Crispy Parmesan Potatoes Recipe

When I was in middle school, I came home from school every day and watched Food Network. There was one specific episode of Everyday Italian that played often where Giada made roasted potatoes with cippolini onions. That was the first roasted potatoes recipe I made all by myself.

Roasted potatoes have continued to be a mainstay in my repertoire. While I always find deep satisfaction in potatoes simply roasted with olive oil, salt, and pepper, I am not one to protest against giving potatoes an extra cheesy twist. 

These crispy Parmesan roasted potatoes are what dreams are made of. They don’t require any special ingredients or tools and are as simple as tossing the ingredients together and arranging them flat-side down on a baking sheet. An extra garlicky olive oil mixture coats the potatoes, giving the generous dousing of Parmesan something to stick to. 

The perfect addition to any meal, these potatoes are impossible not to finish in one sitting or, in my case, hunched over the pan the minute they come out of the oven.

The Cheese Factor

The star of this recipe is the frico that forms when the potatoes are roasted, and the most important factor with the cheese is the texture. I find that the cheese best clings to the potatoes and creates the ideal crispy, snappy crust when it has a very fine, pebbly texture. If buying pre-grated Parmesan, look for fresh Parmesan from the refrigerated section that’s been grated into a fine texture, like this one. Avoid the shelf-stable stuff! 

If you’re grating the Parmesan yourself from a block, you can either process two ounces of Parmesan in a food processor with the blade attachment until very fine pebbles form (almost powdery) or use the zesting side of a box grater—the side with the tiny spikes. 

Potato Party