Now, lay them out cut-side-up in a shallow baking dish. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, just something oven-safe where they aren’t packed together like sardines; you want a little space in between all of them.
Brush the tops with half of your melted butter—so about 1 tablespoon. You don’t need to drench them, just enough to help them crisp and get a little bit of a brown situation going in the oven. Then sprinkle the paprika (for a little smoky warmth and color), the parsley (because green things make food look nicer), and enough salt and pepper to make them taste like something.
Stick the dish in the oven and forget about them for about 50 minutes. Don’t cover them. You want that top layer to crisp and the inside to stay soft. At about the 40-minute mark or so, your kitchen is going to start smelling like something good is going on. That’s when you know the magic is happening.
When the timer dings—or the potatoes are soft and slightly golden and just starting to brown around the ridges—take them out. Hot dish, watch out. Don’t just stand there staring at them (although you will want to). Grab the rest of that melted butter and drizzle it over the tops. That’s the secret move. It soaks into the scored cuts and goes from “okay” to “ohhh okay.”
Texture-wise, they are like the best of both worlds—crispy edges, fluffy centers. It’s like mashed potatoes and roasted potatoes decided to work together. And they soak up flavor better than regular baked ones too, because all those slices work like flavor tunnels. Yes, flavor tunnels. That’s what they’re called now.
You could absolutely serve these at a dinner party and people would think you were some kind of culinary genius. Or just make them for yourself on a weeknight when you are tired and bored and don’t feel like eating anything too complex, but also want to not be sad about your food. They dress up easily too—top with cheese, or sour cream, or even leftover chili if you’re feeling fancy. But honestly, they are good all alone like this.
So yeah. Scored potatoes. Weirdly satisfying to make, extremely satisfying to eat, and way easier than they look. If you have never made them, this is your sign.
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