How to Make Fried Potatoes

What can be better than Pinto Beans, Fried Taters & Cornbread?!?! Nothing, LOL!! These are words that go together in the South. For those that are not from the South, this meal is combined of pinto beans, fried Idaho potatoes and cornbread.

I’ll give you a little personal history on where this meal came from. Growing up this meal was prepared a couple times per week. My dad who worked at an auto parts store called Jefco. My mom was a stay at home mom until I was in junior high.

Both of my parents had been raised in homes where there was very little money and so my mom learned how to provide good meals with what she could afford.

For me, this was a normal and delicious meal. However, I thought everyone ate meals like these. I remember a lot of Goulash, which is hamburger meat, elbow noodles and tomato sauce, also a lot of sauerkraut and weiners. I never remember having steak or pork chops.

Take out or going to a restaurant was never thought of or at least I never thought about it. The first time I ate at McDonalds was when I was 16 and started working there. That seems so unheard of today.

But, my sister and I were happy, because we knew nothing different. Not until, I was grown, did I realize what a good cook and steward of money that my mom had been during my childhood.

Money Breakdown for our Beans, Taters & Cornbread Meal:

• 10 lb bag of Idaho potatoes $2.59 = $0.13/serving
• 1 lb bag of pinto beans $1.00 = $0.08/serving
• 5lb bag of corn meal mix $2.44 = $0.03/serving

Total for each person comes to $0.24/serving. These amounts do not account for the price of salt, pepper, egg, milk or vegetable oil. However, if money is tight salt & pepper could be left out and the egg/milk for the cornbread could be replaced with water and it would taste fine.

What do I need to make fried potatoes? (scroll down for printable recipe card)

• Idaho potatoes
• vegetable oil
• salt
• black pepper

How to make fried potatoes? (scroll down for printable recipe card)

1. Wash your potatoes
2. Peel and cut up your potatoes
3. Place a large skillet over medium high heat
4. Add vegetable oil to skillet and heat up the oil
5. Place 1 slice of chopped potato into the oil and when that one piece begins to sizzle, add the rest of your sliced potatoes
6. Add salt and black pepper to taste
7. Place lid on skillet
8. Continue to fry the potatoes, periodically flipping the potatoes over until they are soft
9. Once the potatoes are soft, remove the lid
10. Fry potatoes until they are brown and crispy
11. Remove potatoes from skillet and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the excess grease.

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• Red Velvet Poke Cake: 4 ingredients
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• Cinnamon Tortilla Sopapillas