My Recipe for Easy Cheesy Parmesan Home Fries
(Photo: Kimberly Wang)
I created this home fries recipe kind of by accident. It was one of those days when you’re just trying to cook something using what you already have before they go bad: I had potatoes that were beginning to seed and some leftover Parmesan cheese from another meal. And so, these cheesy home fries were born.
And they’ve been vetted by S too — and he’s a big home fries fan (surprisingly, I’m not, but these are the best I’ve ever had). Without further ado, easy cheesy home fries.
(Photo: Kimberly Wang)
Ingredients
1 lb. of potatoes (Yukon gold were the ones I used, but I’ve also used Russet), peeled and cut into 1/2” cubes
1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp of unsalted butter
A pinch of paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp of grated Parmesan cheese
3 cloves of garlic, minced (optional)
1/2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
(Photo: Kimberly Wang)
Directions
Bring a pot of salted water to boil over high heat, then add in your potato cubes and reduce heat to medium. Leave in for just five minutes. This is called parboiling, which means you’re cooking the potatoes very lightly so they’re just kind of soft in the middle, but not mushy all the way through. Then drain in a colander and let them dry off on a plate covered in paper towels for a few minutes. When ready, move onto the next step.
Heat the olive oil and melt the butter in a large skillet (cast iron, ideally) over medium high heat. When the oil is shimmering and the butter is melted, place your potatoes on the skillet in a single, flat layer. If you have too many potatoes, as I did, you might want to do this in batches.
(Photo: Kimberly Wang)
3. Once on the skillet, let the potatoes cook unmoved for 5 minutes until they start getting a nice golden brown crust. Salt, pepper, and add paprika. Then, flip all the potatoes and let them cook untouched again for another 5 minutes. If you’re adding garlic, do it now. Then, give the potatoes a good stir, and cook for another 2 minutes before transferring onto a plate covered in paper towels.
4. Sprinkle Parmesan and the optional parsley on top and give your home fries a quick toss while they’re still piping hot. Then serve immediately and enjoy.
(Photo: Kimberly Wang)