Fancy Potatoes

Nursing school started up again this week. Good-bye free time! Good-bye life. It's been fun while it lasted. After looking through the course syllabus for my classes, I don't think this semester going to be hard, but it's going to be busy. Very busy.

I'll have class all day on Monday and Tuesday, clinicals on Wednesday and Thursday, and then two 12 hours shifts of work on Friday and Saturday. That means I get Sundays to grocery shop, do laundry and homework. Sounds fun, right? No wonder there is a nursing shortage. They sure make it hard to become one!

With this in mind, my weekly menu-planning has become very strategic and now I have gotten Dusty involved. I plan the meals for the nights I can cook and he plans for the nights that I work. Let me tell you what, after a 12 hour shift at the hospital, it is awesome to walk in the door to a home cooked meal made by your man. I'm a lucky girl.

On the menu this week:
Sunday: Roast Chicken, Sauteed Carrots & Fancy Potatoes
Monday: Chili with Jalapeno Cheddar Corn Bread
Tuesday: Leftover Chili & Cornbread
Wednesday: Fish Tacos & Mexican Rice
Thursday: Shrimp Penne Vodka Pasta, Salad & Garlic Toast
Friday: Tuna Casserole (made by Dusty)
Saturday: Leftover Casserole

Last night (Sunday) I made the most delicious Roast Chicken. I don't know why I never roast chickens on a regular basis. They are so easy to cook and seriously amazing. What I loved just as much as the roast chicken were these Fancy Potatoes...

Tender on the inside and crunchy on the outside, these fancy potatoes look and taste really impressive on your dinner plate! 

Fancy Potatoes

{Serves 4}

-8 medium sized Golden Potatoes (approximately 2 pounds)

-2 tbsp STAR Olive Oil with Roasted Garlic

-2 tsp Kosher Salt

-1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper

-1/2 tsp dried Rosemary

-Cooking Spray

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (F). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Set aside.

Cut the bottoms off one side of the potato so that they lie flat. Make 1/8" slices across the potatoes, but don't cut all the way through! Only cut down about 1/4" from the bottom. 

Place the sliced potatoes in a large bowl and add the olive oil, salt, pepper and dried rosemary. Using your hands, rub the potatoes down with the olive oil and spices and also so that it gets between the potatoes slices. Place the potatoes on the greased baking sheet and roast for 40-45 minutes until tender and crispy on top. Enjoy!

Variations: You can substitute the roasted garlic olive oil for regular EVOO or you could omit the dried rosemary and use STAR's Olive Oil with Fresh Rosemary instead. These potatoes are really versatile!

Recipe Adapted from Ina Garten, Food Network