Simple Saucy Potatoes

Pioneer Day week. July 24th on a Wednesday this year, and we did the traditional parade, potato salad, and evening gathering. Gary's family came over and we had the yard full of kids and cousins and the particular noise of a summer holiday that sounds like belonging.

I always use Pioneer Day to reflect on what I'm building — a habit I started in my grief years when the holiday's themes of journeying and establishment felt resonant in ways I didn't ask for. This year the reflection felt different: not about surviving, not about endurance, but about what I've made and what it means.

My workshops have reached several hundred people now — I've started keeping a rough count in a notebook. The YouTube channel is at 97,000 subscribers. The Provo pantry sessions have become a real partnership with Debra. The Jefferson Elementary series finished successfully and Beverly is already planning the fall iteration. And the private lessons are becoming a quiet Tuesday-morning practice I look forward to.

Gary found me writing in the notebook on the porch after everyone left and asked what I was working on. I told him I was counting. He sat down and I showed him the notebook. He looked at the numbers for a long time and said, "Michelle. This is remarkable." Not proud-of-you remarkable. Just: this is a remarkable thing that exists. I agreed. It is.

Gary's corn on the grill, my potato salad, Kara's lemon bars, fireworks over the school and Noah asleep before they finished because he is six and the world is just exactly this full.

Gary’s corn was on the grill, Kara had her lemon bars covered, and my job — as it has been every Pioneer Day for years now — was the potatoes. This recipe is the one I come back to every single time: nothing fussy, nothing that needs tending while you’re watching six-year-olds chase each other across the lawn, just good honest potatoes in a savory sauce that somehow tastes like exactly the right thing when you’re sitting outside with people you love, counting what you’ve built.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 30 min | Total Time: 40 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

3 lbs baby red potatoes, halved
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

Boil the potatoes. Place halved potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold salted water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook 12–15 minutes until just fork-tender. Drain and set aside.
Build the sauce. In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil and butter together until butter melts. Add garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant. Whisk in chicken broth, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, and onion powder. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer.
Coat the potatoes. Add the drained potatoes to the skillet and toss well to coat in the sauce. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 8–10 minutes until the sauce reduces slightly and clings to the potatoes.
Season and finish. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Remove from heat, scatter with fresh parsley, and transfer to a serving dish.
Serve warm. These hold well at room temperature for up to an hour, making them ideal for outdoor gatherings and holiday spreads.

Nutrition (per serving)

Simple Saucy Potatoes — The Side That Shows Up Every Pioneer Day