Ranch Roasted Potatoes

Many years ago, we went to a friends house and had a fabulous dinner (Thanks Ann and Matt).  We used to do this thing where we would take turns hosting at each others house and making dinner.  Sometimes we made it before the guests got there or sometimes we made it together.  Other times we made pot luck based on what was left in the fridge.  If you have never tried this, it is super great because I would call her and say that I had salad and some chicken and she would say that she had the potatoes and dessert.  It usually worked out well that we could make a well rounded meal with the stuff in both our fridges...of course, this was pre-kids so there was a lot more flexibility but at least that meant that we could hang out without going out to dinner again and put off the grocery shopping one more day.  It was great because we got to try a lot of dishes that didn't normally make!!  What is the best way to come up with a new family favorite- steal it from another family :)

I asked her about the amazing roasted potatoes that we were eating after my husband (then boyfriend probably) ate the entire pan.  She said that you dumped a packet of Hidden Valley Ranch Dip in a bag and shook it with a little olive oil and the potatoes.  What, that sounds easy!!  Why haven't I heard of this before!!

I quickly started making them at home.  However, I found that a lot of the good stuff was left in the bag so I decided to mix it in the baking pan and save the bag step (however fun in working out any frustrations of the day by shaking and smashing, I didn't want to loose the yummy flavors).  This time, I also tried the Harvest Dill dip mixed with the Ranch dip just to mix it up a little.

First, I cleaned and cut the potatoes.

I cube them really small and put them in the baking pan on top of olive oil.

When I am done filing the pan with potatoes, I top with the powder (either or both kinds).  Then I stir and add more olive oil as needed to make the powder almost mix in with the olive oil. 

Then they come out of the oven looking like this!!!

I love to scoop out the ones close to the edge for me (cause I like everything extra crispy or a little burnt) and then the others in the family get the center ones piled on their plates.

It is a super easy side dish that adds a lot of flavor and makes it look like you put in a lot of effort to make a different and yummy potato side.  I would say that it helps makes the potatoes go farther but that is never the case in our house because we are fighting over the last potato in the dish no matter how many potatoes I bake!!!  I highly recommend that you try it for your family sometime soon.

I decided to google the recipe since I make it up every time I do it and don't ever follow a recipe.  I also normally am cooking something else and throw these in at whatever temperature that the other things are cooking and and go until they are brown.  I figure that other people want a little more direction for their first time making them but do know that they are super flexible and you can throw them together however you want and bake them however you want and they will still be yummy!!!

Here is the recipe off the Hidden Valley Ranch website if you want to check it out but they use red potatoes and vegetable oil so I guess it can be changed to whatever you have on hand.  There seem to be tons of recipes out there on the internet but none are exactly as my friend, Ann, made them many years ago!!

Ranch Roasted Potatoes

4 tbsp Olive Oil (or to taste)

Packet of Hidden Valley Ranch (or store brand)

2-6 Potatoes

Coat the bottom of a baking pan with 2 tbsp olive oil.  Put cut potatoes into pan and top with packet of Hidden Valley Ranch powder.  Stir with fork or spatula until potatoes are evenly coated.  If the powder is not sticking add up to 2 more tbsps (or as needed) until the potatoes are fully coated.  Don't skimp on the oil to try to be more healthy or you will have lots of potatoes stuck to the pan that you can't eat!!

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until browned.  Serve immediately.

Notes:

If you want more flavor, use less potatoes or two packets of seasonings for more potatoes.

If you are making a larger amount of potatoes, you may want to stir the potatoes during the baking process so that they all get browned and none are burnt  If they are mostly flat covering the whole surface, they will be fine and you don't have to stir if you are doing too many other things.

Shared at Homemade Mondays