If you’ve never tried crispy potato stacks before, this is the perfect side dish to start with. These golden brown layers of potatoes are buttery, crisp on the edges, and creamy in the center—basically everything you love about roasted potatoes but stacked up in a muffin tin so they look like something you’d get at a fancy holiday dinner. Whether you’re cooking for Thanksgiving, a dinner party, or just want to find a fun twist on your usual potato recipes, this one’s a total showstopper.
What's in this blog post
The inspiration for these potato stacks came from one of those classic Thanksgiving moments where I needed a last-minute side dish that still looked impressive. I wanted something fun and crowd-pleasing, but also so simple that anyone could pull it off without stress. These crispy, golden stacks turned out to be the perfect answer—easy to prep, quick to bake, and absolutely irresistible on the table.
Ingredients
Potatoes - You’ll need about 3 pounds of Yukon Gold or yellow potatoes. This kind of potato gives you that buttery flavor and creamy center. You can swap in russet potatoes or even sweet potatoes if you want to experiment with new flavors. Slice them very thin—about 1/16-inch thick. A mandolin slicer is hands-down the best tool for this job, but a sharp knife will do if you’re careful. Evenly thin slices of potatoes help them cook at the same rate and get that perfect crispy potato texture.
Butter - Unsalted butter, melted makes the perfect base to coat the sliced potatoes.
Spices - Stir in garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. You can play with the spices and make them your own.
Fresh herbs - I'm using parsley and thyme, which add flavor, freshness, and some color to the potato stacks. You can mix up your fresh herbs depending on how you're feeling or what's in your garden.
Cheese - You’ll also need grated Parmesan cheese or Parmesan Reggiano to sprinkle between the layers of potatoes. The cheese melts down into the slices, giving each stack a golden brown top and slightly cheesy edges. If you’re a sour cream fan, these pair perfectly with a dollop on the side.
How to make potato stacks
- Preheat your oven to 375°F and brush the muffin cups of a muffin tin or muffin pan with neutral oil or cooking spray. If you're using a non-stick cupcake pan like I am, you can skip this step.
- Thinly slice your potatoes. You can peel them or not it doesn't matter. Either use a mandolin or hold the potato with a fork and slice the potato thinly and as evenly as possible.
- Drop a small sprig of thyme in the bottom of each cup.
- Start stacking your potato slices inside the cupcake tin, working smallest to largest, brushing or spooning on a little of the garlic herb butter as you go.
- Sprinkle in some Parmesan cheese halfway through the stack, then continue layering until the muffin cup is extra full. The slices will shrink down as they cook, so don’t be afraid to pile them high.
- Cover the muffin tin tightly with foil and bake for about 25 minutes until tender.
- At this point, you can carefully flip the stacks over using a wooden skewer for even crisping.
- Remove the foil, turn up the heat to 425°F, and bake until the tops are crispy and golden brown. Keep an eye on them during this step—those last few minutes make all the difference between just browned and perfectly crispy edges.
Serving Tips and Tricks
Sprinkle with flakey salt right before serving for that restaurant-style finish. The best part? These look fancy but are made with simple ingredients you probably already have.
If you’re hosting a crowd, you can make them ahead of time and reheat on a baking sheet at 350°F for about 10 minutes, or pop them in the air fryer for 5–7 minutes at 375°F. They stay beautifully crisp this way.
Potato stacks are the perfect way to dress up any meal, whether it’s a casual weeknight or a full-on fancy holiday dinner. It’s such a fun way to showcase layers of potatoes, butter, and herbs, and they always disappear fast.
Next time you’re looking for something that feels gourmet but uses everyday ingredients, grab your muffin tin and try this recipe—you’ll see why it’s one of my best potato recipes yet.
FAQ
Can I use olive oil instead of butter?
Absolutely. Olive oil gives a lighter, more earthy taste, though melted butter gives a richer flavor and creamy center.
Yukon Gold potatoes are my favorite, but russet potatoes or sweet potatoes will work too, depending on your flavor preference.
You can! Store the sliced potatoes coated in the garlic butter in a sealed container at room temperature for a few hours or refrigerate up to half a day. Just make sure to drain any liquid before baking.
These crispy potato stacks go with everything from roasted chicken to steak or even as a side for main courses like prime rib. They’re the perfect side dish, no matter the occasion.
Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Cupcake Tin
Ingredients
Garlic Butter
- 4 ounces unsalted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons finey chopped thyme
Potato Stacks
- 3 pounds yukon gold potatoes sliced thinly
- 12 small sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 ounces shredded parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Lightly brush the cups of a 12-cup muffin tin with oil. Pile stacks up high for 12 slightly heaped stacks, keeping in mind the potatoes sink down as they cook.
- Melt butter and stir in garlic, parsley, chopped thyme, salt and black pepper. Set aside to cool.
- Slice potatoes with skin on, very thinly about 1/16”. I highly recommend using a mandolin to get super thin slices of potatoes in relatively little time. Evenly-thick slices are important for even cooking. If you don’t have a mandolin, slice carefully with a sharp knife and a fork to hold the potato in place safely.
- Place the sliced potatoes in a large mixing bowl and toss with cooled garlic herb butter.
- In each oiled muffin cup, place a small sprig of thyme, followed by slices of potatoes starting with smaller pieces and ending with the larger pieces. About ⅓ and ⅔ of the way up the stack, sprinkle a bit of grated parmesan. For the prettiest stacks, stagger potato slices a little rather than matching them up in a neat column. Divide evenly among the 12 cups. It’s okay if the potato stacks are a little taller than the rim of the muffin cups because they will sink down as they cook.
- Cover the muffin tin tightly with foil. Bake in preheated 375°F (190°C) oven for 25 minutes or whenever potatoes are tender (use a wooden skewer to poke one stack to check – the skewer should easily slide all the way through and back out).
- Increase oven heat to 425°F (220°C). Remove foil and return to bake uncovered for 13-15 minutes more, or whenever edges are browned and crispy, and tops are golden brown. Keep a close eye on them during the final few minutes of browning. See recipe notes for make ahead tips.
- I use the same wooden skewer to dislodge the stacks from the muffin tin by gently pushing the tip down one side and flipping it enough to grab it with tongs. Serve upside down (with thyme sprig facing up) with a sprinkle of flaky salt. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Option 1: Prepare potatoes fully just a couple of minutes shy of total bake time. Transfer them upside-down (thyme sprig facing up) onto a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Keep them at room temperature. Before serving, warm in a 350f (175c) oven for 10 minutes or until hot in the center, then broil to crisp up the edges. Keep an eye on them when broiling. Finish with flaky salt. Air fryer reheats them really well too at 375°F for 5-7 minutes.
- Option 2: Technically pre-sliced potatoes go brown/grey from oxidization if left out too long. That said, I had a batch in the fridge for half a day after tossing them in the garlic herb butter, with no noticeable issues. The buttery sauce must have acted as an oxidization shield so make sure to coat the potatoes well. Discard the liquid that has collected at the bottom of the bowl and follow the recipe directions for assembly.
