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Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Around here, I cook with Idaho potatoes all throughout the month of December. They are versatile, delicious, and, well, my family just loves them, in all forms!
I cook with them so often that I decided it would be fun to do a roundup, showcasing five of my favorite recipes featuring these lovely potatoes. It was hard to narrow it down to five, to be honest. But here you’ll find a recipe to suit any occasion and any appetite, trust me!
- Lemon Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Garlic & Lemon Aioli
- Latkes with Caviar & Crème Fraiche
- Creamy Buttermilk & Parsley Mashed Potatoes
- Potato, Parsnip, and Celeriac Root Vegetable Soup
- Spinach & Brussel Sprouts Colcannon
Make one recipe, or make them all! You can’t go wrong with Idaho potatoes. Happy Holidays!
Visit idahopotato.com for more wonderful recipes!
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Lemon Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Garlic & Lemon Aioli
Serves 4
Prep time 10 minutes
Roast time 40-60 minutes
2-3 pounds assorted Idaho fingerling potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
3-4 sprigs of rosemary, removed from the stem
2 lemons, one sliced very thinly, one halved
Salt and pepper to taste
Garlic & lemon aioli
1 cup mayonnaise
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 small garlic clove, finely chopped and mashed into a paste
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
Salt to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and add them to the baking tray along with olive oil and rosemary. Add thin lemon slices to the pan. Squeeze juice from halved lemon over the entire pan of potatoes. Season generously with salt and pepper, and toss to coat the mixture evenly. Roast 40-60 minutes.
To make the aioli, mix the ingredients and serve alongside potatoes. Keeps 3-4 days in the fridge.
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Latkes with Caviar & Crème Fraiche
Prep time 10 minutes
Cook time 15-20 minutes
Yields 6-8 latkes
1 large or 2 small Idaho russet potatoes, grated
1/4 cup flour
2 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste 1 medium yellow onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups oil suitable for frying
2 ounces fresh caviar of your choice
1 cup crème fraiche or sour cream
1/2 cup diced chives
In a mixing bowl, gently mix the potatoes, flour, eggs, salt, and pepper. Sauté the onion in the oil until it’s caramelized. Add the onion to the potato mixture. Heat the frying oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Place 1/4 cup of the mixture into the hot oil and fry until crisp and golden brown on each side, about 7 minutes total. Rest on a paper towel and sprinkle with sea salt. Once you’re finished frying all the latkes, place one teaspoon of your favorite caviar and 1 teaspoon of crème fraiche on each latke. Garnish with chives.
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Creamy Buttermilk & Parsley Mashed Potatoes
Prep time 10 minutes
Cook time 35-40
Serves 4-6
8-10 large Idaho gold potatoes
1/2 cup soft butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1-1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1-2 cups heavy cream
1 bunch of flat leaf parsley, rough chopped
Slice all potatoes in half, place in a large pan, and cover with cool water. Bring to a boil for 25-35 minutes or until potatoes are tender enough to mash. Drain water and add remaining ingredients. The parsley cooks slightly with the heat of the potatoes. Mash by hand or with a hand mixer. These are lovely; taste for salt and enjoy!
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Potato, Parsnip, and Celeriac Root Vegetable Soup
Prep time 15 minutes
Cook time 45 minutes
Yield 4 servings
6 yellow Idaho potatoes, chopped
4 quarts low-sodium chicken stock
2 parsnips, chopped
2 cups peeled and cubed celeriac root
2 cups water
1 large yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves fresh garlic
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
Pan-roasted mushrooms for garnish (optional)
Bread crumbs for garnish (optional)
1/2 cup toasted pepitas (optional)
Combine all the ingredients except the heavy cream and garnishes in a large stock pot. Simmer for about 45 minutes on medium-high heat until all the veggies are tender and perhaps even falling apart. Taste for seasoning; adjust.
Remove the soup from the heat. Use an immersion blender to gently pulse the soup until it’s your desired consistency (I prefer a thicker soup). Feel free to use a blender if that’s what you have on hand, but be very careful.
Just before serving, swirl the cream into the soup, but do not mix it fully; the remnants of cream swirls look lovely. Garnish with more pepper, pan roasted mushrooms, bread crumbs, or pepitas.
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Spinach & Brussel Sprouts Colcannon
Prep time 15 minutes
Cook time 45 minutes
Serves 4-6
6 medium-sized Idaho russet or Idaho gold potatoes, peeled
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
2 medium-sized thinly sliced onions
2-3 cups thinly sliced Brussels sprouts
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons salted butter, plus 1/2 cup
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup salted butter
4 cups chopped fresh spinach
In a large pot, cover the potatoes with water and season lightly with kosher salt. Bring to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are tender.
Meanwhile, in another pan, caramelize the onions and Brussels sprouts in the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter. Season generously with salt and pepper.
Once the potatoes are done, drain and add them back to the pot. Add the caramelized onions and Brussels sprouts to the hot potatoes with the cream, remaining butter, and chopped spinach. Smash until smooth and creamy. Add a little milk to thin, if needed. Season once more and enjoy!