The Secret Weapon for Easy Weeknight Dinners

Making a delicious, well-rounded meal every night can feel like a fantasy, particularly for parents with jam-packed schedules and kids with picky palates. But it’s possible to make weeknight dinners that are every bit as convenient as takeout, not to mention more nutritious and less expensive. You just need to enlist the help of a versatile and easy-to-cook ingredient—little potatoes. 

Just make sure you get a bag from The Little Potato Company. Its potatoes are pre-washed and don’t require any peeling—look, you’re saving time already. Plus, they’re the smallest in the potato family and all the same size, meaning they cook quickly and consistently, which is something that multi-tasking parents can surely appreciate. 

In addition to featuring the rich and buttery flavor you love from potatoes, versatility is what makes these a key ingredient for weeknight dinners. They are delicious in soups and casseroles, but there are also sorts of different—and easy—ways to cook and enjoy them as a standalone side. No matter how you choose to prepare your little potatoes, you’ll have dinner on the table in no time.

Ready. Set. Roast. 

Roasting is the way to go if you’re looking to get the maximum crunch out of your potatoes. Again, no need to worry about washing or peeling these potatoes. Simply preheat the oven to 400° F and slide in the potatoes for 30 minutes. That should have them crispy on the outside and perfectly tender on the inside. If you have the time for an extra step, sprinkle parsley or chives over the potatoes for an extra burst of color and flavor. And voila—you’ll have a side dish that can steal the show. 

Boiling Better

If you’re on a tighter schedule, you can have little potatoes ready in 15 minutes by boiling them. Just put them in a pot with water, bring it to boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. It should be ready to go in 15, but you’ll want to test with a fork to make sure they’re perfectly tender. After that, what you do with these potatoes is up to you. Our recommendation is throwing them into your favorite salad. They add a heartiness that will make the salad feel like a proper dinner. And the bite-sized potatoes do an excellent job at absorbing the dressing. Think of them like nutritious croutons. 

A Mouthwatering Shortcut 

Some nights even 15 minutes standing at the stove is a luxury you can’t afford. That’s when you should toss the potatoes and some water in a microwave-safe bowl and heat them on high for five minutes. Don’t worry, you won’t lose any flavor on this shortcut. In fact, you can make the little potatoes even more savory and irresistible by swapping in chicken or beef stock for the water. The Little Potato Company has a Microwave Kit, which comes with little potatoes, the seasoning packet and a bowl. How much easier could that be?

Get Grilling 

It’s impossible to choose a favorite method or recipe for making potatoes from The Little Potato Company. However, the one we’re most excited about this summer is throwing the potatoes on the grill, something that’s far simpler than you might expect. Just mix the potatoes with your favorite cooking oil and seasonings, wrap them in aluminum foil and let them cook for 30 minutes. (Tip: You can reduce that time by microwaving the potatoes for three minutes before throwing them on the grill.) 

And that’s not the only way to grill little potatoes. You can give them even more smoky flavor by putting them on a skewer. Beautifully charred potatoes go with all sorts of meats and veggies, but here’s our preferred skewer combination. It’s an easy way to make an average summer night feel like a special occasion. 

Recipe: Little Potato Brat Skewers

PREP TIME: 10 minutes

COOK TIME: 10 minutes

TOTAL TIME:  20 minutes

SERVINGS: 8

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb. bag of The Little Potato Company's Boomer Gold potatoes
• ⅓ cup grainy dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1 14 ounce package of bratwursts
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes
• 1 onion 

Method 

1. Cut the bratwursts and onion into one inch pieces. 
2. Steam the potatoes for 10 minutes. 
3. Whisk together mustard, honey, vinegar, paprika, salt and pepper. Reserve ¼ cup and set aside. 
4. Thread the brats, cherry tomatoes, potatoes and onion alternately onto 12 inch skewers. Brush with remaining honey sauce. 
5. Preheat the grill to medium heat. Cook the skewers, turning occasionally, for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the sausage is done. Serve with remaining sauce.

Shop the best Little potato for your next meal.