We first spotted melting potatoes on Pinterest.
This easy cooking method, which turns potatoes into creamy, caramelized coins, is a Pinterest trend I can get behind.
When we first discovered melting potatoes, we weren’t actively seeking a new way to cook potatoes. In fact, we think there’s a pretty solid variety to choose from. You can bake them, fry them, steam them, mash them, smash them, or hasselback them. You can turn them into chips, hashbrowns, and even gnocchi. But when we tasted the new-to-us “melting potatoes,” we deemed them worthy of entrance into the heavily-saturated category. In fact, these, we dare say, are perfect potatoes.
Grace Elkus
We first spotted melting potatoes on Pinterest, where we quickly learned all recipes follow the same basic technique. Toss thick slices of potato in melted butter, roast in a very hot oven, add chicken stock at the end of the baking time, and serve with the reduced stock over top. Yeah, we aren’t mad at that.
Despite our spotty history with Pinterest food hacks, we tried it. But these potatoes lived up to their promise and then some: creamy, caramelized coins that melt in your mouth. Here’s how to make melting potatoes at home:
Heat your oven to 500°F with the rack in upper-middle position. The hot oven gives the potatoes their deep golden color and crispy exterior, so don’t cheat this part. Peel two pounds Yukon gold potatoes (the kind used for mashed potatoes—that’s what makes the insides of these so lusciously smooth) and slice them into 1-inch thick rounds. This is likely thicker than you think, and it may feel unnatural. But we’re not going for crispy potato chips here. We want hefty, decadent slabs of potato.
Toss the rounds with 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted melted butter, 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (chopped fresh rosemary is also fine), 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Transfer to a 13-by-9 inch metal baking dish and arrange in a single layer. Don’t use a glass pan, which can burst under such high heat.
Bake for 15 minutes, flip the potatoes, then bake 15 minutes more. Remove the dish from the oven and add 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock and 3 to 4 smashed garlic cloves. Return to the oven until most of the stock is absorbed, about 15 minutes more. Transfer to a serving platter and pour the remaining liquid in the pan overtop. Serve warm to very lucky friends.
Need to use up the rest of the bag of potatoes? Try our no-fail three-ingredient chicken dinner.
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Health
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