Ranch Potato Cubes

July heavy as a wool coat. The cicadas at sundown. Set the Table at New Birth Saturday morning. Six girls. We did baked chicken.

Daddy in his apartment in the back. I brought him his coffee and his medication this morning. He grumbled. The grumble was the love. I caught the smell of Mama's seasoning blend at the stove Tuesday morning. Just for a second. The grief comes when it comes.

BBQ chicken on the grill. The standard Saturday. Sauce at the end so it doesn't burn.

Marcus, 21, studying for finals at Alabama. Jasmine, 18, home from Howard for the weekend.

Derek brought me coffee Sunday morning before service. That man.

I had a hard counseling case at school this week. A seventh-grade girl whose mama lost her job. We talked. I gave her my number. I told her she could call.

Thursday I made cornbread for a sister at church whose husband had surgery. I dropped it off at the hospital. She cried at the door. I told her, eat the cornbread, baby. The food is the saying.

Andre called from LA. He told the Kevin Hart story again. Twenty-some years and that boy is still telling that story. Everyone in this family is going to hear about Kevin Hart at our funerals.

The kids were home for the weekend. The house was loud the way it should be.

Daddy sat in his chair after dinner watching the news. He fell asleep before the third quarter. Standard.

Pastor preached about the prodigal son again. He preaches about that boy at least three times a year. The text is the text but every preaching is different. I cried in the second service this time. Don't ask me why.

I read for an hour Sunday night before bed. Some novel about a Black woman in 1960s Alabama. Mama would have liked it.

I went to the cemetery Saturday morning. Brenda's grave is on the hill at South-View. Curtis still goes most Sundays. I left a small bouquet of magnolias.

Miss Ernestine called Tuesday. She's ninety-something and sharp as ever. She told me my potato salad still needs more mustard.

I made a casserole for the church potluck. The pan came back empty. That is the only review I trust.

Derek and I had date night Friday. Same restaurant, same booth, same enchiladas for me and carne asada for him.

Wednesday Bible study at the church. We read through Proverbs. The women in my row argued about whether wisdom is built or born. I said both. They agreed, sort of.

Darnell sent a photo from Clarksville. The garden is producing. He grew tomatoes the size of softballs. I sent him back a photo of my sweet potato casserole. We are competitive about food now in our middle age.

Sunday service at New Birth this morning. The choir sang. I sang soprano in the second alto row. Pastor preached about Naomi and Ruth. The congregation said amen. I said amen.

The blood pressure check was Wednesday. The numbers were borderline. The doctor wants me to walk more. I am walking more.

I drove to the Walmart on Camp Creek Saturday morning. The kind of grocery run that takes two hours because you run into three people you know. Sister Patrice caught me in the produce. We talked about her grandbaby for fifteen minutes.

Saturday morning I had Set the Table at the Cascade Heights center. Twelve young women. We did baked chicken. One of them — Imani, sixteen — was so afraid of seasoning that she barely shook the salt. I stood next to her and put my hand over hers and said, baby, you cannot be afraid of food. We seasoned the chicken. The chicken came out right. She glowed.

Saturday at this house means BBQ chicken on the grill — sauce at the end so it doesn’t burn — and something good alongside it. Miss Ernestine may have opinions about my potato salad, but these Ranch Potato Cubes have never once come back uneaten, which is, as I said, the only review I trust. They’re the kind of side dish you put down on the table without ceremony and watch disappear before the third quarter. Simple, seasoned right, and exactly what a loud, full house deserves.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

2 lbs Yukon Gold or red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch cubes
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 packet (1 oz) dry ranch seasoning mix
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons fresh chives or flat-leaf parsley, chopped (optional, for garnish)

Instructions

Preheat oven. Heat oven to 425°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and set aside.
Season the potatoes. Place cubed potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle the ranch seasoning, garlic powder, black pepper, and smoked paprika over the top and toss again until every cube is evenly coated.
Spread and roast. Arrange the seasoned potato cubes in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, making sure they are not crowded. Roast for 30–35 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until the edges are golden and crispy and the centers are fork-tender.
Taste and finish. Remove from the oven. Taste and adjust salt if needed. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with fresh chives or parsley if desired.
Serve hot. These are best served straight from the oven alongside grilled or baked chicken. They hold their crisp for about 10 minutes on the table — after that, they’re still good, just quieter.

Nutrition (per serving)

Ranch Potato Cubes — The Saturday Standard Side