There is nothing quite like a meat and potato meal. It is one of the most classic meals, you have in America.
Everyone loves potatoes! And good to know that there are hundreds of ways to cook them. Whether you want to use the Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker), air fryer or just make them in your oven, they all full of flavor. The key to a great dish is spices, you need to use lots of different spices in your potato dish until you find one that you really like on potatoes. I used to hate salt on my potatoes, but my son loves them, so one day, I let him season them. I realize that good old salt and pepper, applied in LARGE quantities, really seasoned the potatoes well, so after that, I used to add more than I usually did, and everyone complimented me on my potato dishes. So, experiment, find out what spice you like and adapt it to any potato recipe.
Another great reason for using potatoes as your side dish is that they are so budget-friendly, these are usually on sale at the grocery store, at least twice a month, so take that time and grab yourself a package/bundle. You can literally turn one package of potatoes for about $3.00 for a 5-pound bag, into about 3 dishes. So, that’s a real budget saver.
Different Types of Potatoes:
- Russet- Sometimes, this also goes by the name of Idaho Potato. The most common potato in America, if you go to the grocery store, they are typically sold in 5 and 10-pound bags. They are great for baking, fried and mashed because they are really starchy potatoes.
- Sweet Potatoes–In America, when you actually purchase a sweet potato, it is really a yam. They are great baked or roasted, my favorite, of course, is the sweet potato french fry.
- Red Potatoes-When we talk about red potatoes, my mind automatically goes to roasted red potatoes. They have very low starch and moisture content, which makes them perfect for roasting, steaming, and are typically used as the choice potato for potato salad.
- Fingerling Potatoes- These are characterized by having a thin, and long shape. They are great in roasted dishes, as they give the aroma and taste of a nutty dish. One of the nicest features of them is that they come in a variety of colors, including purple, red, orange, yellow, white and they make any potato dish look fancy, without doing anything.
- New Potatoes-The only difference between these and other potatoes is that they were picked early in harvesting, so they are smaller.
Tips For Storing Potatoes:
- Store potatoes in a cold, well-ventilated area.
- Never store potatoes in the refrigerator, any temperature lower than 50 degrees F, changes the texture of the potato and will affect the taste of the potato dish.
- If you do choose to store potatoes in the refrigerator, let them slowly come to room temperature, before you cook the potatoes.
- Paper bags work amazingly when you are storing potatoes
- Do not wash potatoes, before storing them.
- If your potatoes have started to sprout, do not despair, just simply cut the sprout off, they are still safe to eat.
- If your potatoes have turned green, this is due to a chemical called Solanine, which means that the potato should be discarded, note: eating them in large quantities can cause you to get ill, so it’s best to throw away.
Today, I am showing you one of my classic potato dishes, that my mother used to make when I was a child, she would be one of the best foil meal makers, I later found out that this is a style of campfire cooking.
I cut the potatoes into dices, leaving them about 1 to 2-inch chunks because I find them easier to eat.
Dice Cut: They are perfect for the air fryer, since making sure that all the potatoes are uniformed, allows them to cook all the way through and the entire potato dish will be ready at the same time.
To Dice: A Potato: Simply, slice the potato in half, then cut that half again into half, and then cut into about 1-inch pieces.
Instant Pot, Air Fryer, Vortex (Today< I used the OMNI)
J.A. Henckels 6-Inch High Carbon Stainless Steel Chef’s Kitchen Knife
Stainless Steel Measuring Cups, 5 Piece Set
Hudson Essentials Stainless Steel Measuring Cups Set-6 Piece Stackable Set with Spout
Anchor Glass Measuring Set–This is one of the handiest tools in the Kitchen
OXO Good Grips 12 Inch Stainless-Steel Locking Tongs
Don’t Forget To Pin–
These are some of the easiest side dishes to make in the air fryer, and the best thing is that there is no cleanup, simply, throw or recycle the foil.
- 1 pound Russet potatoes
- 1/2 cup diced onions
- 1 tablespoons garlic (minced)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon seasoning your choice (see my post for what I used)
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Start by washing the potatoes. Dry well with a dish towel or paper towel.
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Cut the potatoes into 1-inch chunks, or bite-size, add them to a small/medium bowl.
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Then mince your garlic.
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Then dice the onion, cutting them into roughly the same size as the potatoes.
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Toss the potatoes, minced garlic, and onions in the bowl.
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Spread out your foil, large enough for each packet.
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I was having dinner for 3 people, and therefore, I divided it into three people. So, determine how many packets you want and then scoop accordingly. Place on the foil.
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This is currently my favorite spice, which I used for the recipe, it can be switched out, or just omitted.
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I season each packet, with a dash of salt, dash of pepper and a teaspoon of the seasoning (above) and a tablespoon of olive oil.
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Wrap up your package, paying careful attention to the sides and middle.
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Place in your air fryer oven or basket and set the temperature to 400 degrees F for 25 minutes.
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Check before you remove, to make sure the potatoes are fork-tender, then remove, let cool, slightly.
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Plate, serve and enjoy!
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