Katie Lee Biegel’s Easy, Herby Take On French-Style Fondant Potatoes Is Dinner-Party Gold
“It’s one of those dishes that I love because it looks so fancy with minimal effort,” says Katie
When the crowd on The Kitchen breaks into applause over potatoes, you know it’s serious. Katie Lee Biegel’s melting potatoes recipe—also called fondant potatoes—is that perfect combination of elegant, easy and ridiculously satisfying. After sharing the now five-star recipe on television, fans have been making it on repeat ever since. “When you see how easy these are, you won’t believe it,” Katie says in the holiday-themed episode. “We’re gonna call them melting potatoes with herbs—and when you taste them, you’re gonna melt!” The best part? They only need a few pantry staples and one pan.
What are melting potatoes?
Fondant-style melting potatoes have long been a French classic. Commonly prepared as a side dish, it’s made by roasting thick-cut rounds of potatoes in butter and broth until they’re crispy on the outside and unbelievably soft and creamy in the center. It’s the kind of dish you’d expect to find alongside a steak at a high-end bistro.
Katie’s version takes all the elements of the original and streamlines the process, using a cast-iron skillet for maximum browning and skipping any par-cooking steps. As she puts it, “It looks so fancy with minimal effort.” So yes, these can be weeknight dinner territory. They’re impressive enough for a holiday table and easy enough to make anytime.
With over 400 five-star reviews and counting, Katie’s recipe has clearly earned its stripes. One bite and it’s easy to see why. She heats both butter and vegetable oil in a heavy skillet—specifically, cast-iron. “That’s gonna help raise that smoke point of the butter so we get all that great flavor in there but it won’t burn,” she explains.
Katie’s tips for golden, buttery success
Katie’s best advice? “Don’t touch them. Let them do their thing. I like to set a timer on my phone so I don’t get tempted to touch them for three minutes,” she says. That stillness is what helps each side develop that rich golden crust.
Another tip: “I like to hit it with a little bit of flaky sea salt at the end, then a little spoonful of all that buttery goodness,” Katie says. It adds restaurant-style polish without any extra work.
And a quick word of warning: let them cool just a bit before digging in. “When I first made these, I burned my tongue pretty badly,” Katie admits with a laugh.
How to make Katie Lee Biegel’s melting potatoes
These steakhouse-style potatoes are shockingly easy to pull off. Just a few ingredients, one cast-iron skillet and one baking session stand between you and buttery, tender potato perfection. Here’s how to make them with Katie’s official recipe.
Ingredients:
- 4 russet potatoes
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 Tbs. vegetable oil
- 10 Tbs. unsalted butter
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 cloves garlic
- Flaky salt, to garnish
Directions:
- Total time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Preheat oven to 400° F.
- Peel the potatoes and slice off the ends. Cut into one-inch slices, then season both sides of the potatoes generously with kosher salt and pepper.
- Heat a cast-iron skillet (or other heavy-duty, ovenproof skillet) over medium-high heat. Add the oil and four tablespoons of the butter. Sear the potatoes on one side until golden brown, about three minutes. Flip them and add the broth, rosemary and garlic.
- Cut the remaining six tablespoons butter into cubes and scatter on top of the potatoes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until fork-tender, about 30 minutes.
- Garnish with flaky salt and spoon the pan sauce all over the potatoes. Let them cool slightly before serving.
“It feels special. It feels like it’s on a nice, beautiful dinner plate,” co-host Sunny Anderson says after tasting. “And it just melts in your mouth.” Let us know if you’ve tried Katie’s recipe below!
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