These Creamy Potatoes Are My New All-Time Favorite Side Dish

This hearty recipe is made on the stove, freeing up the oven for bigger dishes.

Enjoy tender, golden baby potatoes in a flavorful cream sauce with garlic and Parmesan. Alex Lepe/TCA

Crispy potatoes and a creamy garlic Parmesan sauce are one of my favorite combinations, and this recipe brings both together in the easiest way. I cook the potatoes in a single skillet until they’re golden brown, crisp on the outside, and perfectly tender inside—no oven required. It’s a method I rely on when I want a hearty side dish that also frees up the oven for something bigger, like an Easter baked ham or prime rib roast. I often serve this with a seared steak and a green salad for dinner, but it also works beautifully for gatherings when I want something easier than a big casserole. It’s rich, cozy, and exactly the kind of side dish I keep coming back to.

Why You’ll Love It

• Crispy and creamy combo. The combination of golden, crisp potatoes that are pan-fried (no deep frying!) with the creamy garlic Parmesan sauce is unbeatable.
• So versatile. You can never go wrong with crowd-pleasing potatoes. Serve this with everything from weeknight chicken dinners to holiday mains, and it always fits right in.

Key Ingredients in Creamy Garlic Parmesan Potatoes

• Baby potatoes: I like using halved baby potatoes because they cook up crisp and golden with soft, tender centers right in the skillet.
• Heavy cream: It’s the base of the rich sauce and thick enough that you won’t need flour for the sauce.
• Parmesan cheese: Use freshly grated Parmesan cheese if you can because it’ll melt into the sauce better.
• Garlic: Minced garlic infuses its flavor into the cream so that you can taste garlic in every bite.

Creamy Garlic Parmesan Potatoes

Serves 4

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds baby potatoes (1- to 1 1/2-inches wide), halved
• 1/3 cup water
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 3 ounces Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (about 3/4 cup)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Coarsely chopped fresh parsley leaves, for garnish (optional)

Place 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet and tilt the pan as needed to coat the bottom with oil. Arrange 1 1/2 pounds halved baby potatoes cut-side down in an even layer (there will be a few potatoes on top). Pour 1/3 cup water and sprinkle 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt over the potatoes.

Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook undisturbed over medium-high heat until the bottoms of the potatoes are browned and the water has evaporated, 9 to 10 minutes.