Dad's Homemade Potatoes

Family Recipes · Simple Side Dishes

Dad's Potatoes

Buttery, seasoned russet potatoes wrapped in foil and slowly baked until soft, golden and full of familiar family flavor.

Dad's Potatoes are made with only five simple ingredients: russet potatoes, butter, onion powder, garlic powder and Lawry's Seasoned Salt. Everything is mixed together, sealed inside foil and baked until the potatoes are tender and coated in seasoned butter.

Some family recipes are carefully written on recipe cards. Others are learned by standing nearby and watching someone add a little of this, shake in a little of that, and somehow make it taste just right every time.

Dad's Potatoes are one of those recipes.

There are no complicated ingredients or special techniques involved. These potatoes are simply peeled, diced, coated with melted butter and familiar pantry seasonings, and then tucked into a foil packet to bake.

The foil holds in the steam and seasoned butter, giving the potatoes a soft, comforting texture and plenty of flavor. They are the kind of easy side dish that works just as well for a weeknight dinner as it does for a summer cookout or family gathering.

Jump to the Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• It uses only five simple ingredients.
• Preparation takes about 15 minutes.
• Russet potatoes make it inexpensive and filling.
• The foil packet keeps the potatoes moist and buttery.
• Cleanup is simple because everything bakes inside the foil.
• It pairs well with nearly any family dinner.

A few ordinary pantry ingredients come together to make this simple family side dish.

The Five Ingredients

Russet potatoes

Russet potatoes become tender and fluffy as they bake. Peeling them gives this recipe the soft, buttery texture that makes it feel like the original family dish.

Unsalted butter

Butter adds richness and helps the seasonings coat every piece. Using unsalted butter gives you more control because the seasoned salt already contains plenty of salt.

Onion powder and garlic powder

These pantry staples add savory flavor without changing the smooth texture of the potatoes or adding pieces of fresh onion and garlic.

Lawry's Seasoned Salt

This is the seasoning that gives Dad's Potatoes their familiar flavor. Begin with the measured amount, then taste the potatoes after baking before adding more.

Another potato-and-sauce idea: If you have leftover potatoes, a small spoonful of Homemade Alfredo Sauce can turn them into a rich leftover side, or you can save the Alfredo for a separate pasta night alongside this dinner cluster.

How to Make Dad's Potatoes

1. Peel and dice the potatoes

Peel the russet potatoes and cut them into cubes measuring approximately ½ to ¾ inch. Keeping the pieces close to the same size helps them finish baking at the same time.

2. Add the butter and seasonings

Place the diced potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Pour the melted butter over the top, then add the onion powder, garlic powder and seasoned salt.

3. Toss until evenly coated

Gently stir the potatoes until every piece is lightly coated with butter and seasoning. Scrape the bottom of the bowl as you mix so none of the seasoned butter is left behind.

Toss the potatoes thoroughly so each piece is coated in the melted butter and seasonings.

4. Seal the potatoes in foil

Place two overlapping sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil on a rimmed baking sheet. Spoon the potatoes into the center and arrange them in a broad, fairly even layer.

Bring the foil up and over the potatoes and fold the edges together tightly. The packet should be completely sealed so that the steam and melted butter stay inside while the potatoes bake.

5. Bake until tender

Bake the foil packet at 375°F for about 55 minutes. Carefully open one edge of the foil, keeping your hands and face away from the hot steam, and test one of the larger potato pieces with a fork.

If the potatoes are not completely tender, reseal the packet and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes.

6. Stir and serve

Let the packet rest for about 5 minutes before opening it completely. Gently stir the potatoes so they are coated with the seasoned butter collected at the bottom of the foil.

Taste before adding more seasoned salt. Serve the potatoes warm.

Simple, buttery and familiar—just the way a treasured family recipe should be.

Tips for the Best Foil-Baked Potatoes

Cut the potatoes evenly. Similar-sized pieces will cook more evenly. Larger cubes can remain firm after the smaller pieces are already soft.

Make a wide packet. Spread the potatoes into a broad layer rather than creating a tall mound. This allows the heat and steam to circulate more evenly.

Seal the foil tightly. The trapped steam is what helps the potatoes become tender. Patch any holes with an additional piece of foil.

Use a rimmed baking sheet. The baking sheet supports the foil packet and catches any butter that may accidentally leak out.

Open the packet carefully. Hot steam will escape as soon as the foil is opened. Direct it away from your face and hands.

Season gradually. Lawry's Seasoned Salt contains salt, so taste the finished potatoes before sprinkling on more.

What to Serve with Dad's Potatoes

This is an easy, versatile side dish that pairs well with many familiar family meals. Try serving it alongside:

• Grilled hamburgers or cheeseburgers
• Steak or pork chops
• Buttery Skillet Chicken, roast chicken, or grilled chicken
• Meatloaf
• Barbecue chicken
• Bratwurst or smoked sausage
• Baked ham
• Grilled vegetables

Make it a family dinner: Serve Dad's Potatoes with Buttery Skillet Chicken for a simple meat-and-potatoes supper.

For another creamy chicken night, they also pair well with Homemade Marry Me Chicken.

Can You Prepare Them Ahead of Time?

You can peel, dice, season and wrap the potatoes a few hours before baking. Keep the sealed packet refrigerated until you are ready to place it in the oven.

Because refrigerated potatoes will be colder when they go into the oven, they may need an additional 5 to 10 minutes of baking time.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

Transfer leftover potatoes to an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 3 to 4 days.

Reheat individual portions in the microwave, or place the potatoes in a covered baking dish and warm them in a 350°F oven until heated through. Adding a small pat of butter before reheating will help restore some of their original flavor and moisture.

Another way to make potatoes the center of dinner: Try Homemade Loaded Potato Soup when you want a cozy, from-scratch potato meal instead of a side dish.

Keeping a Family Recipe Alive

It can be difficult to write down a recipe made by someone who rarely measures. A shake of seasoned salt or a sprinkle of garlic powder may look a little different each time, yet the finished dish still tastes familiar.

This measured version of Dad's Potatoes preserves the ingredients and simple method while making the recipe easier to share and recreate.

It may never taste exactly the same as when Dad makes it—and perhaps that is part of what makes family recipes so special—but now the recipe has a place where it can be saved, enjoyed and passed along.

Simple ingredients, familiar flavors and a family recipe worth passing down. That is what making life a bit more homemade is all about.

More Homemade Dinner Ideas

Buttery Skillet Chicken — an easy main dish to serve with Dad's Potatoes.

Homemade Marry Me Chicken — another skillet chicken dinner that works with a simple potato side.

Homemade Alfredo Sauce — a practical sauce for another weeknight pasta meal.

Homemade Loaded Potato Soup — a different way to turn potatoes into a comforting dinner.

A Bit More Homemade

Dad's Potatoes

Tender russet potatoes coated in butter and simple pantry seasonings, sealed in foil and baked until soft and golden.

Prep: 15 minutes   |   Bake: 60–70 minutes   |   Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 3 pounds russet potatoes, about 4 to 5 large potatoes
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1½ teaspoons onion powder
• 1½ teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons Lawry's Seasoned Salt, plus more to taste if needed

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Peel the potatoes and cut them into evenly sized ½- to ¾-inch cubes.
3. Place the diced potatoes in a large mixing bowl.
4. Pour the melted butter over the potatoes. Add the onion powder, garlic powder and seasoned salt.
5. Toss until all of the potato pieces are evenly coated.
6. Place two large, slightly overlapping sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil on a rimmed baking sheet.
7. Spoon the potatoes into the center of the foil and spread them into a broad, even layer.
8. Bring the foil up over the potatoes and fold the edges together to make a tightly sealed packet. Add another sheet of foil if needed to completely enclose the potatoes.
9. Bake for 55 minutes.
10. Carefully open one edge of the packet, directing the steam away from your hands and face. Test one of the largest potato pieces with a fork.
11. If the potatoes are not completely tender, reseal the packet and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes.
12. Let the potatoes rest for 5 minutes. Carefully open the packet, stir the potatoes in the seasoned butter and serve warm.

Recipe note: Lawry's Seasoned Salt already contains salt. Taste the potatoes after baking before adding any additional seasoning.

Save This Family Recipe

Pin or bookmark this recipe so you can make Dad's buttery foil-baked potatoes for your next family dinner, cookout or gathering.

Thank you for spending a little time with A Bit More Homemade, where simple recipes, traditional skills and everyday moments help make home feel a little more meaningful.