Stewed Potatoes
Are you ready to try my easy Southern stewed potatoes recipe? With a butter coating, these tender and soft stewed potatoes never last long on my supper table.
I was tickled that so many people wanted to know how I made the potatoes that were pictured with last week’s meatloaf. Stewed potatoes are the ultimate old-time Southern comfort food and something I make fairly often for my family. They are so stinking easy to whip up and make a filling side dish to go with just about everything. I can also honestly say that there have never been any left, no matter how much I make. That’s right y’all, this one is a plate-licker.
The thing is, they are so easy that I found myself trying to come up with a more complicated recipe to bring you instead of mine because I was a little embarrassed at how simple this butter stewed potato recipe is. Don’t worry, I came to my senses. After all, the whole premise of Southern Plate is to bring you the recipes that folks in my family use every day. That’s the great thing about traditional Southern food: in its natural form, it is simple as can be and very inexpensive.
So here we go, my last-minute no-fuss side dish that everyone loves. All you need is potatoes, butter, salt, and water. Basically, all you need to do to make my easy stewed potatoes is to boil the potatoes and then stir in the butter before serving. That’s all there is to it. If you don’t already make stewed potatoes in your house I hope you’ll give these a try because until you taste them, you won’t believe something so easy could be so good.
Recipe Ingredients
- Potatoes
- Unsalted butter
- Salt
- Water
How to Make Stewed Potatoes
Fill a large pot about 1/2 to 3/4 full. You basically just want enough to cover your potatoes.
I salt my water a little bit and then put it on to boil while I get my potatoes ready.
Peel dem taters…
Some folks like to use vegetable peelers, but now I use my old trusty paring knife.
Then slice them into thick and chunky slices.
Place potatoes in the boiling water and cover them.
Bring to a boil.
You want to continue boiling the potato chunks until they are fork-tender (10 to 15 minutes or so).
Usually, I just stick a fork down into my water and see if it splits in half like this, then I know they are done.
Once they’re done, take the boiled potatoes off the heat, pour them into a colander, and drain well.
Now I just put them back into the pot and toss in a stick of butter or margarine.
Cut butter into little pats so it melts quicker.
Add a little more salt.
A good rule of thumb is to start with about half a teaspoon.
Let the butter melt and stir them up well.
Spoon them out to serve.
Season with extra salt and black pepper to taste and enjoy your old-fashioned stewed potatoes.
Okay, just one more close-up because I couldn’t resist! How delicious do they look?!
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can easily reheat them in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Recipe Notes
- For extra flavor, if you have any bacon drippings or bacon grease floating around, add a couple of tablespoons when you add the butter.
- Another way to add more flavor is through dried herbs and spices. When you stir in the , add a teaspoon of or .
Recipe FAQs
How many potatoes do you use?
I usually do one to two for each person, depending on the size of my potatoes. If they are small, I might do two or three per person. If you end up with leftovers (which I never do), these refrigerate and reheat well so if you’re in doubt, just make a few more. I promise they won’t go to waste!
What are the best potatoes to boil?
I recommend Russet potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes, but any kind of white potatoes work.
What’s the difference between mashed potatoes and stewed potatoes?
The main difference is that you add cream or milk to your mashed potatoes or creamed potatoes, whereas all you add to your stewed potatoes is butter. You also don’t mash your stewed potatoes before serving (although if you want to, I’m not gonna stop you).
How do you serve Southern stewed potatoes?
The traditional Southern way to serve stewed potatoes is with cornbread and black-eyed peas. This was such a common supper growing up! But nowadays, you can serve them as a side dish with any kind of main meal. Here are some suggestions: chicken fried steak, pork chops, meatloaf, roast chicken, and a Southern Plate favorite… fried chicken. Add a side of like fresh green beans and you’re good to go.
Another option is to serve the Southern side dish with some toppings, like shredded cheddar cheese, hot sauce, chopped green onion, cooked crispy bacon bits, and/or sour cream.
Do I have to peel my potatoes?
Yes, I recommend peeling the potatoes for stewed potatoes as unpeeled potatoes take away from that creamy texture, which we definitely don’t want!
Here are more potato recipes:
Loaded Twice Baked Potatoes (Freezer Friendly)
Homemade Mashed Potatoes With Evaporated Milk
Ingredients
- enough potatoes for those you want to feed
- 1 stick unsalted butter or margarine
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Fill a pot 1/2 or 3/4 full with water and add a teaspoon of salt. Put on to boil.1 teaspoon salt
- Peel potatoes and cut them into thick slices. Place potatoes in boiling water. Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender.enough potatoes for those you want to feed
- Drain boiled potatoes in a colander. Place back into the pot and add butter and salt. Stir and allow butter to melt.1 stick unsalted butter or margarine, 1 teaspoon salt
- Serve warm.
Video
Nutrition
“Tell me who you go with and I’ll tell you who you are.”
Submitted by Sue Bankston, who heard it from her dear mother growing up.
Love the recipe.
The part I was MOST excited about was the Correll dish with the green flowers. Ate off those plates for 19 years. Still have some in storage I think.
Thanks for the flash back and recipe.
I was actually looking to find a way to cook potatoes IN BUTTER. Just and idea that a non chef had (me). 😛
thanks anyway
My grandparents did this, but added a bit of flour to thicken the water instead of draining it, and called them “iced” potatoes…I made some like this today. I also like to take yukon gold potatoes, dice them, put them in a casserole with diced onion, add salt and pepper, then put pats of butter over the top, put cover on dish, then microwave, stirring occasionally, til done. Nice sweet taste. They are delicious. Sometime to change it, I add cheese, or add oregano… potatoes are so versatile. Never met someone who didn’t love potatoes.
My Mom taught me to cook the potatoes with water covering the potatoes good. When they are fork tender remove the potatoes and put in some butter and take some of that hot juice and put in a tea cup and add cornstarch to it and put that back in the pot and add milk. Stir until it’s the consistency you like and put the potatoes back in. Yummy!!!!
These are wonderful. I love potatoes most any way you they’re cooked. My Mamaw and Moma made something like this but cooked the potatoes a bit longer to reduce the water and added some whole milk. She’d cook them slow boil until they thickened. The potatoes were in a creamy white sauce. When she made this there never was any left overs! They called then “Stewed Potatoes” So good! Both were Great Southern Cooks, like in your family Christy. I’m going to make some of these soon!
I hope you get the chance to make them soon Sheila!
My Mom and her Mom made these like your grandmother but they called them “Soupy Potatoes”. My Mom made some similar to you recipe except she added the butter AND parsley and of course she called them “Parseyed Potatoes”! I am with you, any time you put potatoes and butter together, you can’t go wrong!
Have a blessed day,
Sharon
Oh how this brings back memories. My great aunt cooked stewed potatoes every Sunday for dinner. Hers were a little different. She always used red potatoes and chose the smaller ones ( a little larger than a golf ball). She would soak them in cold water and scrape them with a spoon instead of cutting. Them she cooked as you did and added flour for the “broth”. We would fight over them to make sure we got our share.
I am now making them the same way. The scraping makes a difference. I have been searching to see if I can find a recipe that will allow canning of these since we have 50+pounds from the garden and they are still coming. Any info you could give on that would be great.
Thanks, Jan
Hmmm, I wonder how scrapping them changes it up. I am going to have to try doing them that way!! You should be able to can them, there are many recipes online for canning whole potatoes.
I add a little flour stirred into a paste to thicken the water they are cooked in making a smooth white sauce. Goes wonderful with our Southern Soul foods we like to cook when the grown chicks come back home. They enjoy home cooking the working wives do not have the time to cook. Mine love pintos, kraut and wieners, macaroni and cheese, and the list goes on and on. Corn bread of course and iced tea with one of Mom’s fruit cobblers.
My mother made a similar recipe, like your grandmothers but she also added onion.
I’ve been trying to make the buttered potatoes as good as Mom’s, and came close. I should have used a colander for draining (like you did Christy!) instead of tilting the lid on the pot and pouring off the water! The potatoes were a bit wet, but still delicious with our rotisserie chicken last night. One ingredient I just have to add is a dash or two of black pepper. To make them more “metropolitan”, I sometimes stir in a little parsley too.