Perfect for your Easter brunch or dinner, these Mini Pommes Anna (potato stacks), are pretty and tasty. Flavoured with garlic, thyme and butter, they are a treat. And, they can be made ahead!
I love potatoes, in pretty much any shape or form, but when they are tasty AND pretty, well that’s a bonus! These mini potato stacks are known as Pommes Anna, usually baked up in one large cake, but in this case, in to a dozen mini cakes. They bake up easily in a muffin tin.
These would be perfect for Easter brunch or dinner. You can do the first bake ahead, then refrigerate and do the final bake when you’re ready to eat. See the Cook’s Notes below the recipe for more tips on this recipe.
Cook’s Notes for Mini Pommes Anna
You’ll want to use a waxy potato for these, such as yellow fleshed Yukon gold potatoes. Look for smaller potatoes. You don’t want them any larger than the top diameter of the muffin cup opening (so they all will lay flat).
When layering your potatoes, your finished stacks will look prettiest if you place a well buttered small round potato slice evenly over the thyme sprig on the bottom, so the thyme is “framed” by the potato. After that, just layer, keeping one edge of each slice tucked right up to the side of the muffin cup and overlapping, until you fill to the muffin cup edge (don’t stack potatoes in one layer straight up). I usually start with the smallest rounds at the bottom (where it’s smallest) and working up to the larger slices for the wider top.
Watch during the final 8-10 minute bake when your stacks are thyme side down. The underneath will brown up, but you don’t want it to get too brown, so maybe take a peek at the 6 minute mark or so and check on them.
It would be tough to slice the potatoes evenly thin without a mandoline, so that’s really suggested. You’d need a steady hand and lots of patience to do it by hand.
Don’t skimp on the garlic or the salt in these potatoes. Both add great flavour (especially the salt!).
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Mini Pommes Anna
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 12 small fresh thyme springs
- 2 tsp coarse chopped thyme leaves
- 1 cloves large garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 lb small waxy yellow-fleshed potatoes* (Yukon Gold)
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350° F.
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In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Brush 12 muffin cups generously with butter. Place 1 thyme sprig in center of each muffin cup.
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Add chopped thyme and garlic to remaining butter in saucepan and stir over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
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Using a mandoline, slice potatoes crosswise into very thin rounds (1/16"-ish). Place in a large bowl. Pour herb butter over potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Toss well to coat.
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Divide potato slices among muffin cups, layering overlapping slices to create a circular pattern. When the muffin cup is filled to the rim, press down lightly with a fork to compact. Drizzle any remaining butter in bowl over potatoes.
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Cover muffin tins tightly with aluminum foil. Place muffin tin(on a baking sheet and bake in preheated oven until potatoes can be easily pierced with a knife, about 35 minutes. Remove foil.
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Prepare another baking sheet by lining with parchment paper. Invert muffin tins onto prepared sheet, banging it a bit to loosen potatoes. If any potatoes/thyme has stuck to the muffin tins, gently use a butter knife to loosen and place on potato stacks. [IF MAKING AHEAD, STOP HERAllow potatoes to cool a bit, then cover baking sheet with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Proceed with rest of recipe when ready.]
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Increase oven temperature to 425° [If you made ahead, remove baking sheet with potatoes, remove plastic wrap and preheat oven to 425° F., allowing potatoes to sit at room temperature while oven heats]. Place into 425° oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully using a spatula, flip potato stacks over (thyme side dowand bake for another 8-10 minutes, until under-side is nice and golden. Remove from oven and flip thyme-side-up to serve. [If you made ahead and your potatoes were cold/room temperature when they went in to the oven, you may need a few minutes longer on each side.]
Do you know if I can freeze these for a few weeks before doing the final cooking?
Hi Sherri, I don’t know from personal experience, but potatoes tend to freeze pretty well, so I suspect it would work.
You have a beautiful blog! Cheers!
Thanks very much :)
These are absolutely stunning, Jennifer! They are going straight on my Easter menu! Love them!
Thanks so much, Julia :)
These are so wonderful – simple but elegant, with a beautiful presentation and I can only image how delicious! I would love to have these on our Easter table – perfect for breakfast lunch or dinner! Thanks Jennifer – sharing :)
Thanks so much, Tricia and huge congrats on your beautiful new grandbaby :)
Thanks Laura :)
What mouthwatering stacks! I adore the thyme and sea salt topping!
I love potatoes in any form too!! This recipe is super delicious sounding and just makes potatoes THAT much more awesome!
Thanks Katrina. We really enjoy these!
They sound wonderful Jennifer and oh, how pretty they are!!
Thanks Mary Ann!
Gahh! I’m obsessed. These are SO pretty!
Thanks so much, Jennifer :)
I literally just purchased a bag of russet potatoes (Idaho I believe) Do you think these would cook up well if I choose the smaller ones from my lot? How essential is the “waxy” skin?
Oh gosh, Melissa. I have never made these with russets, but my gut tell me they would cook up too soft and not hold their shape. As much as I would love to tell you to use what you have, I would hate you to make these and have mush on a plate.
My potato version of heaven is on your blog right now. These look just stunning!
Thanks so much, Sarah :)
I want a whole tray of these, right now — I love the little baked on thyme leaves :)
Thanks Sue. And I have to say, beyond a great side dish, these make really nice snacks :)
Cute and delicious!
Thanks John!
These are beautiful!! Definitely the prettiest potatoes I’ve ever seen, I’m sure they taste fabulous too.
Thanks so much, Sara :) They were delicious. Lots of garlic!
Pretty/cute food totally tastes better! I love when potatoes are prepared this way. I had no idea they were called “pommes anna”!
Thanks Liz. And yes, pommes anna is usually done in one big round of layered potatoes. It’s good, too, but mini and pretty wins in my book, too :)
Oh my goodness, these are so beautiful Jennifer. I love the little herb decoupage, so creative!
Thanks Chris :)
Who doesn’t love potatoes? Especially beautiful ones like these! Love that you made pommes anna mini, Jennifer!! Anything mini makes me swoon and I am loving that these can be made ahead! So perfect for Easter! Cheers, friend!
Thanks Cheyanne :)