This Pesto Potato Bake is brought to you by The Whole Smiths in partnership with Tasteful Selections. This easy-to-make recipe cooks up in no time and has the option to easily be dairy-free and Whole30 compliant.
We’ve been eating tiny potatoes from Tasteful Selections in the Smith house for years. Years! In fact, if you have a copy of The Whole Smiths Good Food Cookbook you’ll recognize them as the potatoes I used to make my Mini Hassleback Tots + Horseradish Dip. While we purchase ours regularly at Costco, you can find them in grocery stores across the country.
You can only imagine how delighted I was when they reached out asking if I would be interested in partnering with them to celebrate their 10 years in business. In fact, we had just roasted up some of their potatoes the evening before and I almost dug the bag out of the garbage and sent them a photo as proof of how much we loved their potatoes and always have them on hand.
Then I realized that was probably gross and slightly unprofessional. So I didn’t.
Moving on.
I’m thrilled to develop a potato bake recipe that lets Tasteful Selection’s potatoes shine through while delivering a fresh punch of herb-y flavor. And because it’s what I do, I needed to it be an easy, breezy recipe for you to make at home on any given day.
One of my favorite parts about these mini potatoes is that because they are so small, they cook up quite quickly. For this potato bake recipe, I used their new Nibbles variety which took about 15 minutes. Sometimes roasting potatoes can take up to 45+ minutes. Which is fine, but if you’re looking to get some on the table quickly on a busy weeknight, it can be tough.
I also love that Tasteful Selection’s potatoes are triple washed and require no additional prep. Who doesn’t want to shave an additional 10 minutes off their prep time? You can see their entire line up of spuds over at their website. Next time you’re at the grocery store, make sure to keep an eye out for them!
Pesto Potato Bake – a healthy & easy weeknight recipe to add to your dinner routine!
Onto the pesto potato bake recipe. You have the option to make it dairy-free and Whole30 compliant if you’d like. Personally, my favorite way to enjoy this recipe is with a dairy-free, nut-based ricotta and a bit of regular ‘ol Pecorino Romano or Parmesan. A bit counterintuitive, I know. Using a dairy-free cheese alternative and a regular cheese? But hear me out. Hard cheese like pecorino and a parmesan don’t bother me in the least. I don’t get bloated, I don’t react to the dairy at all. And truthfully I tend to consume them in smaller quantities than other cheeses.
Softer cheeses like ricotta or brie? Bloat central. So while it may seem counterintuitive, it works for me.
But what works for me may be totally different than what works for you. First off, if you’re doing a Whole30 or eliminating dairy altogether you’ll want to eliminate all of the “real” cheeses. No pecorino, parmesan, or ricotta. The pesto recipe doesn’t have any traditional dairy in it so you’re clear there. Simply leave out the pecorino/parmesan and go with the dairy-free ricotta. There are a few varieties of soft cheeses you can use for the ricotta
Second of all, maybe you can’t find dairy-free ricotta you like. Never fear! This pesto potato bake recipe is just as delicious with the baby potatoes tossed in the dairy-free pesto. Feel free to simply omit the ricotta altogether. Don’t worry about it not being tasty enough, it will be plenty tasty. And finally, perhaps you’re totally fine with all forms of dairy. Feel free to have at it then. Traditional dairy ricotta, pecorino, parmesan, whatever you’d like.
Once you’ve roasted the potatoes, simply add them to a roasting dish (I love mine from Le Creuset), top them with the ricotta and bake them for another 5 to 7 minutes to melt and warm the cheeses. As an added option, feel free to add some shredded rotisserie chicken to the dish to make it a more complete meal. Just don’t forget a veggie on the side!
That’s about it for this pesto potato bake recipe. I suggest pairing them up alongside my Whole Smiths Whole Roasted Chicken for comfort food that’s nice and healthy for you. I promised a simple recipe which means it’s pretty self-explanatory. It also means you have no excuse not to run to the store, grab some Nibbles from Tasteful Selections and start making this recipe STAT.
Tips for making this Pesto Potato Bake recipe:
- Add some cherry tomatoes to the potatoes when you add the pesto for extra zip.
- If you’d like to add some protein to this feel free to add some shredded rotisserie chicken to make it a more complete meal. Don’t forget to have some additional veggies on the side.
- Double the batch for dinner sides throughout the week.
How do I make this recipe Whole30 compliant?
Simply omit the pecorino or parmesan cheese.
Can I make this ahead and reheat?
Absolutely! It’s even better the next day.
Can I freeze this recipe?
I don’t recommend freezing this dish.
I’m allergic to nuts, do you have a substitute?
You can omit the cashews and double the pine nuts. Pine nuts are technically a seed so you should be ok unless you are allergic to those as well.
Can I use another oil besides olive oil?
You can use avocado in its place but know that much of the flavor of pesto comes from the olive oil.
Pesto Potato Bake
Ingredients
- 2 cups loosely packed basil leaves
- 1 cup + 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup salted and roasted cashew pieces
- 1/4 cup pinenuts
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 pounds Tasteful Selections nibbles variety see notes
- 1/2 cup shredded pecorino romano or parmesan cheese optional
- 1/4 cup dairy-free or traditional ricotta
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425*F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the basil, 1 cup of the olive oil, cashews, pine nuts and 1 teaspoon of the salt to a blender and blend on high for about 10 seconds to make the pesto. Set aside.
- Toss the potatoes in the remaining 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and 1 teaspoon of the salt.
- Spread the potatoes evenly over the parchment-lined baking sheet, being careful not to crowd the potatoes. Use a second baking sheet if necessary.
- Roast the potatoes for 15 to 17 minutes.
- Add the roasted potatoes to a large bowl with the pesto and the (optional) grated pecorino or parmesan.
- Add the potatoes to a rimmed baking dish and add small dollops of the ricotta cheese over the top and black pepper to taste.
- Bake for an additional 5 to 7 minutes until the cheese is warm and melted.
Notes
- If you cannot find Tasteful Selections at your nearest store….. you should move. Just kidding. Another small potato will do, just make sure to adjust the cooking time
- Add some cherry tomatoes to the potatoes when you add the pesto for extra zip.
- If you’d like to add some protein to this feel free to add some shredded rotisserie chicken to make it a more complete meal. Don’t forget to have some additional veggies on the side.
- Double the batch for dinner sides throughout the week.
