Name: Mexican Potatoes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 4 Large russet potatoes; 1 tsp Cumin; ½ tsp Cinnamon; 1 tsp Paprika; 1 tsp Chili powder; ½ tsp Onion powder; 1 ½ tsp Garlic powder; 3 tbsp Olive oil; Salt; Pepper

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Many people consider themselves “meat and potatoes” kinds of diners. These people love basic foods without a lot of unusual ingredients. Rather than going to a fancy, French restaurant where new and exciting foods might be discovered, these folks prefer a place where they are familiar with all of the items on the menu and can choose from familiar dishes that they know they will love.

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Mexican Potatoes

April Freeman

Potatoes are a family favorite for almost everyone, and this new recipe for Mexican Potatoes takes them to a new, savory place. While this recipe does take some time to bake, most of the prep can be done in just a few minutes. You do not even have to peel the potatoes for this delicious side dish. With the familiar flavors of chili powder, cumin, and other Mexican tastes, your family members are sure to enjoy this unusual way of making potatoes.

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 50 mins

Total Time 1 hr

Servings Servings

Equipment

Oven
Baking Sheet
parchment paper
Dish Towel
Large bowl
Wooden Spoon
Spatula

Ingredients

4 Large russet potatoes
1 tsp Cumin
½ tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Chili powder
½ tsp Onion powder
1 ½ tsp Garlic powder
3 tbsp Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Scrub the potatoes under cold running water with a soft brush. Dry the potatoes with a dish towel.
Chop the potatoes into ½ inch chunks, leaving the peels on the potatoes. In a large bowl, stir together the cumin, cinnamon, paprika, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder.
Put the potato chunks into the bowl and drizzle them with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.Use a wooden spoon to stir and flip the potatoes until they are coated in the seasoning and the olive oil.
Put the potatoes onto the parchment-lined pan. Drizzle with the final tablespoon of oil and put the pan into the oven to bake.
After 20 minutes, take the pan of potatoes out of the oven and use a spatula to flip and turn the potatoes. Return the pan to the oven and bake them for another 20 or 30 minutes. The potatoes are done when they are golden brown and crispy.
Salt and pepper the potatoes to taste and serve them piping hot.

Notes

If you are an adventurous eater and you have a “meat and potatoes” person in your family, sometimes mealtimes can be a bit frustrating. You may want to try new recipes and interesting ingredients, while your less adventurous loved one prefers to stick to tried and true favorites. It takes a very creative cook to work within these confines. You have to be willing to slowly tweak old-time favorites in ways that you feel confident that your loved ones will not object to. It is possible to teach your loved one to enjoy other kinds of foods, food combinations, and flavors.

People who have strong aversions to various kinds of foods often seek the help of food therapists to overcome their aversions. Even if your loved one doesn’t go that extreme in their food preferences, you can use the methods of a food therapist to help broaden their palate. Therapists use a method called “food chaining” to help people learn to enjoy a broader range of food items. The idea is that a familiar food is paired with an unfamiliar thing to help the person incrementally learn to enjoy other foods.

For instance, a child who loves chicken nuggets might be encouraged to try different brands of nuggets or a nugget with a different seasoning. Eventually, the child will learn to enjoy chicken in other forms and cooking styles. This work is done very slowly to help the child acclimate to chicken in other forms and flavors. Often, it can take months for a person to learn to eat other things and enjoy other tastes. Using recipes like this one for Mexican Potatoes can help a picky eater enjoy potatoes with a slightly different flavoring.

This recipe for Mexican Potatoes is one recipe that will appeal to both adventurous eaters as well as those who like more familiar fare. The seasonings for this recipe are ones that most people, even the "meat and potatoes" crew, already eat and enjoy. Cumin, chili powder, paprika, and onion powder are all things that most American diners enjoy in Mexican food. However, adding cinnamon to the mix is a bit unconventional, although the cinnamon flavor in the final dish is rather understated.

Many people prefer not to make potatoes because they find the chore of peeling and chopping the potatoes to be annoying and time-consuming. However, this recipe takes a shortcut. You do not have to peel the potatoes in this recipe! When you keep the peel on potatoes that you roast, you add an additional layer of texture and color to this recipe. If you or your family members do not like eating potato peels, feel free to peel them and just proceed with the recipe as directed.