Diners young and old love potatoes for their mild, creamy flavor and uncanny ability to play well with just about any ingredient you pair them with. Whether baked, hashed, mashed, or fried in the French style, there’s a reason potatoes took the number one spot when Americans were recently surveyed on their favorite vegetable. While we love these tried and true favorites, our chefs are always coming up with innovative ways to cook with spuds. Here’s a round up of some recipes where tubers totally steal the show:

1. Potatoes au Gratin

A traditional French dish dating back to the 1800s, Potatoes au Gratin are basically the love child of potatoes and macaroni and cheese. While potatoes are by far the most popular iteration, gratin roughly translates to “crusted” and the technique can be used on virtually any veggie. Just thinly slice the veggie in question, layer it in a baking dish with cream and seasonings and then top with cheese. Into a hot oven it goes, and voila! – 0ut comes bubbly, cheesy, irresistible gratin. Decadence has never been easier to achieve.

 

2. Oven Fries

We’ve all likely had lifelong love affairs with French fries, but our waistlines? Maybe not so much. Plus, deep-frying at home can seem intimidating, especially for a weekday. That’s where oven fries come in. Freshly sliced potatoes get soaked in cold water, dried and tossed with olive oil and your choice of herbs and spices. When spread out in an even layer and baked in a screaming hot oven, out will come fries that are crispy, brown, and oh-so-satisfying. Just be sure to salt them just as they come out of the oven for the best results!

 

3. Twice Baked Potatoes

It’s been said  that Shakespeare coined, among other things, mashed potatoes, twice baked potatoes, thrice baked potatoes and potato pancakes. We can’t confirm any of that, but we can confirm that twice baked potatoes are delicious and not nearly as difficult to pull off as they seem! Simply microwave them until fork tender, scoop out the insides and then mash them with cream, butter, cheese, and any additional seasonings you’d like – we’re partial to chives. Scoop the mixture back in, top with a little more cheese and broil until browned. That’ll take any weeknight dinner up a few notches!

 

Hungry yet? Check out more recipes featuring potatoes here.