The gfe 25 Days of Christmas event continues on with these always delicious Quick and Easy Pan-Baked Potatoes.
If you celebrate Christmas, the big days are almost here. I say days because, for most families, it’s more than just the actual day when we’re celebrating and sharing meals with family and friends.
My Favorite Santa … art by Son at age 10
Those days are Christmas Eve and Christmas day in our family. So, you have selected your main dish for your dinner or special meal—perhaps this slow-cooked POM’d Pork—and now you want a lovely side dish to accompany it. Why not make your side dish both attractive and delicious, but as fuss free as a slow cooker meal? Quick and Easy Pan-Baked Potatoes is a simple side dish that fits the bill.
This recipe comes straight out of the manual/cookbook that came with my Kenmore (Sears) microwave, which proves once again that you can still rely on your old “mainstream” cookbooks to cook gluten free. Recipes that are gluten free naturally or easily made gluten free—gfe—abound. One just has to recognize them as gluten-free, even though they don’t have a gluten-free label. That’s another advantage of focusing primarily on real foods and understanding ingredients.
My Original Photo from Back in the Day (for Posterity)
The original pan-baked potatoes recipe contains dairy, but I’ve made it dairy free when needed just by using almond flour in place of the Parmesan cheese and olive oil (or soy-free Earth Balance, in pink container) in place of the butter. That modification works very nicely. Dairy-free “butter” used with the almond flour will also work.
The almond flour and olive oil combination doesn’t brown quite as well as the Parmesan/butter combo, but a quick minute under the oven broiler can solve that problem if you’re going for that visual appeal. Seasoned gluten-free bread crumbs or a similar topping, like gluten-free cornflake crumbs, will also work in lieu of cheese.
This recipe is one I often make to accompany a “gift meal,” too. The potatoes go great with a meat/fish entrée or can be an easy vegetarian/vegan meal when paired with a salad. This recipe is always very well received.
Folks have even referred to these potatoes as twice-baked potatoes before. While I don’t think they taste like twice-baked potatoes, they are a much easier, healthier alternative and do taste delicious.
Sometimes I just make these potatoes for us as part of a weeknight meal because they are so quick, easy, and tasty. They can also work well as a breakfast potato dish to accompany egg dishes and such.
Quick and Easy Pan-Baked Potatoes
Reader reviews: “I made a version of your “pan-baked potatoes” tonight. It brought back memories of Mom going whole-hog embracing microwave cooking in the 70s. They were DELICIOUS.”
Pan-Baked Potatoes Ready To Go in the Microwave
This recipe is one I've relied on time and time again. It helps you get a delicious potato side dish on the table quickly. These potatoes are so good that some folks think they taste like Twice-Baked Potatoes! Potato halves make the loveliest presentation, but if making this recipe for your family, you can cut larger potatoes into smaller pieces for faster cooking and additional "crispy" edges. I like to poke my potatoes with a fork after I've cut them to ensure faster baking. You can easily adjust the recipe up and down for the number of servings. Adapted from Kenmore Microwave Cooking.Quick and Easy Pan-Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Originally published December 22, 2009; updated October 23, 2022.
Lauren says
Such lovely little potatoes! I love my potatoes, always have =D.
Merry Christmas my dear! Have a fantastic time in Key West!
Shirley says
Hi Lauren–I think you’d love these potatoes. 🙂 So easy to make a batch to test out, too.
Thanks so very much for the Christmas wishes! I hope you have a wonderful Christmas, too. See you when I get back! 😉
Hugs,
Shirley
Pam says
Luv the artwork…so cute!
Enjoy!
P.S. Shirley..you silly girl…I didn’t enter a doggie basket giveaway…it was just a basket giveaway (didn’t know the type)….lol!!!
Hugs and enjoy!
Shirley says
Hi Pam–Glad you like Son’s Santa. 🙂 That is one of the Santas he made for me for my Santa collection. Looking at it always makes me happy!
LOL on the doggie basket giveaway … heck, I didn’t know … you might have been a giveaway junkie entering giveaways for goodies you didn’t even have a need for. 😉
Shirley
Alta says
Yummy potatoes! And I have that blue dish!
Shirley says
Hi Alta–Thanks re: the potatoes. I love cobalt blue dishes and glasses, but I’ve only had that baking dish about two years. A girlfriend was moving out of state and decided she had to let some stuff go to save on shipping costs. I was happy to help her out! A simple baking dish, but I love it. How neat that you have the same dish. 🙂 Somehow the blue dish makes whatever is cooked in it special, doesn’t it?
Shirley
Amy @ SS&GF says
We love roasted potatoes – I never thought about making them in the microwave. Quite clever! I’ve always done them in the oven or on the grill. I roast them for Joe once or twice a month. I don’t eat them and as much as he loves them, I forget to make them for him. I would go for the parm any day.
Thanks for linking to Slightly Indulgent Tuesday!
Shirley says
Amy–It was a good day when I came across this recipe. 🙂 I think this would be an easy and wonderful way to make Joe’s roasted potatoes for him. I know he’d love them. 😉
Shirley
Linda says
I love potatoes just about any way you cook them. This recipe is new to me and it looks delicious.
Shirley says
Hi Linda–It’s such a quick way to have terrific potatoes. I like to cook them until the tops are nicely browned and the centers are fairly soft.
Thanks!
Shirley
Lisa@blessedwithgrace says
Those potatoes look good. Thanks for the recipe and linking to TMTT. May you have a blessed Christmas.
Shirley says
Hi Lisa–Thanks! Give this recipe a try when you want a tasty, easy side dish. 🙂 Your TMTT roundup each week is impressive!
Thanks so much for the Christmas wishes! I sincerely wish you the same. This very special time of year is finally almost here.
Shirley
Sharon @ UnfinishedMom says
I tried these tonight for dinner. They were delicious. Thanks so much for posting.
Shirley says
Hi Sharon–Welcome to gfe! Thanks so much for reporting back after giving this recipe a try. That’s the very best recommendation and I really appreciate it!
Congratulations on your brand-new baby girl! This Christmas will be a very special one for your family indeed. 🙂
Shirley
Ellen says
Yum. Can’t do parmesan so will try with vegan parmesan alternative (basically equal amts walnuts and nutritional yeast and a little pinch of salt – yum). Thanks for the recipe – it sounds perfect!
~Ellen
http://www.Iamglutenfree.blogspot.com
Shirley says
Hi Ellen–Thanks! I’ve heard of the nutritional yeast in the place of dairy, but haven’t tried it yet. The walnuts and yeast must be similar in taste and texture to the almond flour and olive oil combination I mentioned (the one that Ali came up with in her zucchini dish). Thanks so much for mentioning it. I’m really planning to try more non-dairy alternatives in the new year. 🙂 You can also try one of the other non-dairy possibilities—bread crumbs or another crunchy topping like cornflakes.
Shirley
Kim says
Those look great!! 🙂
Have a great holiday if I don’t get a chance to tell you again. 🙂
Kim
Shirley says
Hi Kim–Thanks so much re: the potatoes and the holiday wishes! I hope your holiday is fantastic, too! 🙂
Shirley
Nance says
Just a quick sneak-by to say Merry GF Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Shirley says
Hi Nance!–Thanks so much! The three of us are having a splendid time here in Key West. Hope you are enjoying a wonderful Christmas/New Year break with your family, too. 🙂 I really appreciate you stopping by gfe.
Shirley
Pam says
Shirley,
I gave you a “Happy 101” blog award…Congrats!
Hugs
Shirley says
Wow, Pam, thank you sooo much! I am truly honored. Many congrats on your award as well—very cool. 🙂
Shirley
Nancy Douglas says
Hi, I just discovered your website here, having googled gluten free popovers, and this site is fantastic! My husband is gluten intolerant, and I am thinking of having my 17 year old daughter tested as well. My husband is 60 and was just diagnosed last year.
I love the challenge/fun of remaking recipes; most from my own repertoire – but I will be visiting this site frequently.
One question that I have is how do you get the fiber from the GF flours that one can usually get from whole wheat grains and cereals?
Thanks, Nancy
Shirley says
Hi Nancy–Welcome to gfe! I’m glad you found me and I truly appreciate the kind words. 🙂 I’ll look forward to seeing you in the future, too.
The fiber content (and nutritional value, in general) of the flours and starches used in most gluten-free flours, mixes, and products is low for sure. Buckwheat, sorghum, millet, teff, amaranth, and quinoa are the some of the flours that offer much more in the way of fiber and nutrition. There are even grain-free flours like coconut and almond that are high in nutrition and fiber. Note that you will see rice flour and cornstarch used here at gfe, because I’ve had issues with some of the “heavier” gluten-free flours. Remember that fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds are also a great source of fiber. Many folks eat completely grain free as well as gluten free and still get plenty of fiber. Hope that info helps.
Sorry for the delay in replying … I’m on vacation with my family. 😉 Thanks again!
Shirley
Chaya says
I am on a potato kick, these days and all I seem to post is potatoes and cookies, potatoes and cookies, potatoes and cookies. We do eat other things. Smiling….
These look delicious and I would like to try them. My instincts tell me, they will be a success.
Shirley says
Hi there, Chaya–Potatoes and cookies! LOL Comfort food, indeed! 🙂 It’s funny how our posts present a totally different view, huh? I think you’ll enjoy this recipe … let us know—thanks!
Shirley
Iris says
Mmm…mmm…good. (I’m a woman of few words). 🙂
Shirley says
Iris–Well, that goes along with being a woman of few ingredients. 😉
Shirley
Clarissa says
Hi! This looks yummy, but I don’t microwave. How would I bake these in the oven?
It’s always helpful to have GF tips and recipes. Thanks for sharing!
Shirley says
Hi Clarissa–Welcome! 🙂 I’m guessing that you’d bake them at 350 for at least a half hour, maybe as long as 45 minutes. Let us know how they work out!
Shirley