Perfect Petite Potatoes

by Lindsay Gifford
Information, Recipes and Photography provided by The Little Potato Company

Finally, a miracle has occurred. We’ve found a potato that is both nutritious, delicious and easy-to-prepare—the little Creamer potato! And, no one grows them like The Little Potato Company. They’re bringing this petite, yet powerful, potato to tables across the country and declaring it’s plentiful benefits.

Not your average small potato, Creamers have the unique combination of being naturally buttery tasting, loaded with nutrition, easy to prepare, and having many diverse, colorful and fun varietals. Coveted around the world by leading chefs and foodies, Creamers are a premium Little potato varietal that is typically thin skinned, rich in flavor and highly nutritious. Naturally fat-free, sodium-free, cholesterol-free, gluten-free and packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants at only 20 calories each, Creamers can truly be a perfect part of your family’s healthy, balanced diet. And, they come with no cleaning or peeling required!

The Little Potato Company was co-founded by Angela Santiago and her father Jacob van der Schaaf in 1996 with the big idea of saving the potato and feeding the world better. By going back to the potato’s roots, they uncovered the same types of potato varieties first cultivated. They discovered the redeeming qualities of Creamers and their big idea took root. From washing their first crop by hand in the family bathtub, to a thriving brand that can be found in nearly all major grocery stores, their focus remains specific: “Growing Creamer potatoes is all we do, so we have to be the best. Creamer potatoes are a gift, and we believe it’s our job to bring the potato back to its original glory.”

We’ve only gathered a taste of the fantastic recipes The Little Potato Company has to offer. Log on to www.littlepotatoes.com for more great recipes and tips, including their Little Chef tips and recipes that will help get the entire family involved in dinner. Enjoy!


Cold Potato Soup with Leeks
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Serves: 6 cups

A vichyssoise style cold potato soup that’s ideal for al fresco dining on warm summer nights.

3/4 lb. Baby Boomer Little Potatoes, quartered
2 large Leeks, white only, finely sliced
1 Tbsp Butter or olive oil
3 cups Vegetable or chicken broth
1/4 cup White wine (optional)
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Fresh chives or green onions, for garnish

In a large saucepan add creamers, leeks and butter and cook over medium heat for 5 – 10 minutes.  Stir often to prevent browning. Slowly add broth and wine, if using, and simmer for 15 minutes until potatoes are cooked through. Using a blender, food processor, or an immersion blender, whir just until smooth.  Do not overmix. Cool in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Garnish bowls with chives.

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Easy Appetizer: Little Potato Top Overs
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 20 mins
Serves:8-10

An elegant yet easy appetizer made with sliced Creamer potatoes, your favorite hummus, or flavored cream cheese and fresh herbs or veggies.

20 - 25 Terrific Trio Little Potatoes, cooked
1 cup hummus, flavored cream cheese, or thick and creamy salad dressing
Cherry tomatoes, for topping
Fresh herbs, for topping
Sliced pickles, for topping
Radishes, for topping

Slice cooked Little Potatoes in half. With a small spoon carefully carve out some potato flesh to make an indent deep enough to hold 1 to 2 teaspoons of filling. Fill with a variety, or one savory dip, as suggested. Garnish with suggested toppings. Chill or serve immediately.

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Mason Jar Salad
with Little Potatoes and Masala Cream Dressing
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Serves: 4-6

Adding sweet and creamy Little Potato Creamers to all kinds of fresh lunch combinations is reason enough to keep a bowl of cooked Little Potatoes in the fridge, ready for nutritious, fast, delicious additions to salads.
Dressing:
1 cup Plain yogurt
1 - 2 tsp Masala seasoning (depending on intensity or flavor desired)
1 Lime, zested and juiced
1 - 2 tsp Honey, adjusted for taste
Salad Ingredients:
3/4 lb your favorite varietal Little Potatoes, cooked and diced
1 cup Fresh or frozen mango, diced
1 cup Baby spinach leaves
1 cup cooked Chickpeas or other canned beans, rinsed
1/2 cup Sweet red pepper, diced
1/2 cup Purple or white onion, diced

Whisk together dressing and divide between clean glass or plastic jars with tight fitting lids. Layer in salad ingredients to jars, with the top layer being Little Potatoes. Keep refrigerated until ready to eat or pack for a picnic. They will keep unrefrigerated for 3 hours, but best to keep cool/refrigerated. When ready to eat and before opening jar, turn upside down and shake gently for about 1 minute to mix.

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Homemade Potato Chips with Seeds
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 15-20 mins
Serves: 4

Addictively crunchy with the added nutty nuance of crispy seeds, this combination of Little Potatoes and seeds is a source of fiber, minerals and vitamins. If you’re missing one or two of the seeds, simply double up on the seeds you have.

11/2 lbs your favorite varietal Little Potatoes    
2 Tbsp Canola oil
1/2 cup Mixture of hemp seeds, chia seeds,     
1 Tbsp Coarse sea salt, if desired
poppy seeds, sesame seeds and flax seeds

Preheat oven to 425°F. Slice Little Potatoes into quarter-inch rounds. Place in a deep bowl and toss with canola oil. Add seed mixture and salt and toss to coat. Arrange in a single layer on one or two baking sheets, top with any remaining seeds. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, turning at least once until golden and crisp. Remove to a cooling rack and serve when cooled and crisp. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and pop into a hot oven to crisp.


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Grill Roasted Potatoes in Foil
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Serves: 4

Barbecued individual foil packages of grill roasted potatoes, onions, and seasoning are fabulous go-to’s for a quick dinner off the grill.

6 - 8 your favorite varietal Little Potatoes, sliced
1 (8x8) piece of Heavy duty foil
1 tsp Olive or canola oil
1/2 Yellow, purple, or Spanish onion, sliced
1 tsp Italian seasoning, Greek seasoning, or summer herb mix
1 Tbsp Feta cheese, optional

With a brush or back of a spoon, spread oil over foil to about one inch from the edge. Layer potatoes, onion, seasoning, and cheese. Wrap like an envelope, ensuring edges are tightly sealed. Place on hot barbecue or grill (or in a 400°F oven) directly on the rack. Cook for 20 minutes, turning package over every 5 to 7 minutes for even cooking. Remove from the grill or oven and allow to rest for five minutes. Carefully open the hot package as the steam escapes. For lunch tomorrow: Refrigerate grill roasted potatoes overnight. Pack in a sturdy lunch container—including leftover salad, sliced grilled meat, fresh vegetables, and dressing if desired.

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Roasted Chicken & Little Potatoes:
Prep Time: 20 mins  |  Cook Time: 20 mins per 1 lb. of meat  |  Serves: 1-4 per meal

Roasted chicken (approximately 2 lbs. larger than what you would normally prepare, to provide leftovers)

3 lbs. any varietal Little Potatoes
2 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp Coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss Little Potatoes with olive oil and seasoning to coat. Transfer to baking sheet. Roast until tender and edges are browned, about 30 minutes. Serve half of the cooked potatoes with the chicken and other vegetables as desired. Cover and refrigerate the remaining potatoes for the following meals:

Little Potato Topped Pot Pie:
Prep Time: 20 mins  |  Cook Time: 30 mins   |  Serves: 1-4 per meal

Half of the leftover roasted Little Potatoes (about 11/2 cups) sliced into 4 or 5 slices, or mashed
1/2 - 2 cups Roast meat, cubed (poultry, beef, or pork)
1/2 to 2 cups Cooked leftover vegetables, or frozen vegetable mix of choice, chopped
1 cup leftover Roast gravy or 1 cup broth whisked with 2 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp butter, melted
1/2 cup Cheddar or other mild cheese, shredded
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350°F. In an oven-safe saucepan or skillet, adequate for the amount of ingredients you have, combine the cubed meat, vegetables, and gravy or broth and flour mixture. Cook over medium heat until mixture is simmering and gravy has thickened slightly. Layer sliced potatoes evenly over the mixture, or smooth mashed potatoes over top, if using. Drizzle with melted butter and sprinkle shredded cheese evenly over potatoes. Bake until the potatoes are browned and mixture is bubbly, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Curry Coconut Soup with Little Potatoes:
Prep Time: 20 mins  |  Cook Time: 20 mins   |  Serves: 1-4 per meal

Half of the leftover Little Potatoes (about 11/2 cups), thinly sliced
1 to 3 cups Chicken, beef, or vegetable broth
4 - 8 oz. (1 or 1/2 can) Coconut milk
1/2 - 2 tsp Thai red or green curry paste, to taste
1 - 3 tsp Fish sauce, depending on taste preference
1 - 4 servings Fresh or canned bean sprouts
1 - 4 servings Fresh spinach or bok choy
1 - 4 servings cooked Edamame, green beans, or green peas
1 - 4 servings cooked chicken (or other meat), shredded or thinly sliced
1 to 4 servings Fresh herbs (eg. cilantro, basil, parsley)
Lime juice, to taste

In a saucepan over medium heat stir broth, coconut milk, curry paste, and fish sauce. Adjust seasonings to taste and heat to a rolling boil. In a shallow individual serving bowl, arrange remaining ingredients to quantity and choice desired. Pour boiling broth over each bowl ingredients and garnish with herbs and a drizzle of lime juice. Serve immediately.

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Beef Short Ribs with Fingerlings
Prep Time: 15 mins
Serves: 4 main course
Cook Time: 20 mins pressure cooker or 4 hours slow cooker

These beef short ribs with fingerlings are made bourguignon-style in a pressure cooker. Alternatively, you can cook for four hours in a slow cooker. Fingerling Little Potatoes are a perfect compliment to earthy mushrooms, tart onions, and rich sauce.

4 large Beef short ribs, approx. 3/4 - 1 lb. each    
2 Tbsp Olive oil
Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste        
1 tsp Dijon style mustard
16 Pearl onions, skins removed            
1 cup Dry red wine
2 cups Beef stock or broth            
1 Tbsp Tomato paste
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce            
1 tsp Dried thyme leaves
11/2 lbs Fingerling Little Potatoes            
1/4 cup All-purpose flour    
8 - 12 Cremini mushrooms or 4 Portobello mushrooms, quartered
Fresh herbs, for garnish, if desired

Season ribs with salt and pepper and dust with flour. Set remaining flour aside. Add oil to the pressure cooker and heat over medium high. Add the ribs two at a time and brown, turning often to caramelize.  Remove to a platter and continue with remaining ribs. Reduce heat, slowly add wine and deglaze pan of brown bits on the bottom.

Whisk in remaining flour to blend. Whisk broth, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, thyme and Dijon until smooth and saucy. Return ribs to pot. Stir in Little Potatoes, mushrooms and onions to cover. Set pressure cooker following manufacturer’s directions for 20 minutes on high pressure. Garnish as desired.

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Vegan Bean Burgers with Mashed Little Potatoes
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Serves: 4

These vegan bean burgers hold together beautifully with mashed Little Potatoes. They’re loaded with flavor and spices and perfect for your next barbecue.

1 (14 oz.) can Black beans, rinsed    
2 Tbsp Tomato salsa, mild or hot, to taste
2 Green onions, finely sliced        
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Turmeric                
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 cup your favorite Little Potato Creamer varietal, mashed

Combine Little Potatoes, black beans, salsa, green onions, cumin, turmeric, and salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Do not over-mix. Chill for 10 minutes to make forming into patties a little easier. Shape into four large patties. Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet or stove top grill pan. Bake or grill 20 to 25 minutes, turning once after 10 minutes. Serve on buns garnished with favorite toppings, such as guacamole, cheese, onions, pickles.

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Hash Brown Casserole with Smoked Beef and Baked Eggs
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Serves: 1-4

Another inspired way to use up your leftovers with Little Potatoes. This nutritious breakfast casserole can be made with any veggie combination in 20 minutes or less.

1/2 cup any varietal Little Potatoes, diced and cooked        
1 Tbsp canola oil
1/2 cup Zucchini or other squash, diced                
1/4 cup Onion, chopped
1/4 cup Sweet pepper (yellow, red, or green), chopped        
1 Tbsp Jalapeño, chopped
1/2 cup Cooked corned or Montreal smoked beef, chopped    
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 tsp Ground oregano or crushed oregano leaves        
1 tsp Chili powder
Hot sauce, to taste (if desired)                    
1/2 tsp Cumin
Cilantro or parsley, to garnish (if desired)            
1 Egg
Shredded cheese (Jack, Brick, Mozzarella, Gouda)

Heat canola oil in a small skillet for one serving, or a large skillet for up to four servings. Sauté diced Little Potatoes, zucchini, onion, pepper, jalapeño, garlic, chopped beef, chili, cumin, and oregano until onion has softened and mixture is slightly brown and fragrant. Spread mixture evenly in pan, and make a hollow in the middle with a spoon large enough to hold one egg. For larger pans, make up to four hollows. Break egg into the hollow and place pan in the oven for 10 to 11 minutes for soft-done eggs. Remove and garnish as desired.