By Week 518. Year 10. Tommy is 43. Holiday season. The cottage or the memory of the cottage. The family gathering or planning to gather. Luc (19) graduated LSU, working in petroleum/energy. Colette (17) in college/nursing school. The food is the constant — the roux and the rice and the cayenne that doesn't change even when everything else does.
Made pork backbone stew this week — the kind of food that fills the house with the smell of Louisiana and the knowledge that whoever walks through the door is walking into a home where the stove is on and the food is ready and the welcome is unconditional. The meal was the day. The day was the meal. Both were good. Laissez les bons temps rouler.
That pork backbone stew set the tone for the whole week — the kind of cooking that says the house is alive and the door is open. When I want to carry that same energy into a simpler night, something I can throw together without standing over a pot for hours, pepperoni potatoes are where I land. It’s not Cajun, but it’s got that same spirit: filling, unpretentious, and exactly what you want after a long day in the cold. Year 10, week 518 — the food keeps showing up, and so do we.
Pepperoni Potatoes
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 45 min | Total Time: 1 hr | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed and sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 3 oz pepperoni slices
- 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup marinara or pizza sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven. Heat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or a thin coat of olive oil.
- Season the potatoes. Toss the sliced potatoes with olive oil, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and black pepper until evenly coated.
- Layer the dish. Spread half the seasoned potato slices in an even layer across the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with half the onion slices, half the bell pepper, and half the pepperoni.
- Add sauce and repeat. Spoon half the marinara sauce over the first layer. Repeat with the remaining potatoes, onions, bell pepper, and pepperoni. Spoon the remaining sauce evenly over the top.
- Bake covered. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Add cheese and finish. Remove the foil, scatter the shredded mozzarella and red pepper flakes evenly over the top, and return to the oven uncovered for 8–10 minutes until the cheese is melted and lightly browned.
- Rest and serve. Let the dish rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve directly from the baking dish.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 420 | Protein: 16g | Fat: 20g | Carbs: 46g | Fiber: 4g | Sodium: 780mg