Country Potatoes

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These simple country potatoes are seasoned and roasted to golden brown perfection, then covered in melted cheese. They make the perfect side dish or breakfast food.

cheesy country potatoes in a skillet with a wooden spoon in it

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When I was 19, I had a brief stint as a hostess at a breakfast place in Houston. I’m not sure what I was thinking. I already had another waitressing gig where I mostly worked nights, and I had to be at the breakfast place at 6 am every morning.

6 am.

I don’t remember exactly how long I lasted in that job, but if it was more than a week, it was all owing to one perk: an endless supply of the best cheesy breakfast potatoes ever.

I’ve had my fair share of bland and dry breakfast potatoes – and I didn’t know that what was really missing in my life was these country potatoes. Country potatoes are not rocket science and there are infinite ways to make them.

But, to be honest, this is the only way I ever want to eat my breakfast potatoes now. Roasted with lots of bell peppers, onions, seasonings, and CHEESE. Is this a Texas thing? I don’t know, but I haven’t seen them made like this up here.

And they are such a great breakfast food because they pair so well with both a low-effort fried egg or a juicy steak – or in true American style – both?

Most often, I will serve these potatoes with an easy sweet potato fritatta, or a goat cheese and sun-dried tomato frittata. And while these are great as breakfast potatoes, you can also easily serve these with a main like maple roasted pork chops or top round roast beef.

To be honest, I can and have made a meal out of these alone though 😉

Ingredient Notes

Potatoes

I like to use baby potatoes or fingerling potatoes for these country potatoes because it maximizes the amount of blistered skin (yum!), but you can definitely use Yukon Gold potatoes or russet potatoes, and just cut them into one-inch pieces.

Bell Peppers

Bell peppers are a non-negotiable in these country potatoes. I like to use both red bell pepper and green red pepper for the pop of color. But you can use whatever you have in the fridge. A little minced jalapeño pepper is nice too, for an extra kick!

Yellow Onion

Some recipes for country potatoes only use onion powder – but using diced yellow onion makes a HUGE difference in taste! You can definitely just use the onion powder seasoning but both the texture and taste would be different.

Garlic

I like to use minced garlic cloves because fresh garlic has such an elevated flavor and makes a huge difference in the dish! But you can definitely just use garlic powder if that is easy for you.

Olive Oil

I like to use olive oil for these breakfast potatoes. You can also swap out the olive oil for vegetable oil or canola oil – but olive oil has a few health benefits. The oil is going to help the seasonings stick to the potatoes, prevent the potatoes from sticking to the pan, and give you a crispier result.

If you would like to add bacon to your country potatoes, you can cook the bacon in the pan first, set it aside and crumble it, and then cook the veggies and potatoes in the bacon grease instead of oil. Toss the bacon back in after roasting.

Herbs & Seasoning

Feel free to add herbs and seasonings of your choice. Fresh rosemary or fresh thyme both lend such an amazing flavor to these country potatoes. Dried herbs and seasonings, or chili powder are also a great option. I personally loved adding a bit of Cajun spice in there, along with some extra cayenne for a little kick.

Cheese

The most important ingredient – a lot of shredded cheese! I like to use Monterey jack for this country potatoes recipe but cheddar, or any other nice melty cheese works too.

Step by Step Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425F. In a large bowl add the halved baby potatoes.

Now add the bell peppers, onion, garlic, olive oil, Cajun spice, a pinch of salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.

potatoes, spices, and other ingredients in a big bowl

Toss it well to combine and transfer to a large skillet, this can be a cast iron skillet or an oven safe frying pan. Try to get all this into a single layer as much as possible.

uncooked combined ingredients for country potatoes in a big bowl

You can also roast these country potatoes in a sheet pan. Just spread the potatoes in a single layer on the sheet pan.

country potatoes in a large skillet before roasting

Roast the potatoes in the preheated oven. Stir halfway through and continue roasting.

country potatoes halfway done in a large skillet

After the country potatoes have turned golden brown and crispy, take them out of the oven and top with shredded cheese.

shredded cheese on top of baked potatoes

Now pop the skillet back into the oven for a few more minutes to melt the cheese.

These country potatoes have a tender interior and a perfectly crispy and golden brown exterior. This is a great side dish for any meaty main and one of my all-time favorite breakfast recipes.

Ways To Serve These Country Potatoes

The best thing about these cheesy country potatoes is that there are endless ways to serve them!

1. My perfect fall breakfast table would be incomplete without this sweet potato frittata, nutella french toast casserole, pumpkin oatmeal muffins, and these cheesy country potatoes.

2. Serve these home fries with a nice salad like this apple pecan salad and you’re sorted for the sides with your Sunday roast.

an overhead view of the skillet of country potatoes

3. These would also go great in your breakfast burritos or tacos.

Storage Instructions

These crispy potatoes are best served immediately for maximum crispiness and melty cheesiness. But if you have leftover potatoes, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.

To reheat, pop them in the oven in a large skillet or just warm them up in the air fryer so you don’t lose the crispy crust. You can also reheat them in the microwave but they won’t be as crispy.

Make Ahead Instructions

If you want to meal prep these, just chop up all the ingredients and store in an airtight container. Then, you can toss everything together with the potatoes and roast!

More Easy Roasted Potato Recipes

Whether you’re a fan of sweet potatoes or regular potatoes, there are so many easy and delicious way to enjoy roasted potatoes!

Frequently Asked Questions

Should you boil potatoes before roasting them?

This is really a matter of preference. If you are looking for a very crispy exterior, your best bet will be to use large potatoes, cut into chunks and parboiled before roasting. I prefer using small potatoes with a thin skin and roasting them on high heat. They may be somewhat less crispy, but to my taste, just as delicious.

What kind of potatoes are best for crispy country potatoes?

New potatoes are best for crispy potatoes because they have thinner skins than mature potatoes which helps to create a crispy exterior (unless you are parboiling large potatoes, as noted above). Also, their high moisture content helps to keep them moist and fluffy on the inside.