the squash slices.)
Bake until bottom of pastry begins to brown and top begins to puff, about 10 minutes.
Remove top baking sheet and discard top sheet of parchment paper. Brush squash slices with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with kosher salt. Return tart, uncovered, to oven and bake until pastry is deep golden brown and cooked through, 25–30 minutes longer.
Meanwhile, combine 1/4 cup honey, 1 thinly sliced Fresno, jalapeño, or red Thai chile, and 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat (add another thinly sliced chile if more heat is desired). Boil until thickened slightly and syrupy, about 6 minutes.
Line a plate with paper towels. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small skillet until just beginning to smoke. Add 12 fresh sage leaves; fry until crisp, about 30 seconds. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
Slice tart. Arrange 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan on top; drizzle with chile-infused honey. 

Garnish with fried sage leaves and a few grinds of black pepper.

Baked Feta Spread

Just in time for your Christmas parties, this SIMPLE feta spread is a delicious (and perhaps sinful) appetizer.  The original recipe calls for the cheese packet to be grilled, but I baked it tonight with a lovely result.  The husband and I enjoyed it spread on our bread and I may or may not have dipped everything else on my plate into it, as well.

Baked Feta Spread

adapted from Real Simple Magazine

1 12-ounce piece Feta, at room temperature
6 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tablespoons olive oil
black pepper
pita bread, pita chips, or toasted baguette, for serving


Preheat oven to 350. Place the Feta in the center of a large piece of heavy-duty foil. Top with the thyme, drizzle with the oil, and season with ¼ teaspoon pepper. Seal the foil to form a packet.
Bake the packet, until the Feta is soft in the center when pressed, 15 to 17 minutes. Transfer the Feta, herbs, and oil to a shallow bowl and serve with bread. 

Mom's Broccoli-Rice Casserole

My Thanksgiving plate would not be complete without this dish. My mom always made it and, now that she's gone, I have taken the torch. No one in my family loves it as much as she and I, but that never stopped us from making the entire recipe every year.
While some of the ingredients are not found in my pantry at any other time during the year, I often make an exception, since it's a very special occasion.  This year, however, I tweaked things a bit for my own peace of mind (and to avoid paying $6 for a jar of Cheese Whiz!).
What's your favorite Thanksgiving dish?  Share it in the comments!

Mom's Broccoli-Rice Casserole

1 package frozen chopped broccoli
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup instant rice (1 1/2 cups cooked)--This year, I used 1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice.
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
8 oz jar Cheese Whiz (you read that right)--This year, I used this cheese-sauce recipe.
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup--I know you can make this from scratch, but I didn't. 


Preheat oven to 350. Bring broccoli and water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Boil for 6 minutes, add the rice and turn off the heat. (If you're using already cooked rice, just add it to the dish with everything else.) Set aside while you saute onion and celery in the butter until soft- about 10 minutes. Add the vegetables, the broccoli and rice to a large bowl. Add the Cheese Whiz and soup and mix well. Pour into a 9*13 casserole dish. Bake 20-30 minutes, until bubbly and lightly golden brown on top.

Skirt Steak with Corn Cakes

If you plan to entice your kids to dinner with the promise of something called "corn cakes," and you promise them that it's like a pancake, make sure they actually like corn.  My kids are the crazy ones who don't.  Apparently.
They did eat around the corn as best they could and, once I removed all the "icky red" pieces of steak from their plates, they gobbled it up, as well.  I didn't have all the lovely accoutrements called for in the recipe, so I served our supper with a Salad with Creamy Dressing.  A hit with the husband and I.  I think the leftover corn cakes will be delicious for lunch tomorrow.

Skirt Steak with Corn Cakes
from Real Simple Magazine

• 2  tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1  pound skirt steak, cut into 4 pieces
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1  cup whole milk
• 1  large egg
• 1  cup corn kernels (from 1 to 2 ears), plus more for serving
• sour cream, fresh salsa, grated Cheddar, cut-up avocado, fresh cilantro, hot sauce, and lime wedges, for serving

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the steak with the chili powder and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Let the steak rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Make a well in the center and add the milk, egg, and 1 tablespoon of the oil. Whisk together the wet ingredients, then incorporate the dry ingredients (do not overmix). Mix in the corn.
3. Heat the remaining teaspoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, drop heaping ¼-cup portions of batter into the skillet and cook until golden brown and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
4. Serve the corn cakes topped with the steak, corn, sour cream, salsa, Cheddar, avocado, cilantro, hot sauce, and lime wedges.

Zucchini Pancakes

If you've got a garden (which I don't) and you find yourself over run with zucchini every summer (which sounds like a dream come true to me), here's a good option for you.  These are appropriately named pancakes, because texturally, that's just what they're like.  That being said, if you're looking for a crispy, fritter-type cake, this recipe is not for you.  I found these to be delicious and will probably be buying lots of zucchini from the farmers market to make them again.  Unless anyone local needs to unload a bunch of zucchini...

Zucchini Pancakes

from Ina Garten

2 medium zucchini (about 3/4 pound)

2 tablespoons grated red onion

2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten

6 to 8 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Unsalted butter and vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Grate the zucchini into a bowl using the large grating side of a box grater. Immediately stir in the onion and eggs. Stir in 6 tablespoons of the flour, the baking powder, salt, and pepper. (If the batter gets too thin from the liquid in the zucchini, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour.)

Heat a large (10 to 12-inch) saute pan over medium heat and melt 1/2 tablespoon butter and 1/2 tablespoon oil together in the pan. When the butter is hot but not smoking, lower the heat to medium-low and drop heaping soup spoons of batter into the pan. Cook the pancakes about 2 minutes on each side, until browned. Place the pancakes on a sheet pan and keep warm in the oven. Wipe out the pan with a dry paper towel, add more butter and oil to the pan, and continue to fry the pancakes until all the batter is used.

The pancakes can stay warm in the oven for up to 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Hash Brown Waffles

These beauties are such a favorite in our house. I make them whenever we have breakfast for dinner (unless we're having waffles and the iron is already occupied), but they're just a super simple side dish perfect for any night of the week.

Hash Brown Waffles

from Cooking for Isaiah

3 yukon gold potatoes (or russets, or sweet potatoes, etc)- peeled, grated, and wrung dry

1 tbs olive oil

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Combine ingredients in large bowl. Preheat waffle iron to med-high. Grease or spray with cooking spray. Mound 1/2 cup of potatoes into waffle iron. Cook about 10 mins.

Baked Tortilla Chips

It's inevitable- if it's taco night, there must be chips and salsa on the table, right? And do your kids end up eating mainly chips and salsa for dinner? Mine, too. So why not give them a healthier alternative in these baked tortilla chips? I often make tortilla strips to serve with taco soup and they're so incredibly easy, there's no reason I can't whip up a batch of chips on a regular basis.

Baked Tortilla Chips

corn tortillas

canola or olive oil

salt

seasoned salt, chili powder, whatever you want!

Preheat oven to 375. Cut corn tortillas in half, then cut the halves into thirds. Drizzle with canola oil and sprinkle with salt. Toss gently to coat each chip with oil and seasoning. Place on baking sheets and bake 8-12 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. Let cool slightly before devouring.

Guacamole Salad

To be honest, this is the dish that inspired me to eat mostly-meat-free for the next month.

We had it on Thursday for dinner with friends (along with taquitos), and even my skeptical (scared) husband had two helpings of it! (I should think it goes without saying that my extremely picky little boys didn't eat a single bite of it.) I liked it so much, I headed back to the farmer's market and restocked the supplies needed to make another round. We had it for lunch yesterday with brown rice and tortillas. It's great as a chunky monkey salsa, eaten with chips.

Guacamole Salad

adapted from Ina Garten

2 tomatoes, seeded and diced

1/2 cup red onion, sliced very thinly

2 jalapenos, seeded and minced

kernels from 2 ears of fresh corn

1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

juice of 1-2 limes

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

2 avocados, seeded, peeled and diced

In a large bowl, place tomatoes, onion, jalapenos, corn, and beans. Squeeze over the juice of 1 (very juicy) or 2 (somewhat stingy) limes, drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss gently. Taste for seasoning. When ready to serve, gently fold in avocados. (I made up a big batch for the fridge and just left out the avocado. I slice it and add it in when we're ready to eat.)

Velveeta-free Queso

I've eaten "queso" for as long as I remember. Growing up, we often ate at a Mexican restaurant near our church and I would gorge myself on the chips and queso. It also made an appearance at many family gatherings, and still does. In my family, it's Velveeta and Rotel. In my husband's family, they spice up the same base with browned sausage. I love it all. But I'm not a huge fan of Velveeta, truth be told. Surely there has to be a way to make more authentic queso without defaulting to the scary rectangular pasteurized processed cheese product, no?

Most recipe searches left me coming up empty. But over Thanksgiving, while I was trying out a cheese sauce to replace the Cheese-Whiz called for in mom's broccoli-rice casserole, it hit me: this could be my queso base. I added some salsa to the leftover cheese sauce and instantly had my husband put away the bag of chips, lest I eat every last one, smothered in my new-found queso. Let me know how you think it compares.

Velveeta-free Queso

adapted from Rachael Ray

3 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups milk
2 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
4 ounces cubed cream cheese
Salt
Pinch ground cayenne pepper
Your favorite salsa (or Rotel)

In a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, stir 3 tablespoons flour into 3 tablespoons melted butter and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in 1 cup heavy cream until smooth, then whisk in 2 cups milk. Simmer gently until the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in 2 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese, 4 ounces cubed cream cheese until melted and smooth. Season with salt and a pinch ground cayenne pepper. Add in your favorite salsa, about 1 1/2 cups, or to taste.

Sweet Potato and Kale Chips

What constitutes a "successful" meal in your house? With two small picky eaters and a husband who tends to be as well, I call a successful meal one that leaves everyone at the table with a full belly. Full of something, anyway. Maybe not everything on the table, but something. When I made the Chicken Schnitzel I paired it with a couple of sides that were new to the taste buds of all of us. I did not have high hopes, but was somewhat pleased with the results:

Picky eater #1 tried everything (though I admit his bite of kale was minuscule and was sandwiched between bacon slices), but ate mainly chicken for supper.

Picky eater #2 crushed his kale chips, threw some chicken in the floor and ate mainly sweet potatoes for supper.

The husband tried everything but politely refused when I offered him more kale chips. 'Twas a texture issue for him.

I tried everything and enjoyed the kale in conjunction with the chicken a lot. I would have enjoyed the sweet potatoes even more if they had in fact been crispy, as a chip should be. I did enjoy the slightly sweet component they added to an otherwise savory meal.

Sweet Potato and Kale Chips

adapted from Giada at Home

3 large kale leaves

2 sweet potatoes, unpeeled

olive oil

salt and pepper

Put oven rack in center of oven. Preheat to 350. Remove the thick stem from the kale and discard. Cut the kale into 2 or 3 inch strips. Place in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Toss well to coat each piece. Place in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes, until lightly golden and crispy. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Using a mandoline or a sharp knife, slice potatoes to 1/8 inch thickness. Place in bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Toss well. Place in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake 12 minutes, then turn each slice over. Bake another 6-8 minutes, checking every 2 minutes and removing any chip that is already browned. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cheesy Oven Fries

The Garlic Fries I usually make are delicious. They are one of the very few ways I can actually get my children to eat potatoes (other than McDonald's, of course). This recipe is even easier to make, as it doesn't require you to flip or turn the fries at all. You just pile them on the pan, toss them in the oven and devour them about 45 minutes later. And devour them we did.

Cheesy Oven Fries

adapted from Mad Hungry

3 russet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/3 inch thick french fry style strips, soaked in cold salted water (to prevent browning)

2 tbs extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste (the original recipe calls for dried Italian herbs, but I just went with what I had on hand and what complimented the rest of the meal the best)

1 cup freshly grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

2 tbs butter, cut into cubes

Preheat oven to 400. Drain the potatoes and pat dry with paper towels. Spread 1 tbs olive oil onto a baking sheet and spread out the potatoes. (Overlapping is fine!) Sprinkle the salt and pepper evenly over the potatoes. Liberally spread the cheese on top. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the cheese. Scatter the cubed butter around the pan. Bake until potatoes are golden brown, rotating the pan after 30 minutes, for 45-50 minutes total. Sprinkle with more salt and pepper, if needed. Serve hot.

Project Food Blog Challenge #2- The Classics

First of all, thank you to everyone who voted for me last week. I made it to round 2! And if talking about my family and my blog were a challenge, well this is quite a bit more of a challenge. When I saw that the requirement for round 2 of Project Food Blog was to tackle a classic dish from another cuisine, my mind started racing. I want to participate in the challenges, but I also know the palettes of the boys I cook for. I want to stretch all of us a bit, but I also want them to eat.

I've never been anywhere. Seriously. So I didn't have a region of the world to draw inspiration from. I emailed a friend who's family serves as missionaries in Russia. I figured she has first-hand knowledge of Russian cuisine, something I am completely unfamiliar with. However, when I saw that I only had two days and a (very) limited grocery budget to work with, I decided to look for a meal that would incorporate ingredients I already had on-hand. My husband spent about 3 weeks in Germany before we started dating, so I thought that would be the way to go. (And it seems only appropriate, seeing as how Oktoberfest is going on right now.) I'm pretty sure he ate nothing but sausages, beer, and Pizza Hut while he was there, so he wasn't much help in the "classics" department (though I admit he understood what I was making once I revealed the menu). I grabbed my trusty Joy of Cooking and let it guide me to a meal that, while maybe didn't stretch our taste buds too much, did allow me to stretch my culinary muscles just a bit.

Schnitzel and Kartoffelklösse (Potato Dumplings)

adapted from Joy of Cooking

1 pound boneless pork sirloin chops, pounded to less than 1/4 inch thick

1/2 cup flour, spread on a plate

2 large eggs, beaten with 1 tbs milk, on separate plate

2 cups fresh bread crumbs, spread on 3rd plate

3 tbs vegetable oil or butter, or a combination of both

lemon wedges for serving, optional

Heat oven to 180. Season pork with salt and pepper. Dredge pork lightly in flour, shaking off excess. Drip into egg mixture, then coat with crumbs, pressing down on the crumbs slightly to let them adhere. Heat oil and/or butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook pork in batches, being careful not to crowd the pan, until nicely browned, 1- 1 1/2 minutes per side. Remove to paper towels to drain, them keep warm on a platter in the oven. Add more butter or oil to the pan as needed to cook the other batches. Sprinkle the pork with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Potato Dumplings

3 medium baking potatoes, scrubbed

1 large egg

1/4 cup flour

3/4 tsp salt

2-3 quarts water, seasoned with 1 tbs salt

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

Cook potatoes in a large pot of boiling water until tender. Drain, cool, and peel. Push them through a potato ricer or force through a sieve with the back of a spoon. (My husband had the genius idea to use the bottom of a glass to push the potato through. Much easier!) Combine with the egg, flour, and salt. Stir with a fork just until blended and fluffy. Gently shape into 1-inch balls. Bring water to simmer in a large pot. Drop dumplings into water and cook for 10 minutes. Drain.

Stir together melted butter and bread crumbs. Sprinkle over the dumplings and serve.

(Sadly, the 3 dumplings you see pictured are the only ones I could salvage. The rest turned into potato soup. So, add more flour if your dumplings seem too wet.)

Steak with Potato-Parsnip Mash

Once again, this week's challenge was inspired by a comment from N. For whatever reason, he's been talking a lot about "cloud fluff." That's mashed potatoes, to you and me. He doesn't like mashed potatoes. He never has. But he talked about them all week. We went to a chili and beans dinner at my Grannie's church over the weekend and he asked for cloud fluff. No chili, no beans, no hot dogs, just cloud fluff, please. So I gave it a try.

I had clipped this recipe from the latest issue of Real Simple and wanted to try parsnips, anyway. N didn't eat a single bite of the "cloud fluff," but ate all of his steak and the baby carrots I added to his plate. The husband and I didn't mind the flavor of the parsnips, but they didn't get as tender as the potatoes did and it was a bit unnerving coming across a big chunk in your mashed potatoes. I'm going to roast the two I had leftover tonight and see how we like them. The steak was very simple but very tasty, and the juices made a delicious "gravy" for the potatoes. (I didn't do a thing to it, just poured the accumulated juices onto my plate and lapped it up!)

Steak with Potato-Parsnip Mash (from Real Simple Magazine)

1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 pound parsnips (about 2 medium), cut into 1-inch pieces
kosher salt and black pepper
1/2 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 pounds sirloin steak (1 inch thick)

Place the potatoes and parsnips in a large pot. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Add 2 teaspoons salt, reduce heat, and simmer until tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Drain and return to the pot. Mash with the milk, butter, scallions, 1⁄2 teaspoon salt, and 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the steak with 1⁄2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook to the desired doneness, 4 to 6 minutes per side for medium-rare. Let rest before slicing. Serve with the potato-parsnip mash.

Basic Couscous

I've sung the praises of couscous before, especially back when my son refused to eat rice and this was the only grain I could get him to eat. I buy the whole wheat kind from my grocery store, and have always cooked it in the microwave according to the package instructions. But I'm newly obsessed with Mark Bittman's book, How to Cook Everything, and tried out his recipe for basic couscous last week. I kid you not, it made such a difference in this humble little side dish.

I still hate cleaning up the dining floor after my 3 year old has eaten it, but it's worth the effort. :)

Basic Couscous
from How to Cook Everything

3 tbs butter
1 1/2 cups couscous
2 1/4 cups chicken, beef, or vegetable stock, warmed
1/2 tsp salt, plus more if necessary
freshly ground black pepper to taste
minced fresh parsley leaves for garnish

Place 2 tbs butter in a medium saucepan and turn the heat to medium-low. When it melts, add the couscous and cook, stirring, until it is coated with butter, about 1 minute.
Add the stock all at once, along with 1/2 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to its minimum. Cover and cook until all the liquid is absorbed, 5-8 minutes.
Pour the couscous into a large serving bowl and stir in the remaining tbs butter with a fork, fluffing the couscous and breaking up any lumps. Add pepper and more salt, if necessary. Garnish and serve.

Perfect Brown Rice

If you're like me, you made the switch long ago from white, minute, or any kind of quick-cooking rice for the real deal- brown, hearty, oh-so-good-for-you rice that takes a whopping 45 minutes to cook. And, if you're like me, you've spent the entire time trying to perfect it, adding a little less water here, making sure not to open the lid for any reason, aiming for the fluffy, soft grains you love in its white counterpart. Again, if you're like me, you've failed miserably every time. No more. I'm here, with the help of Real Simple Magazine, to save you. Behold:

Perfectly Cooked Brown Rice
from Real Simple Magazine

2 1/2 cups long-grain brown rice (I buy Mahatma)
4 1/4 cups water

Place the rice in a bowl and, using your fingers, rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear. Drain in a strainer. In a pot, bring the drained rice and the water to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender, about 40 minutes. If there is unabsorbed water left, drain the rice in a strainer. Remove from heat and fluff gently with a fork to separate the grains.

Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings

It truly is fluffy and delicious, as promised, and it makes a huge pot (which only makes sense to do, as it takes 40 minutes to make 1 serving or 4-6). The pot I made last night will serve us well for at least 2 more meals this week!
Enjoy.

Garlic Fries

These are our favorite fries to make at home.  They take a little time, but you don't have to baby sit them much.  My favorite dish to serve them with (besides a burger, obviously) is the Pork Loin Pitas.  They are phenomenal dipped in that feta sauce!

Garlic Fries

adapted from Cooking Light Magazine

1-1/2 lbs peeled baking potatoes, cut into 1/4 inch strips
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/4 tsp salt
Cooking spray
1 tbs butter
4 garlic cloves, minced (or the amount of your liking)
1 tbs freshly grated parm cheese

Preheat oven to 400.
Combine first 3 ingredients in large zip-top plastic bag, tossing to coat.
Arrange potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray (it really does help, even if you're using a non-stick pan!). Bake at 400 for 50 minutes or until potatoes are tender and golden brown, turning after 20 minutes (if you cut them thin enough, they never take 50 minutes!)
Place butter and garlic in a large nonstick skillet; cook over low heat 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add potatoes and cheese to pan; toss to coat.
Serve immediately.