Cheesy Garlic & Herb Microwave Potatoes

These cheesy microwave potatoes with garlic and herbs are one of my favourite side dishes! They take just minutes to make with minimal prep, yet they always turn out delicious! Plus, since all the cooking takes place in the microwave there’s very little in the way of washing dishes!

Cooking the potatoes in the microwave gives them a similar texture to boiled potatoes but with much more flavour. I’m not sure if this is because they’re cooked in the seasoned butter or if it’s a direct result of microwaving them instead, but either way I’m a fan!

The main trick to cooking the potatoes in the microwave is to cover the dish with cling film (make sure to pierce it once or twice before microwaving though!). This helps to trap the steam which then surrounds the potatoes and steams them until they soften.

The time that this takes varies depending on the size of your potatoes and how powerful your microwave is. Ours is 900 Watts and it took 4 minutes for my bite-sized potato pieces to cook. To check if your potatoes are done, just peel back the cling film and try piercing them with a fork. If they’re soft enough to eat then they’re cooked!

These cheesy garlic and herb potatoes really are such a simple recipe, too. After all, you only need a handful of ingredients:

1. butter – fat is flavour and it prevents the potatoes from sticking to the dish! However, you could substitute it for olive oil if you prefer.
2. garlic powder and dried herbs. I used a mix of my favourite herbs, but you could replace the basil, thyme and oregano with 3/4 tsp Italian seasoning. I used enough seasoning to be able to taste it without it being overpowering, but you can adjust both the quantity and the seasonings used to suit your tastes.
3. salt and pepper – I always recommend seasoning potatoes generously since they seem to act like flavour sponges – they just suck it all up!
4. baby potatoes. I don’t peel them as it’s a bit of a pain and I quite like them with the peel left on, but feel free to peel them if that’s how you like them!
5. and a touch of parmesan to sprinkle on top! This is optional, but they won’t be cheesy potatoes without it! You could use another cheese such as mozzarella instead if you’re not a parmesan fan though! In this case, you might want to add it before the potatoes cook for the last minute in order to let it melt slightly.

You could try substituting the flavour ingredients (butter, seasonings and cheese) to get a different flavour combo! For example:

• olive oil + garlic powder + smoked paprika (only a little!) + oregano + small cubes of feta for more Greek-style potatoes!
• any neutral cooking oil + garlic powder + chilli flakes + cumin + coriander for spicy vegan and dairy-free microwave potatoes
• any neutral cooking oil + garlic powder + taco seasoning (or another Mexican spice blend) + cotija cheese for Mexican microwave potatoes

… the possibilities are endless! You can even try adding extra veggies such as bell peppers or onions – so long as they take less time to cook than potatoes, they’ll work great!

And why stop at veggies? There’s no reason you couldn’t add cooked proteins like leftover cooked chicken or some crumbled bacon to the mix! You could turn this into an entire balanced microwave meal!

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Cheesy Garlic & Herb Microwave Potatoes

Yield: 1 person

Prep Time: 1 minute

Cook Time: 4 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

These baby potatoes are gently cooked with butter, garlic and herbs in the microwave and then topped with plenty of parmesan!

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Ingredients

• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• salt and pepper, to season, generously
• 180 grams (6 oz) baby potatoes, chopped in to bite-sized pieces
• 3 tbsp grated parmesan

Instructions

1. Add the herbs and seasonings to the melted butter and stir to combine.
2. Place potatoes in a microwave-safe dish and pour over the butter. Stir to combine.
3. Cover the dish with clingfilm and pierce several times. Microwave for 3-5 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender, stirring after every minute.
4. Transfer potatoes to a serving dish and sprinkle over the parmesan. Serve immediately.

Notes

Do not reheat.

Be sure to season generously as potatoes can be very bland otherwise.

A shallow dish is best so that potatoes don't overlap. It's best if they're all in one even layer so that they can cook evenly.

In a 900 Watt microwave, it took 4 minutes for my potatoes to cook. This will vary depending on your microwave and the size you've cut your potatoes into.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1 grams
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 440Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 74mgSodium: 768mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 4gSugar: 2gProtein: 9g

All nutrition values are an estimate and will vary.

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If you’re looking for more buttery, cheesy microwave recipes then you might like my easy peasy microwave risotto or my cheesy spinach & rice microwave stuffed peppers.

Or, if you’re more here for the garlic, butter and cheese then you’ll definitely like my cheesy garlic butter pinwheels! They’re one of the most popular recipes on the whole site!

My creamy and cheesy leek bake is another popular side dish that goes down a treat! It’s requires a little more time, but is just as delicious!

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