This Roasted Baby Potatoes Recipe is the stuff of easy side dish dreams. The potatoes are crispy on the outside, tender and pillowy inside, then piled high with roasted garlic over a schmear of creamy whipped feta. The perfect, simple side dish for your holiday table, Sunday supper, or a mid-week family affair.
These oven-roasted baby yellow potatoes team up with a head of roasted garlic cloves - fragrant and sweet from their olive oil bath - and woodsy, fresh rosemary to make an irresistible potato dish. But when you add the lemony whipped feta, this simple side dish will rocket to the top of the list of your favorite potato recipes.
What you'll need to make this recipe:
Before we get to the step by step directions, a few notes about the ingredients:
Potatoes: the recipe calls for baby Dutch yellow potatoes, but any creamy, slightly starchy baby potato works here.
Chili flakes: just a pinch spices up our roasted potatoes, but omit for a completely mild experience.
Rosemary: the perfect woodsy herb to complement the roasted potatoes and garlic. Substitute fresh thyme, if needed.
Full ingredient list and measurements included in the printable recipe card below.
Step by step instructions:
1. Roast garlic
Preheat oven to 375℉. Remove the outer skins of the head of garlic and cut about ½ inch off the top, exposing the cloves (but leaving the root end of the garlic in tact). Place the prepared head of garlic on a sheet of aluminum foil, drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil and a good pinch of coarse salt. Close the foil tightly, creating a steaming pouch.
Place the foil pouch on a rack over a baking sheet. Move to oven and roast for 40-45 minutes, until the cloves are soft and sweet.
(Note: roasting garlic in a foil pouch directly on a baking sheet or pan can lead to scorched garlic because of the concentration of heat from your metal pan. This method on a rack keeps the hot air flowing around our little packet of joy, without burning.)
2. Prep potatoes
Cut any larger potatoes into half and toss all of the potatoes into the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, sea salt, black pepper and chili flakes, if using. Then pour onto a large baking sheet in a single layer. I like to ensure any halved potatoes are cut side down on the baking sheet so they get some extra crispy love.
Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, turn the potatoes and add fresh chopped rosemary to the pan. Return to the oven and bake another 10-15 minutes, until potatoes have crispy skins and tender inside.
3. Prep whipped feta
Add crumbled or chopped feta, cream cheese, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest and water into your food processor. Then pulse until well combined and fluffy. Taste and add a pinch of salt and pepper, if needed.
4. Plate, Garnish and Serve
To serve, spoon a layer of whipped feta into the base of a shallow bowl or serving plate.
Place oven-roasted potatoes and roasted garlic cloves over the feta. Sprinkle with a little salt, additional fresh rosemary, chili flakes and a drizzle of olive oil, if desired.
Looking for more delicious potato recipes?
FAQ's and Serving Suggestions:
While the recipe calls for baby Dutch yellow potatoes, almost any kind of potato or small potatoes works in this recipe, as long as they are cut in a fairly uniform way. Yukon gold baby potatoes, baby red potatoes and even good old russet potatoes, diced and tossed in the olive oil mixture would turn out beautifully.
This rock star baby potatoes recipe would be the perfect accompaniment for Red Shrimp Skewers, Parmesan Cod or as a vegetarian dinner with Italian Tossed Salad.
If you don't have feta for the whipped feta dip, cotija cheese would be a great substitute. If you don't have either, I recommend skipping the creamy dip and opting for a healthy sprinkle (or shower) of grated or shredded Parmesan cheese. With minimal effort you'll still have the perfect side dish for the whole family to enjoy.
You can! Fresh thyme would be lovely. If using tender herbs like chives, dill or basil, be sure to add after you remove the roast potatoes from the oven when they are finished cooking. Tender herbs are best when they are fresh.
To store, transfer potatoes to an airtight container and store whipped feta separately. Each can be kept for up to 3 days. To reheat, bake potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet in a hot oven until heated through.
Roasted Baby Potatoes with Garlic and Whipped Feta Recipe
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4-6
Ingredients
2 pounds baby dutch yellow potatoes (12-15 potatoes), or similar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
½ teaspoon red chili flakes (optional)
1 head of garlic
Whipped Feta:
6 ounces feta cheese, diced or crumbled
2 ounces whipped cream cheese
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons warm water
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉. Begin by roasting garlic. Remove the outer skins of each head of garlic and cut the top ½ inch off each head, exposing the cloves. Place the prepared head of garlic on a sheet of aluminum foil, drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil and a good pinch of coarse salt. Close the foil tightly, creating a steaming pouch. Place the foil pouch on a rack over a sheet pan. Move to oven and roast for 40-45 minutes, until the cloves are soft and sweet.
- Once the garlic Is in the oven, clean and dry potatoes. Cut any larger potatoes into half and toss into remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, sea salt, black pepper and chili flakes, if using. Pour onto a baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, turn the potatoes and add fresh chopped rosemary to the pan. Return to the oven and bake another 10-15 minutes, until potatoes are crispy on the outside and tender inside.
- While the potatoes are baking, prepare the whipped feta. Add crumbled or chopped feta, cream cheese, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest and water into your food processor. Pulse until well combined and fluffy. Taste and add a pinch of salt and pepper, if needed.
- To serve, spoon a layer of whipped feta into the base of a shallow bowl or serving plate. Top with roasted potatoes and roasted garlic cloves. Sprinkle with a little salt, additional fresh rosemary, chili flakes and a little olive oil, if desired.
Notes
Roasting garlic in a foil pouch directly on a baking sheet or pan can lead to scorched garlic because of the concentration of heat from your metal pan. This method on a rack keeps the hot air flowing around our little packet of joy, without burning.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 35
- Category: Side, Appetizer
- Method: Oven baked
- Cuisine: American, Mediterranean
Cara
This was INCREDIBLE! My family is picky. We made this along side scallops with pea purée, but these potatoes stole the show!!!!!!
Christina
Sounds like you had an amazing dinner, Cara! Thrilled to hear the potatoes were up to the challenge of your 5-star kitchen. Thanks so much for coming back to comment. Appreciate you!