Y’all, these potatoes, My Family’s Favorite Potatoes! Everyone in my family loves them. I make them at least twice a week, at least. And even then, whenever I tell the kids I’m making “those potatoes” they get just as excited as if it had just been declared a major holiday in my house. On the days I don’t tell then in advance, their noses lead them to the kitchen. “Do I smell those potatoes?”. There have actually been evenings when additional people showed up after an excited phone call from my daughter letting them know what was in the oven.
The great thing is, My Family’s Favorite Potatoes are easy as can be to make, which is partly why I enjoy making them. The secret is in the type of potato and the seasoning.
Scroll down if you want the recipe for My Family’s Favorite Potatoes, it’s in printable format at the bottom of this post. If you’re in the mood for a little visit, grab a glass of tea and keep reading. If you aren’t enthused about hearing about marriage, that’s probably a good reason to scroll to the recipe as well 🙂
We just got back from a little trip for our 20th Wedding Anniversary. Our wedding anniversary is in August but we met Feb 14, 1998. Since this is our twentieth year, we decided to do something a little more than ordering pizza and actually take a trip. So we went to the one place we enjoy going to: Disney World. Of course, we went in February instead of August because they simply do not print enough money to pay us to visit Disney World in August.
We had a wonderful time, taking it slow and easy. Some mornings we got up early, some mornings we took our time getting out of the room. Some evenings we came back and relaxed over cups of coffee at an outdoor table. We enjoyed our time together. If you haven’t read my post with advice to young married folks, click here to read that now.
But shortly before we went on this trip, the night before actually, we found ourselves sitting in our living room with both kids sitting across from us. My husband and I had been sitting in our chairs talking and our son had ambled in and sat down and joined in. A few minutes later our daughter passed through the room and she sat down and joined in, too. Our son, who is headed off to the great big world of college this fall, was asking us for advice on how to ensure his success. Now, when a teenager asks for life advice, you don’t let that opportunity pass you by. We were dolling out information ranging from work ethic to respect of others to making wise choices in the company you keep. And he was listening. And our daughter was listening. It was awesome.
Then, in the middle of this thoughtful dialogue among the four of us, I looked over to my husband of twenty years and something else came to mind.
Now get ready for something controversial in today’s world but keep in mind that this based on my experience, and advice to my own kids: I said “You know, there is another important thing to think about when it comes to looking at your life as a whole and wanting to be successful.” All eyes turned to me and I took a deep breath. “Getting married. Having the right partner by your side will make all the difference versus going it alone.” My husband immediately nodded in agreement and we quickly issued the disclaimer that we weren’t pushing this as a “do it soon” sort of thing but rather a “put this in your back pocket” sort of thing.
This is not popular advice today and I understand why. In a world where the focus is on self, we end up spending most of our lives looking to satisfy self in all things, rather than coming together and bonding over working for the good of the whole, collectively, which benefits all involved. Aside from that, there are an awful lot of bad marriages for an awful lot of reasons, both new and old. With the generations coming of age right now, I don’t see that getting any better, but rather worse.
But the fact still remains, that a good marriage, no matter how rare it becomes, is a lifelong advantage for those in it. You have a partner, someone always on your side, someone to figure things out with, someone to lean on, someone who can lean on you. And I want that for my kids. Will they get it? I don’t know. I hope so. But whether or not they do is not in our hands, but it is in our prayers. Already, they have wonderful friends and that is something else we prayed for. And so we hope and pray, as parents, for the best for our kids. And to us, in our lives, that means praying for a good marriage, when the time is right.
And wow. I got a chance to tell them that. To share my hopes for their future and why I wanted that for them. And they listened.
Now to anyone who is offended by this, that was not my intent and I hope you will soften your heart in order to see where mine is. I want the best for you as well and I fully realize that what is best for you might look different than what is best for me. I also realize we may have different hopes and dreams for our kids and ourselves, but each of us strives for and hopes for what we see as the best. My children, once they are out on their own, might take an entirely different road in life and my role on that journey will be to love them and hope for whatever their new best may be.
Whatever that best may be for you and yours, I hope you have it right now, or in the nearest possible future.
And I hope that we all have time to sit back, take a deep breath, and appreciate the fullness of our own blessings.
Now, let’s make My Family’s Favorite Potatoes.
To make My Family’s Favorite Potatoes, you’ll need: Yukon Gold Potatoes, Olive Oil, and Seasoned Salt.
Now you can do this recipe with any type of potato but Yukon gold is the best because they have a natural buttery taste to them and a nice soft yellow flesh that holds up well to roasting.
I like Morton’s because many of my grandparents worked for the company that owned that. 🙂 They worked for Morton Thiokol in Huntsville, Alabama way back in the day. I have a lot of memories of Thiokol growing up. They used to have these wonderful family picnics for their employees that were pretty much festivals, and the employees could bring their kids, grandkids, etc. We always went and had the best time!
Begin by cutting all of your potatoes into cubes. Place them on a baking sheet or a baking sheet lined with parchment for easier cleanup. You can also line it with foil if you like.
Drizzle olive oil generously over potatoes and use your hands to toss them until well coated. Sprinkle liberally with Seasoned Salt. 
Bake at 400 for about thirty minutes, stirring halfway through and sprinkling with seasoned salt again.
When they are done they will have lightly browned edges and be nice and soft to the bite.
And taste delicious.
We love My Family’s Favorite Potatoes as a side dish to anything under the sun! I hope you get to try them soon. Don’t let the simpleness of the recipe lead you to believe they are anything other than fabulous! So many times, simple recipes really are the best.
Ingredients
- About 3 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes
- Morton's Season All or Seasoned Salt of your choice
- Olive Oil
Instructions
- Wash potatoes. Cut into cubes (skin on). Place on large rimmed baking sheet, Drizzle olive oil generously over. Using your hands, toss the potatoes well to coat. Sprinkle liberally with Season All.
- Bake at 400 for about 30 minutes, stirring halfway through and sprinkling with season all again, until lightly browned.
This recipe is featured in Meal Plan Monday and Weekend Potluck!
Every thought is a seed. If you plant crab apples, don’t count on harvesting Golden Delicious.
~Bill Meyer
Yum
