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Parmesan Baked Potato Halves

I love these Parmesan Baked Potato Halves, they make the perfect side dish. They bake open face down in parmesan cheese creating a delicious buttery cheesy crust.

Parmesan Baked Potato Halves with a side of Sour Cream

These Parmesan Baked Potato Halves are great on their own, but we especially love dipping them in a side of sour cream sprinkled with a little dried basil.   Ranch dressing is also REALLY good!  You can make these with potatoes other then russets.  We have made them with red potatoes and gold potatoes, and both were really good too.  I can’t decide if I like the golds or russets best.

 

My husband always request these Parmesan Baked Potato Halves as a side dish to go along with when we are cooking meat on the grill.  It’s nice because I can throw these in the oven while he is grilling and all the food is ready at the same time.  Some of our favorite grill recipes that we serve up with the Parmesan Baked  Potato Halves are our New York Steaks and our Kansas City Baby Back Ribs. Both are so yummy.  And if you like grilled chicken you should definitely try our Grilled Malibu Chicken, Grilled Balsamic Chicken, and Grilled Coconut Curry Chicken.

 

One secret to making sure that these turn out well is being sure to let them cool the FULL FIVE MINUTES after cooking before removing them from the pan.  Trust me.  If you try to take them off the pan right out of the oven, the parmesan crust on the potato comes right off.  But if you give it five minutes and then take them out, the crust sticks to the potatoes beautifully.  If done correctly you will have a nice crusted Parmesan topping to these potatoes every time.

 

This recipe has quickly become a fan favorite on our site, and for good reason, they are so easy and yummy!  They have gone crazy on Pinterest and Facebook with millions of recipe shares and video views.  We have gotten so many great comments from our readers about how much they love these potatoes.  They really are THAT good!

 

Other Yummy Potato Sides Dishes

If you love potatoes as much as we do you should definitely try some of these other potato sides.  Similar to how we make the Parmesan Potato Halves, we have our Coconut Pecan Sweet Potato Halves.  These are loaded with a coconut and pecan pieces and have a yummy cinnamon marshmallow dip.  In the savory potato category we have our Broccoli Cheese Stuffed Potato Skins and Cheesy Bacon Potato Skins, both are awesome for appetizers and parties!  If you like potato wedges and fries we have traditional Potato Wedges and Loaded Potato Wedges and Sweet Potato Fries with a Tangy Chipotle Lime Dip.  If you are a potato salad lover, we have you covered!  Both our Homestyle Potato Salad and Bacon Gorgonzola Potato Salad are so incredibly good.

How to Make Parmesan Baked Potato Halves:

5 from 5 votes
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Parmesan Baked Potato Halves

Prep Time:
10 mins
Cook Time:
45 mins
Total Time:
55 mins
 
I love these Parmesan Baked Potato Halves, they make the perfect side dish. They bake open face down in parmesan cheese creating a delicious buttery cheesy crust.
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6
INGREDIENTS (with Amazon Links)
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

  2. Melt butter and pour into a 9x13 inch pan and spread evenly across the bottom. 

  3. Generously sprinkle Parmesan cheese and lightly sprinkle other seasonings all over the butter. 

  4. Place potato halves face down on the butter and seasonings.

  5. Place in preheated oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes.

  6. Cool for at least a FULL 5 minutes before removing from the pan, otherwise the parmesan crust won't stick to the potato.

  7. Serve on a plate with a side of sour cream or Ranch dressing for dipping.

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Reader Interactions

315 Comments

  5. I just wanted to thank you for your spectacular blog! I just emailed 8 of your recipes to myself (including this one) and plan to make them over the next 2 weeks. They look simply fabulous. Your instructions are clear and your photos are great, thanks for sharing your talents!

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  8. Made these last night for dinner. They were AWESOME!!! I did sprinkle salt and a little bit of olive oil over the top of the potatoes. Thanks for the recipe.

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  9. Do you really cook the potatoes cut side down? My thought is to dip them in the cheese mixture and cook on a sheet cut side up? I’m thinking it will be a cheesy mess on the bottom of the pan. They certainly look good!

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    • If you will line you pan good with foil there won’t be a big mess to clean up. I use the non stick Reynolds aluminum foil for things like this. I have got to try this recipe it looks and sounds delicious.

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      • Besides no mess by using foil, you can scoop up what’s left after picking up the potatoes, and either eating by itself or piling onto the potato tops! We stock and keep all ingredients, and I can’t wait to try this for dinner tonight!

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  10. I would love to try these! But, how can you tell that the potato is scrubbed clean enough? I have a potato cleaner– but I’m so paranoid that the potato is not clean enough!

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  15. I would just stick the butter in the baking dish and put it in the oven while it is preheating. Melts the butter and no extra pan to wash. Delish!!!

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  16. I made these tonight….the taste was great and my husband loved them however, my parm crust didn’t stick to the bottom of the potatoes which was irritating :/…i did use a glass casserole dish and shredded parm cheese instead of parm cheese from the shaker….could one of those reasons be why my parm crust didn’t stick?? however….will makes these again:)

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  18. I have these baking in the oven as we speak 🙂 I used 1/2 cup of butter and 3 large potatoes (which I cut into 4 even pieces). My kitchen smells insane! Hopefully my husband and so love this. Very excited to try it!

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  23. I made these last week, and my husband and I were fighting over them. I only made 3 potatos, which was 6 halves…I usually defer to him and let him have the extra..me 2 and him 4..but NOT this time! I ate all of my 3 and we both wanted more. Guess what? Making them again tonight…these are AWESOME!!!!

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  25. I made these last night and they were fabulous. Be very generous with the parmesan cheese; I added Mrs Dash Garlic and Herb spice. And I used Reynolds No Stick Foil and clean up was oh so easy.

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  26. made these last night and they were AWESOME!!! So easy and oh so tasty. So happy i found this recipe. This is now in my little cookbook for favorite potato dish! Thank-you again for sharing this wonderful recipe. 🙂

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    • I actually never use foil. Just put them in the bottom of your pan and wait at least 5 minutes, the longer the better, before removing them from the pan when they come out of the oven.

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  39. Delicious! For large potatoes, just nuke them in the microwave first (7 minutes for mine) to “start the cooking process” and then finish them in the oven as you would for small potatoes. In this manner, they cook throughout and the cheese doesn’t overcook. Also, I used non-stick aluminum foil in the bottom of the pan as well. Peeled right off and kept the crust intact. Will try another reader’s suggestion, next, by adding yams to brown sugar with cinnamon and orange peel.

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  42. these are delicious! i made them for dinner tonight and my boys who don’t like potatoes ate them right up 🙂 i used mozzarella cheese because that’s what we had on hand and i seasoned them with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. we definitely be making again!

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  43. Make them all the time!! Love them!!! Friends love them too! (I may have told a few of them that this was my own “original” recipe). Tee hee! Thanks

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  47. could you use sliced potatoes? I have large potatoes and was thinking sliced would be easier for the kids to eat? anyone had any luck with just slicing versus the half potato?

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  51. I used a Pampered Chef stoneware casserole dish; they turned dark brown–next go round I am going to try using the glass dish instead.

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  52. I made these tonight. They were delicious. I have a question though. My cheese/butter at the bottom was turning brown, the last 20 minutes I had to cover with foil. Do you use foil on yours? How do you keep it from browning too much if not?

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  54. Made these last night for family. Had some leftover bacon grease that I added to the butter and used two cookie sheets and about 4lbs of potatoes slides length wise about 1/2 inch thick. Spices were dry ranch and Lowrys seasoned salt. AMAZING!!!!!! Thanks!!!!!

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    • I used a metal pan too and mine were perfect. What kind of potatoes did you use? I used red potatoes because they’re super moist and creamy. Idaho potatoes tend to be drier and starchier.

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  61. Hmmm…don’t know what happened. The cheese and butter turned really brown (almost burnt) in my ceramic baking dish and all my potato halves stuck to the pan. No cheese stuck to the potatoes at all! They looked nothing like what is pictured. I will continue to make roasted potatoes.

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    • Sorry Natalie, I am not sure what went wrong. Next time try a glass 9×13 pan, and a better quality Parmesan cheese. I had that happen to me once when I used some really cheap Parmesan. It should look brown and toasty, but not burnt.

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  65. So easy and so good. The directions couldn’t be easier. I followed the directions and added a bit of Johnny’s Seasoning Salt and a sprinkle of garlic to the Parm Cheese. Then baked as directed. The smells from the oven were just wonderful. Then when I pulled from the oven, as tempted as I was, I waited for the 5-10 minutes (put foil on top to keep warn) and the potatoes came out perfectly. They were a huge hit and are a go to part of my dinner menu planning for sure.

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  66. Well, I made this recipe today! I did some small changes though because I don’t like parmesan (I know, I know you think I’m crazy 🙂 ), so I put some emmental and sea salt to balance the taste. Also I used yogurt instead of sour cream for dipping, because we don’t use it in Greece. I have to tell you that my fiance liked it so much, that the food “cheered him up” as he told me! :-))))

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  67. I made these last night and like some others, mine turned nearly burnt on the bottom. I used 2 dishes: one was a Pampered Chef ceramic baker and the other was a Pyrex glass baker. Both did the same thing. I used a canned parm cheese rather than fresh grated, is that why??

    Just was not overly fond of these but willing to try a different method. Thoughts?

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  69. Which seasonings do you use? Just discovered this site and can’t wait to share it with all my friends. I love that all the recipes look like meals I can pull off despite being a busy mom to meals I would have for a dinner party. Thank you! for the help!

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    • I’m sure you could just do the spices. You could maybe try substituting the parmesan cheese for something else that will give it it that toasty look and taste, like some mashed up croutons or something. I hope that helps!

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  76. This should fabulous!!!
    It’s already got my stomach growling.

    Yummy an what a super idea for the upcoming Superbowl parties.

    Thank You for sharing,
    Kori

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  77. Found the recipe on Pinterest, and didn’t know to make with them. Decided burgers were good enough since I’m sure this’ll be the main part if the dish. Added about 3/4 cup of parm cheese, garlic power, garlic salt (we REALLY like garlic) and a packet of ranch (cause YUM!!) hubby says I spend to much time on Pinterest, UNTIL he seen this. (And a few other “treats” recipes) now he doesn’t complain, in fact he SUGGESTS me getting on to find goodies! Thanks for the recipe!!

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  80. Wow, these look so delicious. I’m going to try them, even though my husband isn’t a big fan of parmesan cheese. Too bad for him. 😉 If they turn out as good as they look on your picture I am going to spent a post on my blog on them. With reference to your blog of course!!

    Greetings from Holland!!

    Tessa

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  81. Absolutely love these potatoes!!! Only problem is I’m having a hard time with them sticking to the pan. I’m using a cookie sheet lined with foil. I’ve tried spraying with PAM, adding EVOO to the butter and they still stick. What am I doing wrong????

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  84. So its 2:38am. I got a craving for something potato-y. i made these potatoes and they are SO GOOD. I sprinkled the top of potatoes with salt, garlic powder and brushed with melted butter. 400 degree oven for 40 minutes. i had to come back to say thank you, it was an absolutely awesome snack. It tastes so yummy and it’s so quick to fix. A must try.

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  88. I’ve been making this recipe at least once a week for the last six months… just wanted to thank you for posting one of the best, easiest side dishes ever! (The rest of your recipes are also amazing — especially the knockoff Alice Springs Chicken from Outback — but this one is the one I use the most.) I’ve shared this recipe with numerous family members, and all of us are equally addicted!

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  89. My Hubby & I are making them now. We wanted to try them on Christmas day. So far so good! there in the oven now. I’ll write back and let everyone know how it went :-).
    Merry Christmas!

    Donna

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  90. They were a hit! OMG it’s a good thing I made a double batch lol. We had a few left over and Our son Mark and his Daddy were fighting over them (in a playful way). This is definitely the beginning of a new holiday addition :-). They were delicious!

    Donna

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  92. These are absolutely to die for! We’ve made these four times since I found them on pinterest and every time they’ve gotten raves! The also could not be more simple to make!

    Thanks I look forward to following you via email!

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  94. 400 degrees for 40 minutes seemed too long and too hot for me! I was baking something else at a lower temp, and put them in together. <400 and <40 minutes later, the tops of the potatoes were dry and shriveled up and the cheese was very dark brown–not the lovely golden color in the photo. I'm not sure what is happening here, but this recipe needs some adapting to work for me!

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  96. SO glad I found these. They are by far the best way to do potatoes at home. So quick and easy and so delicious. I make them at least once a week. The more cheese and garlic the better. And I always leave them in for about an hour for that extra crispness.

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  103. Dear Echo, Elise, Emily and Erica,

    We are three sisters Debbie, Tracy and Sherri who make items from Pinterest and share the results with our readers. We rate our items with “This Pin Flops” or This Pin Rocks”.

    We will be featuring your recipe for Parmesan Baked Potato Halves next week.

    Your recipe “Rocked” it out of the park!! We have given you full credit with a link back to the pin on Pinterest and a link back to the recipe on your blog. Please contact us if you have any concerns or questions about the post.

    Thanks for the great recipe!

    Tracy
    Madefrompinterest.net

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  104. I made these for dinner tonight, they smell beautiful and taste great – but they didn’t brown up as nicely as I’d wanted them to. Next time I may increase my oven’s temp by 25 degrees or so…

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  108. Made these tonight & they were amazing! My husband loved them! I used fresh shredded Parmesan cheese. The potatoes were large, so I quartered them. Perfect!

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    • I put steaks on the grill , made a salad and these AMAZING potatoes! I was worried they were burning and I was sure it wouldn’t stick but I was wrong about all my concerns.I sprinkled italian seasoning on the cheese. The whole family loved them and I added them to my favorite recipes. These would be great at parties too. Thank you!

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  114. Made tonight….OMGoodness….Best thing in the world! I made a smaller portion, and filled in every nook and cranny with “bits” of tater pieces…THOSE were the BEST! ….soaking up all that buttery, cheesy, toasted goodness!!!! Will definitely do again!! Thank you Sooo Much!

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  118. I made these last night and the house smelled wonderful. When I took them out of the oven the butter mixture was still bubbling, I let it sit for the 5 minutes and when I went to take them out they were stuck to the bottom of the cake pan. Should I be using a glass pan instead? They were still good however all the flavoring was stuck to the pan

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  119. Made as written except I used Lawrys garlic salt instead of garlic powder. Used finely shredded fresh Parmesan. They were awesome with the sour cream. Definitely need to let them sit in the dish 5-10 min before you turn them over so the butter/cheese mixture crisps up on them. I served them with BBQ chicken. Whole family devoured them.

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  120. Hi there. I was wondering what I could serve this with or what others have served it with. I’m looking to make this tomorrow but need a main dish to go with it. Thanks!

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    • We make these as a side dish all the time when we are grilling meat. We have a lot of great grill recipes on the site. Search under our “grilling” category.

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  123. Wonderful recipe! I substituted 2 T olive oil for 2T of the butter and it browned nicely and did not burn. I also used a disposalble foil pan and after lettiing it cool, they came right off perfectly. There were leftovers, but my husband ate them all for breakfast. Thanks Again! Making them again tonight.

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  124. Made these last night (with steaks and corn on the cobb) for dinner… HUGE hit with the fam, and I received several compliments, “yumms”, and “how did you make these!?” 🙂 I WILL be making them again… soon!! Thanks for sharing!!!

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  126. These are delish! If you are in a hurry, you can cut them in half, and microwave them for like 4 min. Until they are half cooked and finish them facedown in a cast iron skillet! 10 min to table!

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  127. Came across your recipe from another site [who gave you credit, btw] and was wondering…
    When there are comments/questions — could you add that info to your recipe?

    After reading lots of the comments/questions – I got disgusted and quit reading — hoping that mine will turn out great when I make them.

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  129. I made these and they smelled great in the oven. I tried to remove them from the pan – and all of the yummy crust got stuck to the pan. The entire meal was a bust.

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    • Im so sorry they didn’t turn out. I know that tends to happen if you don’t let them cool at least a full five minutes before trying to remove them from the pan.

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  130. I have made these potatoes several times and my family just loves them. They are crunchy, just the right size and very flavorful! This recipe is in my permanent recipe file. 🙂

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  133. So, is it just me or am I the only one that had problems with this simple dish…lol. They were delish…but the butter burned so easily, and the potatoes stuck a little bit. I didn’t think I would need Pam for this dish, lol. I figured the butter would prevent the taters from sticking! How can I NOT burn my butter!? :-/

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  134. These sound yummy! Since I am single and will only make a small amount, could I use my toaster oven? I was wondering if I followed all your directions except I could put in my toaster oven instead of heating the oven? Thanks.

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  136. Loved this! I used olive oil and then mixed in some butter and that seemed to keep it from burning. I also put my casserole dish on a cookie sheet which may have insulated the bottom a little. LOVED THIS!

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    • You can try—- we have never used them with baking potatoes.. I don’t know if it would make much of a difference. Sometimes baking potatoes are bigger so it might take longer. You might want to cut them into fourths.

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  143. Amazing!! I made these lastnight, it was soooo good, and the smell while it was cooking, wow. I sprinkled a salt over the top of the potatoes before putting them in the oven. Thank you!!

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  144. I was looking for something different for dinner – I was in a rut making the same old thing . I saw this recipe and how easy it was so i gave it a try…and boy am I glad i did!! These are extremely delicious considering just how little work they are! I will definitely be making these again and again – even going to try it on the grill in the summertime to help keep the house cooler 🙂

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  145. i made these for family and friends and believe it or not everyone liked them. i had sour cream and ranch dip. and most of them preferred the ranch dip. will be making these again and again.

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  148. I would like to email these recipes to myself, but I don’t see anything but Pinterest. Please explain how I can email a recipe/s to my email account.

    Thank you,

    Shelley

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  151. Served w/a seafood gratin in lobster sauce & onion rings, I wanted something new & special but also an easy-fix. These potatoes were such a great option! My spuds were lrg & thick, so I cut them in thirds & probably used more butter, parmesan & garlic than suggested. They were delicious & cook time was spot-on. IMHO a resting time of 10 min would be ideal. At 5 min, they were still sticking to my “non-stick” baking pan, but at 10 they were perfect to serve. They are a new fave w/us. Thx for sharing.

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  156. Made these today & my husband & I absolutely loved them. ♥ They are now one of our favourites! Had Panko/Parmesan chicken with them. Wonderful recipes!!

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    • We haven’t done them that way, but I am sure you totally can. Maybe just reduce the cooking time– check after 15 min or so and then every few min. afterwards

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  161. I am interested in knowing if to think larger potatoes at angle in, say, 3/8″ thickness? I know the temperature is needed to help meld the parmesan to the potato, what would the time be? I wanted to butter the top side after maybe 25-30 mins, but they may be done by then…

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  166. Can these be refrigerated & then reheated in microwave? I know they won’t be as crusty, but will they be as tasty? My husband works afternoons & doesn’t get home ’til 3am, but would loves these! Also, has anyone used shredded cheese other than parmesan?

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    • They can be reheated in the microwave– as you said, they wont be crispy but they still taste good (my husband takes them to work as leftovers all the time). Also– don’t use shredded cheese, it won’t stick on the potatoes and it will become a gooey mess and slide right off the potatoes (on of our readers tried it and took a picture of how it turned out.. it wasn’t pretty but she had a good attitude about it)!

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    • I haven’t tried anything but the parmesan, if you do, I would use a cheese that is dry and crumbly. Cheddar is too greasy and won’t stick to the potatoes.

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  171. Does anyone have experience taking these to a potluck? Do you think I should leave the potatoes cut side down in the pan until I arrive there? Or flip them cheese side up and cover before I leave home? It’s about a 1/2 hour drive to get there. Would I need to reheat or would they still be good not coming right from the oven?

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    • Tough question. I think I would pull them right out of the oven, cover the pan with foil, place the pan on a towel in your car while you drive to your potluck, and then move them to a serving tray once you get there. Good luck!

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  172. I have made these for years in my electric frying pan set at 350 degrees. I melt the butter in the pan and dip the cut side of the potato in the melted butter, then dip them in the parm and place them cheese side down in the butter for about 25-30 minutes. The butter browns, but they have never burnt. This is one of my boys favorite potato recipes.

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  173. I made these for my family Super Bowl party. They were a huge hit! Besides the butter and Parmesan I sprinkled them with garlic powder and added a couple of pinches of Italian seasonings. I let them sit for 8 minutes while I got other things ready. They were still very hot after sitting for 8 minutes and the butter and cheese mixture crusted up nicely. I made two pans thinking that they would make good leftovers. There were no leftovers. This recipe is a keeper. Thanks.

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  174. OMG. Made these last night for dinner, prep time was literally like a minute and they were AMAZING! The beautiful cheese crust so crispy! I added parsley and it really added some nice flavor, dipped it in ranch. These are definitely a new favorite!

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  175. I made these last year when I came across this recipe. They were very delicious and so easy to make. The trick is to let them sit for a minimum of 5 minutes as recommended. I used fresh grated Parmesan. We love them. Thank you

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  177. I’ve been cooking my turkey in a bag for years. When I moved to AZ it was too hot to cook inside so I started to cook on my grill but the turkey dried out so I started using the bag and still cooked on the grill. Best turkey ever. Even though im now back on the east coast i still do it this way easyroasted.

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