Mediterranean Potato Bake

This Mediterranean Potato Bake is a delicious dish that brings a taste of the Mediterranean to your dinner table. With tender potatoes infused with fresh herbs, garlic, and briny olives, this bake is the perfect side dish for any meal. Whether you’re serving it alongside grilled fish, meat, or at a summer BBQ, it’s sure to impress your family and friends with its vibrant flavours and crispy texture.

One of my life’s great pleasures is entertaining – I know many of you will think I’m quite mad, but I genuinely enjoy feeding a crowd. In the past, I loved a good fine dining occasion – catering for a three or four-course meal was exciting! But having kids certainly changed that! So now when I entertain, it tends to be more of an all-in feast – a lovely selection of fresh food served buffet style is my preference. I also try to stick with dishes that I can do the bulk of the preparation in advance, and this Mediterranean Potato Bake fits the bill.

Health benefits

Not only is this dish delicious, but it also packs a nutritious punch! Potatoes provide a great source of complex carbohydrates and essential vitamins, while the fresh herbs offer antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. Olives and capers add healthy fats and a burst of flavour, making this bake both satisfying and wholesome. Using olive oil as the fat brings healthy monounsaturated fats to the dish too.

Ingredients

To create this tasty bake, you’ll need potatoes (Dutch Creams, sebago or Kipflers work great), fresh herbs (like thyme, rosemary, and oregano, or a tablespoon of dried herb provencal), butter, ghee, or olive oil, finely chopped garlic, drained capers, vinegar (red wine or apple cider vinegar), pitted black olives (kalamata olives are a favourite), and a splash of extra virgin olive oil for drizzling. Don’t forget sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste!

How to make roasted mediterranean potatoes

Start by preheating your oven to 200℃/395℉. Boil the potatoes in a large pot until just cooked and fork tender. While the potatoes are cooking, chop your fresh herbs and combine them with your chosen fat, garlic cloves, capers, and vinegar in a small bowl. Once the potatoes are cooked, drain them and place them in an ovenproof baking dish, preferably in a single layer. Bash them up a little to create texture, then add the olives and herby dressing. Season and bake for 25 minutes or until the top is golden and crunchy. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, season again, and enjoy!

Serving suggestions and how to store

Garnish with fresh parsley leaves. This Mediterranean Potato Bake is perfect for serving alongside BBQs (chicken, lamb, beef) or roast dinners, paired with fresh salads for a complete meal. You can also enjoy it as a midweek dish with grilled meats or fish and a leafy green salad. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for a delicious side dish to enjoy later.

Vary Mediterranean Potato Bake to suit your dietary needs

This recipe is gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, vegan and nut-free. Feel free to customise this recipe to meet your dietary preferences! For a garlic-free version, substitute garlic with finely diced fennel for a delicious twist. If you’re looking for a vegan option, simply use extra virgin olive oil as your fat. For cheese lovers, adding grated parmesan cheese or crumbled feta cheese over the top adds a lovely cheesy flavour to the dish. Enjoy experimenting with different variations to make it your own!

For lots more sides and salad inspo, take a look at my hugely popular ebook ˜Well Nourished Sides and Salads’– where vegetables become the hero of the dish. It’s great value at just $9.95, click HERE to take a look

Mediterranean Potato Bake

Prep 10 minutes minutes

Cook 35 minutes minutes

Total 45 minutes minutes

Serves: 6

A budget friendly side that's not only delicious, but also nourishing for your family. This Mediterranean Potato Bake is a great dish for when you're entertaining a large group too. 

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Ingredients

• 1 kg potato/s (I use Dutch Creams or Kipflers)
• 2 tbsp fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, oregano) OR 1 tablespoon of dried herb provencal
• 50 g butter, ghee or olive oil
• 2 clove/s garlic - finely chopped
• 2 tbsp capers - drained
• 1 tbsp vinegar (I use red wine or apple cider vinegar)
• 180 g black olives (1 cup) pitted kalamata are nice
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil - extra virgin
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste

Serve

• ½ bunch/s parsley - chopped

Method

• Preheat your oven to 200℃/395℉ (fan-forced).
• In a large pot, boil your potatoes until just cooked (tender when you insert a knife).
• While your potatoes are cooking, chop your herbs and place them in a small bowl with the fat of your choice, garlic, capers and vinegar.
• Place the cooked and drained hot potatoes in an oven proof serving dish (bash the spuds up a little so they just start to break apart - they cook crunchier that way). Add the olives and the herby dressing.
• Season and bake for 25 minutes or until crunchy on top.
• Drizzle with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil, season with sea salt (only a little as the olives and capers are salty) and black pepper.

Serve

• Chopped parsley leaves
• I would serve this to accompany a BBQ or roast style meal with a few different salads (loads of beautiful salad recipes here). We often have this midweek with grilled fish or meat and a leafy green salad.

Store

• Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Variations

Garlic-free

Replace the garlic with half a bulb of finely diced fennel - it's really delicious. 

Vegan

Choose extra virgin olive oil as your fat.

Make it cheesy

This is lovely with grated parmesan or feta cheese crumbled over it.

 

 

Have you tried this delicious side? Let me know how you liked it in the comments below or rate this recipe.

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Mediterranean

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