Hands down, breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. I’m sure part of it has to do with the fact that 9 times out of 10, I wake up crazy hungry, so getting something yummy into my belly is a must. During the weekdays, it’s always something quick and that doesn’t require a whole lot of cooking (if any), but on weekends (especially Sundays), when I have a little more time, I love to fill the house with the smell of a delicious breakfast.
Now with fall upon us, the weekend mornings just scream for something hearty to go with bacon and eggs…my easy breakfast potatoes definitely hit the spot! In the time it takes your oven to pre-heat, you could easily throw the ingredients together for this fall breakfast must…it really does only take a few quick minutes of chopping.
This also makes a perfect side dish for any chicken or steak dinner!! But if you’re looking to surprise your family by having them wake up to the house smelling like breakfast heaven, give this recipe a try. Something tells me, that more than a few Smarty’s will be headed over to the grocery store to pick up some small Dutch potatoes ☺
First things first, let’s get those ingredients ready! You’ll need…
Small, waxy potatoes (like Dutch Yellow or baby Idaho), sprigs of fresh Rosemary, Yellow Onion, Fresh Garlic Cloves, Bell Peppers, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper.
These small potatoes are PERFECT for this recipe because their skins are so thin, that no peeling is needed! Just give them a wash, and dry well with a clean dish towel (if you don’t dry them, the residual water will cause steam in the oven and you won’t get those delicious brown crispy bits.
Now all you have to do is give your potatoes, onions and peppers a quick chop, and drop them into a large bowl. I cut the potatoes roughly around the same size, and like to chop my onions about that size as well – you don’t want to cut the onions or peppers too small, or they will all shrivel up and can burn. Just a good rough chop into chunks will do it!
Normally, I would just cut my peppers in larger chunks, but I already had some that I had sliced earlier in the week, so I thought I would just use those! Easy peasy!
For the garlic, I don’t even bother chopping them, just place the cloves (do one at a time), under the thick FLAT end of your knife…
and give it a good smash with the palm of your hand. Repeat with all of the individual garlic cloves.
If you mince them too small, they can burn in the oven and turn bitter. By doing it this way, they roast along side the rest of the veggies and get sweet and caramelized. And BONUS, if you like a ‘hint’ of garlic, then they are easy to pick out. If you (like me) love the taste of roasted garlic, make sure you seek them out and put them on your plate!
Don’t be shy, give them each a good whack, so they look like this:
Give the potatoes, onions and peppers a good toss in the bowl, breaking up the onion petals so they are all separate, then add the Extra Virgin Olive Oil (about 2 TBS), salt (1 tsp) and pepper (1/2 tsp), and toss well to coat.
Spread the mixture on the *prepared baking sheet, THEN add the garlic and Rosemary, tossing them a little so they coat with some of the oil, then place the Sprigs right over the top…NO need to chop them up!
Halfway during the roasting process (15 minute mark), you want to give them a good toss. At this point, some of the Rosemary “needles” will come off and spread out. I love that they get all crisp and yummy!!! Don’t worry, they won’t over power the dish or get bitter as they darken.
As soon as I remove them from the oven, (after another 15-20 minutes…so 30-40 minutes of cooking time TOTAL), while they are still piping hot, I like to give them a toss, then sprinkle on another ¼ to ½ tsp or so of salt over the top, and another light drizzle of the fruity Extra Virgin Olive Oil over the top, give it another good toss, discard the Rosemary branches and serve!! ENJOY!
Those crispy, savory potatoes are begging to be served along side some eggs and bacon…just sayin’ :-).
Cyn’s Easy Rosemary Breakfast Potatoes
10 to 12 Small Waxy Potatoes (I like using Dutch Yellow)
3 Sprigs of Fresh Rosemary
1 Yellow Onion, cut into large chunks, separate the onion petals
1 small Red or Orange Bell Pepper (OR ½ Red and ½ Orange), roughly chopped
2 to 3 large garlic cloves, smashed
1 Jalapeno, seeded and roughly chopped (OPTIONAL, use if you like a little heat)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
– Salt and Pepper
