If you were raised in the South, you grew up eating stewed potatoes at least a couple of times a month, if not every week. Served with cornbread and blackeyed peas, stewed potatoes were a real treat from any proper old Southerner’s childhood. And, to our friends up North, no, this is not a kind of potato soup.
Stewed Potatoes
Stewed potatoes were a treat from any Southerner's childhood
Ingredients
- 6-8 large potatoes (peeled and cubed, about 1 inch cubes)
- salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp bacon grease (optional)
- 1 pinch onion flakes
- 2 tbsp flour
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup milk
- 3 tbsp butter
Instructions
- Peel and cube the potatoes, put in a medium pot and fill with water until it's about 2 inches above potatoes.
- Bring to a boil (you want the potatoes cooked to they are just fork tender, not falling apart.
- After the potatoes are done, keep them in the same water you cooked them in and reduce to a low heat.
- Put the flour and half cup of water in a bowl and blend with a whisk until the flour is dissolved.
- Stirring constantly, but carefully, add the dissolved flour and water into the pot with the potatoes and water. Allow a few minutes to cook on simmer so that it can thicken.
- Add more flour if you want it thicker, or more water if you want it thinner.
- Add milk, salt, pepper, onion flakes and butter or bacon grease (if desired - it's fine without the bacon grease). Season to taste.
I love the soup comment:). Makes me miss my southern friends so very much. I got back to mn and begged my mom to make me one of everything I hadnt had for two years. We call these scalloped potatoes and put half a ham in with it. Love your site. Thanks for sharing!!! And Mama this damn Yankee learned how to make grits and actually really like them. But don’t tell anybody.
37 yo mom of 4 here, born and raised on Georgia dirt. Been cooking this since I was old enough to reach the pot. It seems like Ive tried every variation under the sun. Theyre great variations to try, but I always come back to our old family way. Its just like this recipe. My Great Nanny said its a recipe she learned from her norse great-grandmother “back home” (Scotland/Hebridean). My review doesnt really add much, but just saying yall need to try this recipe!
If youre interested in switching anything up:
I like to add about 1/4 cup of white pepper gravy mix into the pot at the thickening stage. Also, since I never drain the water anyway, I punch it up a tad with chicken stock or water off a lamb roast instead of plain old water. It just feels more hearty and soul warming when you have just that little bitty bit of sausage or lamb flavor added with the bacon grease.
Oh yes!!! Thank you for posting this! My husband was raised on these stewed potatoes. Can’t wait to surprise him!
I’m a straight Louisiana Southern Lady. My great grandmother/Granny/my mom 🙏 G-R-A-O-T-S 🙏
Each called them creamy milk taters and I learned how to cook everything straight from garden grown and scratch homemade cooking 😋. Still today, I cook everything from scratch and no substitutes added! I cooked steeped cabbage fried bacon and skillet fried sweet cornbread with a side of oven roasted baby taters tossed in a garlic mixed lemon sauce, I make from fresh grown herbs and lemons with my crushed garlic cloves pinch of salt and instead of black pepper I add in my garlic pepper it’s very easy to make and if you like lemon pepper garlic flavored potatoes, you’ll 💕 this 😋. I love to help life outdoors grow and talk about having something bountiful everyday for your nourishment and healthier 💯🙏.
I make these same way. Only thing different, I do, is… I add a finely diced white or yellow 🧅 just half diced really fine I add it when the potatoes are ready for the milk etc., when you add onions bell peps/any flavoring herb/ingredients, you want to add these types of ingredients when your food will be done about 15m ahead 👍 same for anything that is granules like salt’s peppers any powder forms. By waiting and adding everything at the 15m before completion this keeps and brings every flavor to the top and throughout the entire dish 🤓!! I don’t add bacon in this dish. instead, I deep fry southern chicken and use some of the chicken crust on top when I put the food on the plate and pull some chicken and add in the creamed milk taters with either a couple of slices of my skillet fried cornbread or I’ll dough roll and bake some southern butter biscuits with honey drizzle on top. Try you never know until you try something new 👍
I was not sure how this was going to turn out and was pleasantly surprised when it turned out great! I added the bacon fat and onion flakes…added Wondra to thicken it up…great flavor and will definitely make again.
I just learned about this from my 92 year old Aunt. She said she made them every week. My uncle liked sugar in everything so she said she had to add a little sugar and some mustard she said. IDK about ask that but she said it was delicious. I’m going to have to try it.
My mom made this but used selfrising cornmeal, loved it that way
I never knew til I was almost grown that arsh was the same thing as Irish.
So when people from England say Don’t be an arsh (I thought is was a s s) it is actually Irish?
The word you’re thinking of is “arse”, not “arsh”. And yes, it does refer to the rear portion of one’s anatomy on which you sit.
My mom (Mama Peggy) always said our family was “Scots-Arsh”. She said it like that because her mother always pronounced Irish as “Arsh”. In my experience, most of the people I knew in the Carolina pronounced Irish as Arsh. I think it’s just an old Southern accent thing. Like my grandmother used to say “mizrus” for Mrs.
My mom was raised in TN, but raised us kids in GA. This is her “special” Thanksgiving potatoes. Makes them every year for it. She calls them “Mammy(ma’am-me) taters”. She doesn’t add the bacon grease or the onion flakes tho. Everyone I know who eats them…love, love, loves them.
I was raised in TN and my mom made this almost every day! She’d bake a big iron skillet of cornbread and fried okra! I’m now almost 72 and I still cook like Mom did, even though I live alone and then I share it with my neighbors!
Can you use unpeeled baby gold potatoes? If so I will be making tomorrow.
Tennessee here. I grew up with my grandparents, both born in the 1920s. We didn’t have a lot of money, so veggies, usually grown in the garden, were the main dish alot. Stewed taters were a staple with my grandfather’s cast iron cornbread. Lots of veggies, and the occasional salmon patties. Love this recipe
My mawmaw made all of those to when we were growing up
Very healthy diet.
Definitely with salmon patties!!! I’m making it now. I love to dip extra crunch salmon patties in the tater “sauce”.
I am from the eastern part of VA. My mother made this into soup with cornstarch as the thickener. She added dried beef in the glass jar. I am allergic to onions but I can eat leeks. I add cream and garlic. No way I am evah putting cheese in it.
The one recipe I can’t find is stewed tomatoes with Ritz crackers. Anybody know ?
I remember reading about the stewed tomato soup in my appalachian foods fb group. Add some sugar to a can of stewed tomatos and cook down, blend if desired. Mash in Ritz, ready to enjoy!
I use some french onion dip in mine, about a third to half a cup and some cubed ham or bacon crumbled
My grandmothers, mother and mother-in-law called them “thicken” potatoes. We’re all from Northern Mississippi if that helps explain, 😁.
My mother just boiled potatoes and bacon cut into pieces. Then she would male rolled out dumplings and add to the boiling mixture a few at a time. I remember she added black pepper every layer. If she had some fresh English peas in the garden, she would shell them and add to the pot. I loved this dish!
My grandmother from south Alabama made this same version. It was delicious!!
I’m from Northern MS my mother raised in the Delta and she always called then Stewed Potatos. There was never any bacon though.
I’m from GA and my mother and MawMaw also called them ‘Thicknen’ potatoes and I love them
My Grandmother made this often, but never gave me the recipe! Thanks!
I grew up on stewed potatoes and love them. I haven’t had them since my mom passed away 20 years ago. Going to make these tonight! Thank you for sharing your recipe
I am in NC and this is a child favorite, raised my kids on it and cook them still today. Potatoes are a great way to save money feeding a family. The longer the potato’s cook, the more the potatoes break down and the starch will release, the liquid reduces and thicken the water the potatoes are being cooked in so a few potatoes went far for this side dish. I never used thickening. Great side dish to start and do other stuff. It doesn’t create a fuss. It should be the first thing you start when fixing a meal. This time of the year was the best time for soupy potatoes made out of the new potatoes straight out of the ground. Sometimes Momma would add a few small green peas at the end. The perfect meal is to make these and cook a mess of fresh green beans, cornbread and cantaloupe. My daddy loved to crumble up cornbread and pour soupy potatoes over it.
I am in NC too! My mom made these often and served with cornbread or biscuits. Every time I make it, it brings back fond memories of my childhood.
Try chopping up 3- 4 hard boiled eggs in when done, also The Potatoes with the chopped-up eggs in it GO’S GREAT WITH SALMON PATTIES & Cook with pork Baby Lima bean
Yes will try!!! Thx
My Grandmother called them “Soupy Taters”. Missing her today. Thought I would make some, but never thought about using bacon grease though 😊
Besides just eating the potatoes by themselves, is there any other side dishes you can make to go along with the potatoes?
Greens. We had greens with them a lot growing up.
smothered squash, black-eye peas, fresh sliced tomatoes, tomatoes & okra smothered and cornbread
I make meatloaf, greens, and cornbread allong with the soupy taters. Been making this meal for years.
Can you add cheese?
I don’t see why not. We never have, but I imagine it’d be good. We’ll have to try that.
My Daddy was raised putting them over rice once prepared and that’s how we’ve always ate them. …so good
Im going to try this when cold weather gets here next week,It looks great
I had NEVER heard of stewed potatoes til my hubby asked me to make them one day and u thought he had lost his mind. I found this recipe and now I’m the best wife ever. Thanks so MUCH
My mother made these stewed potatoes and she also would add southern roll dumplings occasionally. They were even better with the dumplings.
Back in the 40’s this would be all we had as a meal. For supper, we had leftover cornbread and fresh buttermilk. We thought this was what everybody ate. We didn’t have meat with every meal. Of course I am 81 years old, and this was normal.
We called the “buttered potatoes. But we didnt add the flour. Just a lot of butter. Momma cooked the potatoes until they were tender, but not quite mushy, then drained out most, but not all of, the water. Then added the seasonings. Let it sit a few min to thicken, then YUM!
Yes! That is how my grandmother made them. We called them “Butter Potatoes”.
She also made Thickened Potatoes, much like Mama Peggy’s recipe, except she sauteed some onion in bacon grease first, then added potatoes, water, salt & pepper, Cooked and thickened with what she called “cold roux” (equal parts soft butter and flour mixed together; the French term is beurre manié.)
I was so excited to find this recipe. My Mama Mary Moss Gunn from Blacksburg, SC knew Ms. Peggy (may have been related). I’m sure that I went to her house when I was a little girl.
My grandma also called them “arsh” potatoes. She just boiled her potatoes and then mixed half a cup of water with flour, salt and pepper and stirred it into the pot of boiling potatoes. Best eatin’ ever!!
Old folks called Irish potatoes arsh potatoes 🥔 at least my Grannie did….
Rash taters is what thy were called in Alabama.
That would be Arsh taters. Sorry.
A lot of old timers in Louisiana call them “Irish Potatoes “
I can’t look at your cooked dishes without starving. I will be fixing these potatoes TODAY.
Love You
Absolutely love these! Reminds me of my childhood and my kids love them too
Georgia girl here. My mama always served this with purple hull or black-eyed peas and cornbread and some kind of meat – usually fried pork chops. I’m making a pot today!
I’m making some today
I have made this recipe before and it turned out delicious. .My family ask for again today for lunch. We like as kinda of bowl of soup with buttermilk corn bread. Yum
I’m out of flour and no way to store, how can I thickenvthem ,already stared on stove
You can use corn starch to thicken anything. Be sure and dissolve it well in a cup before you add it. Only add a little at a time to your dish because it can thicken really fast. You can also use it to thicken tomatoes if you want to have tomatoes and rice. It does not alter the taste of your dish either. Its my standby instead of flour. Enjoy.
Yes
Lorinda, you can just take out a few of the potatoes and mash them up really good, then add back to the pot…this works also. We grew up eating these potatoes with greens, peas and cornbread. We usually had meat on sundays..and sometimes at my grandmas the boys would shoot squirrels and they would be fried along with the chicken..lol And we lived just on the outskirts of big city Houston..
Tasty. Not quite like my Nanny’s…but good!! Getting them to thicken was a little tricky. Delicious tho 😋
Can you use something for onion flakes?
You don’t need to use the onion flakes. It’s just for an extra pep. I’ve made these plenty of times without the onion flakes.
You can use onion powder instead of onion flakes. Same taste effects.
Wow! This took me back. My mom was raised in Buford, Georgia, and this was a meal we had often, especially in the winter. Served with her “from scratch” Southern cornbread made with stone ground corn meal and buttermilk in her iron skillet.
Oh yes. Cornbread.
Absolutely loved when my grandma made a big pot of stewed taters and cornbread. Awesome childhood memories.
Lord yes! Grew up on stewed tators & we still eat ’em. Never are any thrown out at our house. We fix a a big ol’ pot full & what’s left (if any) we heat ’em up the next day. I cook ’em but Mama’s is always better, if course!
My dad was a mechanic and my mom worked in the sewing room. She would make this & it was delicious ~! We called it “thicken potatoes “.
Just like Momma used to make
Delicious! I remember my mother making these often. They turned out great,! Thank you for sharing.
Replace the flour with instant potatoes it’s easier to control the water and milk and taste
Great idea!
How many calories per serving?
As near as we can tell, using one of those online calculators this recipes breaks down like this per serving.
https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
I grew up eating this without the bacon grease. My mom called it potato gravy and we always ate cornbread with it. We are from southwest Virginia. It’s best using new potatoes.
I didn’t use the bacon grease . I used butter forgot the bacon grease
I grew up eating this… My momma made it all the time… We called it thickened potatoes
This is REAL good stuff. A little heavy on the hips, but when people used to physically work hard, it would fill you up and is a great winter comfort food.
Gaylene from Olde Raleigh,NC
I grew up in Kansas and my mom made this many times. We had very little money and this fed 7 people for pennies. So good
Sounds like my family.. My daddy was a mechanic and sold Automotive parts all my life. My family has always been blue collar and this is still a family favorite!! We call them milk taters!!
Okay. This is going to sound very strange to you…
I have lives in the South all my life. I was born in Georgia– Atlanta to be exact. Mostly raised around Augusta. Been in Georgia for 61 years at last count (That was in November of this year). I can count the number of times I have been farther north than North Carolina on one hand– and, I think have a thumb left over. Farthest west I have ever been is Texas. Except for about three months I was in Mexico, I have spent every waking and/or sleeping moment in the Deep South.
And somehow, I have never heard of this dish. My momma never cooked it that I can remember, neither did Grandmother, no aunts or uncles or neighbors or… just nobody.
I mean, there were potatoes. Of course there were potatoes. Boiled and buttered, baked, fried, mashed, and the soup mentioned above– but this stewed potato dish? I, until today, had never heard of it at all. (And before you ask, yes, both Momma and Grandmother were Southern ladies who somehow never prepared this. The whole family is south of the MD line since the time we came over from England and Scotland, well over a century and a half ago.)
I feel like someone who grew up in Japan who never saw rice, or in France who never saw cheese. It’s weird…
I grew up with stewed potatoes and I’m from Tennessee. You can also find it in some restaurants here.
I’m from Arkansas and grew up on these as a kid. Haven’t had them in YEARS, and couldn’t figure out just exactly how mama made them. So glad I found your recipe, it tastes just like hers.
I am in the Augusta area as well. This was such a common dish at our house. I love it, and always looked forward to it. Going to make it today in fact!
My grandparents lived on a farm. They had a garden and grew potatoes. They has a deep well outside where they drew up water with a bucket. The old log house they lived in was a hand me down built before the war, the civil war. The kitchen like most homes built in that era was separated from the main house which was jus 2 bigs rooms and a fireplace. They had cows and chickens. Grandpa delivered mail and taught school. y favorite memory was eating her square pan cornbread and Irish tater stew. With purple hull peas and boiled okra all fresh from the garden.
Yep, reminds me of the 2nd house I lived in in Ga. My Aunt & Uncle bought it with intentions of tearing it down & using wood from it to build a more modern house. We lived in a smaller house down a dirt road just down the hill while it was being built.
I live in Cartersville Ga. Lived in Macon and Thomasville too. My BF was born and raised here. He never heard of it either. But I’ve seen it b 4.
I was born and raised in Illinois. But my family is from Texas.
This is more likely a northern made southern dish. Northerners LOVE southern cooking.
Would come as a surprise to Mama to hear it’s a northern made southern dish, since she grew up eating them in North Carolina during the Great Depression. The family has roots in NC going back to the Revolutionary Way. But let’s face it. They’re potatoes, and nothing fancy. I’m honestly very surprised the recipe has caused such a ruckus on the web site. lol
I’m from about 100 miles north of Atlanta and we ate them all my life. Maybe its a regional dish.
From southern Mississippi… my grandmother made similar, but with added green onion (enough to really give it a kick) and sometimes cubed/shredded beef or venison. They called it Irish stew, but I think the base is the same as described here.
Love it, but where I’m from in the deep south, it’s purple hull peas.
Just like Momma made every Saturday for lunch in Gaffney, SC!
My Mom was a wonderful cook, we called this Potatoe Gravy. My Mom also made a raisin gravy. Those were THE DAYS!!
My mom use to makes us these stewed potatoes all the time. We loved them,I can taste them now. My mother was a awesome cook,immean she could cook anything.
Do you eat with a spoon in a bowl, or allow it to run in the plate like gravy or cream corn? What meat would you serve with it?
In Chesnee, Sc Very close to Gaffney,, this was a staple for us!!