Cheesy Vegetarian

Easy Homemade Parmentier Potatoes

A super simple recipe for easy homemade Parmentier potatoes – small and ultra crispy potato cubes flavoured with rosemary and garlic. The perfect side dish for a special occasion!

A serving bowl of Parmentier potatoes with a text overlay.

The humble potato has got to be one of the most incredible foods on the planet. It doesn’t look like much, but man, it can make a good meal. Parmentier potatoes are one of my all-time favourite potato side dishes – they’re super crispy, herby and garlicky, and pretty much just everything that a potato dish should be.

Crispy Parmentier potatoes on a baking sheet.

What are Parmentier potatoes?

Parmentier potatoes were named after a French man called Antoine-Augustin Parmentier, who lived in the 17 and 1800s, and is apparently best remembered as a ‘vocal promoter of the potato’.

(…I think I’ve just found my life’s purpose…)

I imagine modern-day Parmentier potatoes are probably a little different to what they were back in the 1870s, but these days Parmentier potatoes are basically small cubes of potato, cooked until crispy.

In my view, they’re like a mini version of a classic roast potato, except with even more flavour, and even more crispy bits.

A bowl of crispy Parmentier potatoes with fresh rosemary and garlic.

How do you make Parmentier potatoes?

There are various methods of making Parmentier potatoes. As I was researching this recipe, practically every single recipe I looked at used a different cooking method.

Some recipes involve part-boiling the potatoes before roasting.
Some recipes involve pan-frying the potatoes before roasting.
Some recipes don’t use the oven at all.

It seems that the end result is far more important than the cooking method you use – as long as you end up with delicious Parmentier potatoes when you’ve finished, I don’t suppose it matters too much which method you use.

So, as you might expect – I went for the easiest method, which requires the least amount of effort possible. Because who wants to make life harder for no reason?

Close-up photo of Parmentier potatoes on a baking tray with cloves of garlic.

Parmentier potatoes recipe

Step 1: Peel and cut the potatoes

As you may know, I try to avoid peeling my vegetables if I can avoid it, but this is one of those occasions where it’s actually worth doing.

Just peel your potatoes, and cut them up into little cubes. Ideally, your cubes will be about 1-2cm in size. They do shrink a little as they cook, so don’t go too tiny.

Try to get the cubes vaguely even so they cook at the same rate – but don’t worry if it’s not perfect. It actually gives a nice little bit of variety if some of your potatoes end up crispier than others!

Step 2: Roast with garlic and rosemary

Add some sprigs of fresh rosemary and some whole cloves of garlic to the tray. Obviously the bulk of these will be removed before serving (I’m not suggesting you munch away on a whole stick of rosemary), but they infuse an amazing flavour into the potatoes.

Toss everything in a good amount of oil, and pop them in the oven to roast.

Raw potato cubes on a baking tray with fresh rosemary and garlic.

Step 3: Serve!

Yep, that’s all there is to it. Just make sure you remove the whole cloves of garlic and any particularly woody stems of rosemary before you eat.

This is the sort of recipe that I really love. It really couldn’t be an easier potato dish – but it couldn’t be more delicious either! These potatoes seem a little fancy, and they’re the sort of thing I’d be proud to serve for guests, but they’re also ultra easy to make.

Crispy Parmentier potatoes on a baking tray.

How to serve Parmentier potatoes

Parmentier potatoes are very definitely a side dish – they need something alongside them to create a full meal.

They’re the perfect accompaniment to a roast dinner (even a fancy one like for Christmas or Easter!).

Of course, if you’re a vegetarian you won’t be making any type of roast meat, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make a brilliant roast. Here are a few ideas of things to serve alongside your Parmentier potatoes:

some sort of nut roast or bean roast (this cheesy bean roast is my all-time favourite)
veggie cutlets (and plenty of gravy)
a rich gravy-based stew, like my mushroom bourguignon
toad in the hole
any type of vegetable pie – this mushroom stroganoff pie would work well
vegetable en croute

Any of these would work really well with some Parmentier potatoes and some extra veggies.

A bowl of Parmentier potatoes with roasted garlic and fresh rosemary.

Easy Homemade Parmentier Potatoes

A super simple recipe for easy homemade Parmentier potatoes – small and ultra crispy potato cubes flavoured with rosemary and garlic. The perfect side dish for a special occasion!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine French

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings

Calories 260kcal

Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

800 g (~ 1 3/4 lb) potatoes
2 Tbsp oil (I used rapeseed oil)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
Few sprigs fresh rosemary
~ 6 whole cloves garlic

Instructions

Peel the potatoes, and cut into 1-2cm dice.
Toss the potatoes in some oil, and lay them in a single layer on a baking tray. Sprinkle plenty of salt and pepper over the potatoes, and add a few whole sprigs of fresh rosemary and a few whole cloves of garlic (no need to peel them).
Roast at 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F) for approximately 35 minutes, stirring halfway, or until golden brown and crispy.
Remove the garlic cloves and any particularly woody stems of rosemary before serving (small rosemary leaves that break off are fine to leave!).

Notes

If you need to reheat any leftovers, it’s best to use the oven, as potatoes can lose their crispiness in the microwave.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Easy Homemade Parmentier Potatoes

Amount Per Serving (1 portion)

Calories 260
Calories from Fat 86

% Daily Value*

Fat 9.5g15%

Saturated Fat 1.3g7%

Cholesterol 0mg0%

Sodium 791mg33%

Potassium 1046mg30%

Carbohydrates 40.7g14%

Fiber 6.5g26%

Sugar 2.9g3%

Protein 4.5g9%

Calcium 35mg4%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Note: Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on exactly what ingredients you choose. Information above is for 1/3 of the recipe.

Looking for another side dish good enough for a special occasion? This creamy sweet potato gratin is perfect:

The post Easy Homemade Parmentier Potatoes appeared first on Easy Cheesy Vegetarian.

Cheesy Vegetarian

Easy Nut Roast (just mix + bake!)

When it comes to vegetarian dishes for Christmas, it’s hard to beat a traditional British nut roast. It’s such a classic vegetarian dish here in the UK – in fact, it’s probably considered pretty retro these days. But there’s a reason the nut roast has stood the test of time. It makes a perfect vegetarian main course for a holiday feast or a cosy Sunday dinner, sliced up and served with a few side dishes.

A vegetarian nut roast on a board with a slice cut off.

My easy nut roast is made with so many tasty ingredients, which all bring different flavours and textures to the loaf – each slice is packed with a little bit of everything (including a little bit of festive flair from the dried cranberries!).

And best of all, this recipe couldn’t be simpler to make. There’s absolutely no pre-cooking required – just mix all the raw ingredients together in a big bowl, then press it into a loaf tin, and let the oven do the rest. I do love a no fuss meal!

What is Nut Roast?

If you’re unaware, a nut roast is a hearty loaf made from nuts, vegetables, and whatever other tasty ingredients you like, mixed together and baked to golden perfection. It’s a British recipe, and here in the UK, it’s been a vegetarian favourite for decades, and sometimes it’s probably unfairly considered to be a bit old-fashioned. But I say it’s time to bring back this old favourite!

It’s really hard to beat a nut roast that contains so many wonderful textures and flavours – a soft crunch from the nuts, aromatic herbs, plenty of vegetables, and little pops of festive sweetness from the dried cranberries. It’s wonderful.

A slice of nut roast on a plate with broccoli and potatoes.

What Makes this Nut Roast so Easy to Make?

Many nut roast recipes call for a long list of (in my opinion) unnecessary steps: pre-cooking vegetables, boiling lentils, blitzing up breadcrumbs…

My version, on the other hand, is all about simplicity. There’s absolutely no pre-cooking required, so no hassle… just deliciousness. It’s such an easy recipe – if you can mix ingredients, you can make this easy nut roast.

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Ingredients and Substitutions

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

Ingredients for an easy vegetarian nut roast laid out with text overlay.

nuts – I used cashew nuts and peanuts (which happened to be red peanuts, but any type will do!). Nuts can be quite expensive, so honestly, I would just choose whatever nuts make sense to you. If you can find another kind of nut more cheaply, that’s totally fine.
vegetables – I used carrot, mushrooms, and red onion. Make sure you chop your veggies nice and finely (or grate them, if appropriate), so that the nut roast holds together nicely.
tinned lentils – using a can is so much easier than boiling dried lentils (but you can do that instead, if you prefer).
rolled oats – a quicker, and more nutritious, alternative to breadcrumbs.
grated cheddar – use a nice mature cheese for extra flavour.
eggs – to help hold everything together.
fresh sage – brings a Christmassy flavour. Use dried sage if you prefer, though I do like having the whole leaves to garnish the nut roast.
dried oregano (or any other dried herb you like)
garlic – I used minced garlic from a jar because it’s quick and easy, and I hate chopping fresh garlic.
dried cranberries – you can skip these if you’re not a fan, but they really do bring a nice touch of sweetness to the nut roast.

This recipe is quite versatile, so you could swap out some of the ingredients, if you’d like to. For example:

Most other kinds of nuts will also work just fine – use whatever you like. Walnuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, etc. will all be great. You don’t have to only choose two. I used plain, unroasted and unsalted nuts, but roasted nuts will also work. If yours are pre-salted, don’t add any additional salt to the nut roast.
You can swap out the vegetables I chose (mushrooms, carrots and red onion) if you like – just make sure you chop everything quite finely, as big chunks of vegetable may stop the loaf from holding together strongly. Grated parsnip, chopped bell peppers, or finely chopped broccoli should all work okay. I’d avoid anything too wet, like tomatoes or zucchini (courgette), or you might end up with a soggy loaf.
The herbs can be swapped for any other herbs (fresh or dried) you have on hand. Nut roast is a great opportunity to use woody herbs, like thyme or rosemary, but fresher herbs like parsley will also work well.

Becca’s Top Tip

If you’re using woody herbs like sage, thyme or rosemary, make sure you remove any tough stalks before chopping.

Recipe Video

Equipment

To make this easy nut roast, all I used was a large mixing bowl, and a metal loaf tin.

If you have one of those fancy vegetable choppers (like these ones on Amazon US / Amazon UK), that would speed you up, but it certainly isn’t a necessity.

Printable Instructions

A vegetarian nut roast with a slice cut off.

Easy Nut Roast

This easy nut roast is the perfect vegetarian main course for Christmas or Thanksgiving! Just mix and bake – no pre-cooking required!

Course Main Course

Cuisine British, English

Diet Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 25

Servings people

Calories 480kcal

Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

170 g (~ 6 oz) carrot (1 large or 2 small)
185 g (~ 6 1/2 oz) mushrooms
1 red onion
120 g (~ 1 cup) cashew nuts
120 g (~ 3/4 cup) peanuts
50 g (~ 1/3 cup) dried cranberries (optional)
2 sprigs fresh sage
100 g (~ 1 cup) rolled oats
100 g mature cheddar cheese, grated (~ 1 cup when grated)
400 g tin lentils, drained (265g, or ~ 1 cup, when drained)
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp dried oregano or thyme
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 eggs

Instructions

First, grate the carrots (I didn’t bother peeling mine), and finely chop the mushrooms and the red onion.
Roughly chop the nuts. You don’t need to be precise about it – it’s actually quite nice to have a bit of variety in size (and therefore texture). You could even leave a few of the smaller nuts whole.
Chop the dried cranberries into smaller pieces. Remove any woody stems from the sage, and finely chop.
Heat the oven to 180°C (Gas Mark 4 / 350°F). Line a loaf tin (mine measured 9 x 5 inches) with non-stick baking paper, and lightly spray it with oil.
Add all of the previous ingredients to a large mixing bowl, along with the rolled oats, grated cheese, drained tin of lentils, garlic, dried herbs, and salt and pepper.
Mix everything together very thoroughly. It’s worth taking a bit of time over this – spend a few minutes mixing to make sure everything’s evenly distributed. Then add the eggs, and continue to mash everything together very thoroughly. You may even find it easier to use (clean!) hands to get everything well mixed.
Scoop the mixture into the prepared loaf tin, pressing down firmly in between scoops to ensure everything is well compacted. You can use a smaller spoon to press down right to the edges and corners of the pan. Try to make the top of the loaf as level as possible (not heaped), as this will end up being the base of your nut roast.
Place in the centre of the oven, and roast for up to an hour. Ovens do differ, so keep an eye on it – it’s ready when it is firm and golden brown.
Carefully turn the nut roast out of the tin (loosen the edges with a knife, if needed). Slice to serve.

Video

Nutrition

Recipe FAQs

How to serve nut roast?

I love to serve nut roast with some sort of sauce, like a dollop of cranberry sauce or a vegetarian gravy. However, it’s not a necessity.

How should I reheat any leftovers?

I like to reheat slices of leftover nut roast in the microwave (thin slices are amazing in a post-Christmas sandwich!). You can also reheat in the oven, or even pan fry individual slices on the stovetop.

Can I prepare this recipe in advance?

Yes – ideally, you’d assemble the whole nut roast the day before, then store it in the fridge, and bake it just before serving. Bear in mind that if it’s cold from the fridge, it may take a little longer to cook.

Can I freeze my nut roast?

Yes. Once it’s cooked and cooled, store it in a freezer-safe container, and freeze. Defrost in the fridge overnight before reheating in the oven. Cover it with foil or a lid to ensure it doesn’t dry out.