My aunt made these crispy bottoms for our family gathering and nobody could stop eating them. You only need 3 ingredients for this magic.

These oven baked 3-ingredient parmesan crusted potato halves are the kind of thing that disappears before the roast ever hits the table. My aunt first brought a pan of these to a big family gathering out at the farm, and we stood around the kitchen island popping them like candy until the baking sheet was picked clean. They’re simple Midwestern comfort through and through: pantry potatoes, a good handful of salty cheese, and butter doing what butter does best. The magic is in how the parmesan melts into a lacy, golden-brown skirt on the bottom while the potatoes roast up tender inside and crisp around the edges.

Serve these straight from the baking sheet while they’re still sizzling and the cheese skirts are crackly. They’re wonderful alongside roast chicken, ham, meatloaf, or a simple pan-fried pork chop. For something lighter, pair them with a big green salad or a bowl of tomato soup. If you’d like a little extra flourish, set out small bowls of sour cream, ranch dressing, or chopped fresh herbs so folks can dress their own, but they’re honestly perfect eaten hot with just your fingers and a napkin.

Servings: 6

2 pounds small potatoes (baby golds or red potatoes), scrubbed and halved

Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Pull out a well-used aluminum baking sheet with a rim; the darker, more seasoned pans actually help the cheese crisp. Lightly grease the pan with a thin smear of butter so nothing sticks.

Pour the melted butter onto the center of the baking sheet. Sprinkle the grated parmesan cheese evenly over the melted butter, spreading it all the way to where the potatoes will sit. You want a fairly even blanket of cheese so every potato half gets a good crust and a little golden “skirt.”

Pat the cut sides of the halved potatoes dry with a clean towel so they’ll brown instead of steam. Arrange the potatoes cut-side down on top of the parmesan and butter layer, pressing each one gently so it makes good contact with the cheese. Pack them in snugly in a single layer; this helps them roast evenly.

Place the baking sheet on the middle rack and bake for 35–45 minutes, depending on the size of your potatoes, until the skins are wrinkled and browned and a knife slips easily into the center of a potato. The cheese underneath should be deep golden and crisp around the edges.

Remove the pan from the oven and let the potatoes rest for 5–10 minutes. This short rest helps the parmesan crust firm up so it releases in one beautiful piece with each potato half.

Use a thin spatula or butter knife to gently loosen the potatoes, lifting them up with their attached cheese skirts. Transfer to a serving platter, crust-side up so everyone can see that golden layer. Serve hot, and don’t be surprised if people start eating them right off the platter before they make it to the table.

You can play with this simple recipe without losing the spirit of the three ingredients. Use any small, waxy potato you have on hand; red, yellow, or even small russets will all crisp nicely. If you’d like a little extra flavor but don’t want to fuss, you can choose a flavored parmesan blend (like parmesan with Italian herbs) and still keep it to three ingredients. For a saltier bite, use salted butter and skip any extra seasoning; for a milder, more buttery flavor, stick with unsalted. If your family likes a bit of heat, you can sprinkle a pinch of crushed red pepper over the cheese before baking, or add a dusting of black pepper when they come out of the oven. To make cleanup easier, you can line the pan with heavy-duty foil, then butter it well before adding the cheese, though a bare, well-used metal pan gives the best crust. Leftovers reheat well in a hot oven or toaster oven until the bottoms re-crisp; they also make a nice base for a quick breakfast topped with a fried egg.