5 holiday-ready recipes that make the humble potato shine

In Food52’s latest contest, we asked you to take our trusty cooking sidekick — the humble potato — and make it shine. From mashed to hashes, you gave us potatoes in all forms. We peeled, chopped, and sliced our way through pounds of potatoes to bring you our five finalists.

Now, we need your help narrowing down our picks to just two finalists. Give one (or more!) of these recipes a shot in your own kitchen, and let us know your thoughts. Voting will begin on January 1, 2023 at 12 p.m. EDT. May the best potato win!

1.  “World Famous” Greek Mahogany Potatoes By CREAMTEA

A dish that is truly greater than the sum of its parts. You will love the depth of potato flavor that is achieved after spending so much time in the oven and then freshened up with loads of lemon. This recipe is written with lots of helpful commentary — follow it! We would love to have this dish with some beautiful roast lamb at the holidays.

2.  Everything (Plus Chives) Baked Potato Puff Pastries By Bevi

This is a simple, well-balanced, and versatile potato dish. We used goat cheese (Bevi gives you a choice) and, combined with the potato, bacon, chives, lemon, and mascarpone, you have a delightful side dish. You could even make these a bit smaller than the recipe suggests and serve them as a dressed-up potato appetizer for your holiday party.

3.  Rose Buldak Hasselback Potato Gratin By Saltypeeps

We loved the way the flavors came together in this creative spin on hasselback potatoes gratin. The chile paste and powder created a lovely red color, added some heat, and really paired nicely with the cream and sharp, nutty Gruyère.

4.  Potato Moussaka By Queen Sashy

Queen Sashy’s potato moussaka is a beautifully crafted potato dish that works well as a side or as a main course (just add a nice green salad). We loved the herby notes — Queen Sashy suggests marjoram or oregano if you can’t find summer savory — and the crunchy layer of potatoes on top. Definitely get out your mandoline because you will want your potato slices nice and thin.

5.  Duck Fat Hash By Aargersi

The flavors in this potato side dish are not fussy or complicated — but thanks to this recipe’s technique-driven approach, the results are flawless. The potatoes got nice a crunchy crust, the shallots were sweet, and, of course, the duck fat was luxurious. The herbs added a perfect fresh counterpoint. We found this dish also works beautifully with sweet potatoes. Enjoy!

*Voting for the final two recipes will open January 1, 2023 at 12 p.m. EDT here.