Growing up, my stepdad cooked dinner for us every single night, and while most all of them were incredible one of my very favorite things he made were simple potato wedges tossed in onion soup mix. They were SO flavorful — just on the cusp of being too flavorful — and crispy and crunchy and soft on the inside. Lucky for us, they were in regular dinner rotation. These French Onion Potatoes take their cues from those potatoes, but add in a few extras to make them much more reminiscent of actual French onion soup. They’re an instant family staple, the kind of side you come back to again and again and again, just like my stepdad’s potatoes.

What I love about these is that they use a few kitchen shortcuts and yet they still seem kind of elevated. (Cheesy, indulgent baked potatoes will do that, I guess.) Here’s how you make them:

First things first, you’re going to use Russet potatoes. This is definitely a situation where you want to peel them, as you want all the other oniony seasonings to shine. Chop them into bite-sized pieces, about 1-inch in size and pair that with one little yellow onion, sliced.

See, there’s some other onion stuff going on here, but nothing beats the flavor of an actual onion and that’s part of what makes these so special. So stir together some melted butter, French onion soup mix, and a can of French onion soup…

… and mix that all up with the potatoes and onion.

Cover it up tightly with foil and give it about thirty minutes in the oven before you uncover it and give it thirty minutes more.

At that point, top the whole shebang with grated Gruyere or Swiss (I always opt for Gruyere) and bake until bubbly.

What you get is a saucy, savory potato that feels fit for a special occasion but really isn’t too much trouble to make at all. Like I said, a side you’ll come back to again and again and again!!