Baby Potatoes with Garlic Butter and Sage

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These crispy Baby Potatoes with Garlic Butter and Sage are an easy and delicious side dish you can make in 30 minutes for a busy weeknight or elegant weekend dinner.  

Today, I take the humble, understated, perhaps even dull potato and turn it into something glorious that you will be proud to serve at dinner!  This is my salty, crispy, irresistible Baby Potatoes with Garlic Butter and Sage Recipe!  The potato is truly one of the most iconic comfort foods.  It’s filling, warm, creamy, and always available!  But this potato recipe uses small creamer potatoes, cut in halves, then seared in olive oil in a skillet, then finished in a delectable buttery sauce flavored with just a little salt and ground black pepper, garlic, and sage.  Yup, buttered garlic potatoes are where it’s at on your Fall dinner table.

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Simple Recipe, Simple Ingredients

That’s right, this one is super easy!  Just cut the potatoes in halves, sear in a pan, make the sage butter sauce.  These are even easier to make than creamy mashed potatoes.

• Baby Creamer Potatoes – Baby potatoes, sometimes called creamer or new potatoes, are the easy to work with and have delicate skins that you can leave on. You can use red, yellow, or mixed baby potatoes. You can also use yukon gold potatoes and just cut them into bit-size pieces.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil – The olive oil is for searing and cooking the potatoes. You can use other vegetable or neutral oils if you don’t have olive oil.
• Fresh sage – If you don’t have fresh sage, you could use dried. Other fresh herb options…You could use a very small amount, about 1 teaspoon, of rosemary, cut fine.  Basil and oregano are also great.  For these you would want about a tablespoon chopped.  Dill is also delicious with potatoes!  You could use a tablespoon of dill as well.  Parsley is always great, but really doesn’t impart much flavor.  
• Salted Butter – I really like using salted butter and then adding more salt if needed. However, you can also use unsalted butter. Substitutes for butter can be Ghee (clarified butter), olive oil, coconut oil, or other butter or oil product.
• Fresh Garlic cloves, minced – Fresh is best when it comes to garlic, but you can buy pre-minced garlic to save time or mince it in bulk and freeze it for use when you need it! If you do not have fresh garlic, you can substitute dried garlic flakes or garlic powder.
• Salt – I used kosher salt, but any salt will work.
• Ground Black Pepper – You can use fine or coarse ground black pepper. I like fresh ground, but pre-ground is fine too.

Simple Cooking Equipment

For this easy recipe, you just need a large skillet/frying pan for making the veggies and curry sauce. I use my absolute favorite 12″ Ceramic Pan, which is great because food really does slide right off with minimal oil and I don’t have to worry about food sticking and burning. 

Mincing garlic is made super easy with a Garlic Press.

What are Baby or Creamer Potatoes?

Creamer potatoes are small waxy potatoes that come in red and yellow varieties.  They taste the same regardless of the skin color.  The skin of creamer potatoes is very thin and doesn’t need to be removed.  While they do not oxidize as fast as a russet potato, you will want to store them in cold water in the fridge if you cut them more than a couple hours prior to cooking.  

Prep Steps for Baby Potatoes with Garlic Butter

We are all extremely busy and making dinner during the week can be overwhelming. Here are steps you can prepare ahead to save time on busy nights! (See the full recipe below) 

For this baby potatoes recipe, you will cut the potatoes in half the longest side for more surface area.  

Thinly slice the sage leaves. Mince the garlic.

Cook Your Sage Garlic Butter Potatoes

Preheat large pan on high heat, then turn to medium, add olive oil, then potatoes cut side down. Turn heat back to high and cook for 3-5 minutes until browned crust has formed. You may need to do in 2 batches.

Once all potatoes are seared, add them all to the pan (if seared in batches) and then add 1 tablespoon of the butter and stir to melt. Cover the pan and cook for 10 minutes on low heat.

After 10 minutes, remove the cover and test a potato with a fork to see if soft. If not, cover and cook for another 4-5 minutes.

If done, add the remaining butter, minced garlic, and sage. Stir to melt the butter and cook over low heat for a final five minutes. 

Baby Potatoes with Garlic Butter FAQS

How early can I cut the potatoes before cooking?

You can cut them and let them sit out up to 2 hours prior to cooking.  If more than 1-2 hours, you will want to store them in the fridge in cold water to prevent them from oxidizing.  While creamer potatoes are waxy and do not oxidize as fast as a russet potato, you will want to store them in cold water in the fridge if you cut them more than a couple hours prior to cooking.  

Can I make roasted potatoes in the oven for this recipe?

You can make this recipe using roasted baby potatoes. To do so, preheat the oven to 400 F degrees and follow the prep instructions. Place the cut baby potatoes on a sheet pan drizzle with olive oil and the salt and pepper, then toss to coat. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes. Then flip the potatoes and place back in the oven to roast for another 10-15 minutes until fork tender. While the potatoes are cooking, melt the butter in a small saute pan with the garlic and the sage. Saute the garlic and sage for 1-2 minutes over low heat. Transfer the potatoes to a bowl and drizzle the garlic butter sauce over top.

Are there any other fresh herbs I could use besides sage?

You could use a very small amount, about 1 teaspoon, of rosemary, cut fine.  Basil and oregano are also great.  For these you would want about a tablespoon chopped.  Dill is also delicious with potatoes!  You could use a tablespoon of dill as well.  Fresh parsley is always great, but really doesn’t impart much flavor.  

Can I cook this recipe ahead and reheat it?

Yes, although they may lose their crispiness after cooling in the fridge.  To re-crisp them, you can reheat the cooked potatoes in a skillet on medium-high heat with a little olive oil.  Or add them to an oven safe skillet and reheat in the oven at 350 F degrees for 20 minutes.

Are potatoes Gluten Free?

Yes, potatoes are naturally gluten free and this recipe is gluten free.  However, you should always check the labels for products that you purchase to ensure they are gluten free if that is what you require.

What to do with leftovers?

Potato Salad, potato salad, potato salad!!!  That’s right, these are amazing in a Loaded Potato Salad with spinach and bacon or in a healthier Edamame and Harissa Potato Salad.  

ENJOY!  😍 Carrie

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