This simple pan of oven baked 4-ingredients Amish golden potato cubes is one of those recipes that hardly feels like a recipe at all, and that’s exactly how my grandmother liked it. She grew up in Lancaster County, where potatoes and thrift went hand in hand, and she always said a good dish shouldn’t need a long list of things to taste like home. These little cubes come out of the oven crisp and golden at the edges, tender inside, and dusted with just enough seasoned salt to wake everything up. It’s the kind of no-fuss, feed-everyone potato dish you can tuck beside almost any supper, and no one ever guesses it only took four ingredients and a roll of foil.
These crispy potato cubes are right at home next to simple country meals: roast chicken, meatloaf, pork chops, or a skillet of fried ham and eggs. I like to pile them into a warm bowl and set them in the middle of the table so folks can help themselves. A spoonful of applesauce, a side of green beans, or a crisp coleslaw all play nicely with the salty, golden edges. They’re also wonderful at breakfast with scrambled eggs and toast, or reheated in a skillet the next morning alongside leftover ham. Put out a little ketchup or homemade ranch if you have grandkids around, and you won’t have a crumb left.
Oven Baked 4-Ingredients Amish Golden Potato CubesServings: 4
Ingredients
2 pounds golden potatoes (Yukon Gold or similar), scrubbed
3 tablespoons vegetable oil or light-tasting cooking oil
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil, shiny side up, and lightly crumple and smooth it back out so the potatoes don’t stick as easily.
Scrub the golden potatoes well under cool running water and pat them dry with a clean towel. There’s no need to peel them; the skins help them crisp and add flavor, just like my grandmother did it.
Cut the potatoes into small, even cubes, about 1/2 inch in size. Try to keep the pieces roughly the same so they cook at the same rate and get evenly browned.
Place the potato cubes in a large bowl. Drizzle the vegetable oil over the potatoes and toss well with clean hands or a sturdy spoon until every piece has a light, glossy coat.
Sprinkle the seasoned salt and black pepper evenly over the oiled potatoes. Toss again until the seasoning looks well-distributed and no big clumps remain. Taste one raw piece if you like and adjust the seasoned salt very lightly, remembering the flavor will concentrate as they bake.
Spread the seasoned potato cubes out in a single layer on the foil-lined baking sheet. Make sure they are not piled on top of each other; crowding will make them steam instead of crisp.
Place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the preheated oven. Bake for 20 minutes without stirring so the bottoms can start to brown and crisp.
After 20 minutes, carefully remove the pan and use a thin spatula to turn the potato cubes, scraping under them so the browned bits come along. Spread them back into a single layer.
Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, turning once more if needed, until the potatoes are deep golden brown at the edges and tender when pierced with a fork. Total time will be about 35 to 40 minutes, depending on your oven and the size of the cubes.
Taste a cube and, if needed, sprinkle a pinch more seasoned salt over the hot potatoes right on the pan, tossing gently to coat. Serve immediately while the edges are still crisp and the centers are fluffy.
Variations & Tips
If you’d like a little extra richness, you can drizzle a tablespoon of melted butter over the potatoes right after they come out of the oven, then toss and taste before adding more seasoned salt. For a slightly smokier flavor that still stays within the spirit of the original, choose a seasoned salt blend that includes paprika. You can also cut the potatoes into slightly larger cubes (about 3/4 inch) for a creamier interior; just add 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time and check for tenderness with a fork. To stretch the recipe for a larger family, you can increase the potatoes up to 3 pounds and bump the oil and seasonings up proportionally, but use two foil-lined pans so the potatoes still have room to crisp. For food safety, always wash your hands before and after handling raw vegetables, scrub the potatoes well to remove any soil, and cut away any green spots or deep eyes before cooking. Use a sharp knife on a stable cutting board to avoid slips, and keep the pan centered in the oven so you don’t accidentally touch the hot sides when turning the potatoes. Leftover potatoes should be cooled, then refrigerated within 2 hours and eaten within 3 to 4 days; reheat them on a hot skillet or in the oven so they regain some of their crispness.
