Butter Roasted Baby Reds
A New Addition To Your Tater Line Up
Butter Roasted Baby Reds are the perfect side dish If you love a crispy outer potato layer and a soft and buttery inside. Roasted with butter, salt, smoky paprika, and black pepper, you can make these a delicious vegetarian meal by serving them with your favorite roasted green vegetables.
I actually make these potatoes as a side dish to my Oven Roasted Corned Beef. When I stopped boiling my corned beef, I needed a potato side dish since the potatoes were not being boiled up with the beef.
These are always a hit. It doesn’t hurt that they look beautiful as well.
Baby Reds May Be My Favorite Potato
Baby reds are small, tender, and have a sweet flavor. They typically do not need much to taste great, but when you add in some seasoning and herbs it takes their flavor over the top.
I have heard that baby reds are fairly easy to grow yourself and there are many articles about growing them.
After reading this HGTV Article, I was thinking I would give growing them a try now that we are moving into a new house where I can have a garden. By the way, if you’re the type of person who likes home renovation content, you can see the progress on that house over at The Tipsy Housewife page.
Anyway, baby reds are also one of the best potatoes to make salads with. I make a great Steakhouse Salad that uses potatoes in it and baby reds would be a great choice.
The Smaller The Better
In the recipe card you will see that I tell you to use a small baking pan. This is because you are melting the butter in the pan and then placing the potatoes on top of the butter.
You want to make sure that the pan is small enough so that the butter doesn’t spread out and burn off. You want to keep it small so the potatoes can bake in the butter.
If You Don’t Have A Small Pan
If you don’t have a smaller pan, you can use two small pie or cake pans as well. Just split the recipe up into two and bake them this way.
It is important that you keep the butter and the potatoes baking together. I DO suggest getting yourself a nice, small baking sheet for this recipe.
Lemon Or Not
I like to toss these in lemon juice at the end of the baking. I like the tanginess paired with the butter and the salt.
This is totally optional, but I suggest you give this a try some time and add a little dried dill for some zing.
Butter Roasted Baby Reds Recipe
Looking for the perfect side dish for your meaty meals? Crispy edges with soft, savory centers makes this recipe the ultimate in potato goodness.
Ingredients
- 8 small to medium sized Baby Red Potatoes, washed and let dry
- 4 tablespoons of Butter
- 2 to 3 tablespoons of Olive Oil
- 1/2 tablespoon of a coarse Salt
- 2 teaspoons of Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon of Garlic Powder
- Black Pepper to taste, I use about 2 teaspoons
- 1/2 tablespoon of Dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon of Paprika
- 1 teaspoon of White Sugar
- 2 teaspoons of Lemon Juice *optional
Instructions
- Wash, dry, and cut your baby reds in half. You can cut them lengthwise or crosswise. Add the potatoes to a large bowl.
- Add the olive oil to the potatoes and toss really well to coat.
- Season with HALF the salt, and all of the onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, paprika, and black pepper. Toss again to coat really well.
- Set the potatoes aside and heat your oven to 400 degrees on a very small sheet pan that has sides, one that JUST fits all the potatoes. Add your butter then season the butter with a little salt and the teaspoon of white sugar. Place in oven and let the butter melt.
- Carefully remove the butter pan, toss your potatoes one last time in the seasonings and oil, then place the potatoes, cut side down, on the butter pan. Do not forget this pan is hot so be careful touching it and putting it back in the oven.
- Using a rubber spatula, scrape the rest of the oil and seasonings out of the bowl and onto the potatoes.
- Using a pastry brush, quickly brush the skins with the butter from the pan.
- Place in the oven and bake for one hour. *all ovens temp differently, size of potatoes will matter too. The first time you cook this, be sure to keep an eye on them. They may cook faster than you expect. When ready the potatoes will be fork tender and the bottoms in the butter will be caramelized.
- When the potatoes are done, add them and the remaining oil and butter to a bowl. Add the rest of the salt and lemon juice if you're using it and toss them well before serving. Sometimes I add a little more parsley and sometimes also dill.