Description
Cheese Crusted Potatoes are a delightful side dish featuring small Yukon Gold potatoes scored and generously coated with aged Manchego cheese, then baked to perfection until crispy and golden. Served with a smoky roasted garlic ajonesa, this recipe offers a rich and flavorful complement to any meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Potatoes and Cheese
- 6 small Yukon Gold potatoes
- 8 oz aged Manchego cheese, grated
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tbsp smoked paprika
- Seasoned salt, to taste
Roasted Garlic Ajonesa
- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 egg
- 1 head garlic
- 1 tsp chipotle powder
- 1/4 tsp seasoned salt
- Tiny squeeze of lemon juice
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil for drizzling on garlic head
Instructions
- Prepare the Garlic: Slice the top off the head of garlic to expose the cloves. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the exposed garlic and sprinkle with salt.
- Roast the Garlic: Place the prepared garlic head on a baking sheet and roast in the oven at 400°F for 45 minutes, until soft and caramelized.
- Make the Ajonesa Base: In a flat-bottomed container, add the egg, chipotle powder, freshly squeezed lemon, seasoned salt, and the roasted garlic head.
- Add Olive Oil for Emulsification: Pour half of the 3/4 cup olive oil over the ingredients in the container, making sure you add it at the very end to help with emulsification.
- Emulsify Ajonesa: Place an immersion blender inside the container and turn it on without moving it until the mixture is emulsified at the bottom. Then, gently tilt the blender upwards to emulsify the rest of the mixture evenly.
- Finish the Ajonesa: Transfer the emulsified mixture to a bowl and gently whisk in the remaining olive oil until the sauce thickens.
- Prepare Potatoes: Slice each potato in half and score the cut side of each half by making shallow cuts across the surface.
- Season Potatoes: Mix together 1/4 cup olive oil, smoked paprika, and seasoned salt in a bowl. Toss the potato halves in this seasoned olive oil mixture until well coated.
- Coat with Cheese: Press the scored side of each potato half firmly into the grated Manchego cheese until fully covered.
- Arrange for Baking: Place the potatoes cheese side down on a parchment paper–lined baking sheet.
- Bake Potatoes: Bake in a preheated 400°F oven for 25 minutes until the cheese crust is golden and crispy.
- Serve: Remove from the oven, sprinkle flaky salt and chopped parsley on top and serve warm with the roasted garlic ajonesa.
Notes
- Use an immersion blender to achieve the perfect creamy texture for the ajonesa.
- Ensure the potatoes are small and uniformly sized to bake evenly.
- Scoring the potatoes allows the Manchego cheese to stick better and creates a crispy crust.
- If Manchego is unavailable, aged Parmesan can be a good substitute.
- For stronger garlic flavor, roast an extra garlic head and blend it into the ajonesa.
- Serve the potatoes immediately after baking for the best texture and flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 380 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 460 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg