When the garden is slowing down and the evenings begin to hint at fall, a simple baked supper like this feels right at home on the table. Using pantry-friendly cans of traditional bone-in pink salmon with their juices, along with just a few honest ingredients, makes a thrifty Midwestern-style meal that is hearty, filling, and wonderfully unfussy. The salmon bakes right alongside the potatoes, and those rich juices help season the whole pan in a way that reminds me of the kind of practical home cooking that kept families well fed for generations.
This dish is especially nice with a crisp cabbage slaw, buttered green beans, or a plate of sliced late-summer tomatoes. If you want to stretch the meal a bit, a basket of warm rolls or cornbread fits right in, and a spoonful of sour cream or a squeeze of lemon at the table brightens the salmon and potatoes beautifully.
4-Ingredient Oven Baked Labor Day Bone-In Salmon
Servings: 4
Ingredients
2 undrained cans traditional bone-in pink salmon, about 14.75 ounces each
2 pounds small unpeeled potatoes, cut into bite-size pieces
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly butter or grease a large oven-safe roasting pan.
2. Spread the cut unpeeled potatoes evenly in the roasting pan and drizzle them with the melted butter. Sprinkle with the salt and toss gently to coat.
3. Open the cans of salmon and spoon the salmon with all of its juices over the potatoes. Break the salmon into large chunks and distribute it across the pan.
4. Bake uncovered for 40 to 50 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the edges are turning golden. If you like, gently stir once halfway through so the potatoes soak up the salmon juices more evenly.
5. Serve hot straight from the pan, spooning a little of the buttery salmon juices over each portion.
Variations & Tips
Add black pepper: If you do not mind counting one more pantry staple at the table, a good shake of black pepper over the potatoes before baking gives the dish a little more backbone without taking away from its plain, comforting nature.
For crisper potatoes: Spread the potatoes in as even a layer as you can and avoid crowding the pan. If the potatoes are piled too deeply, they will steam more than roast.
About the bones: The soft bones in canned pink salmon are fully cooked and edible. They mash right into the fish during baking and add both texture and old-fashioned goodness, so there is no need to pick them out unless you prefer to.
Add onion if you like: A sliced onion tucked in with the potatoes is a fine old farm kitchen addition. It is not part of the four-ingredient idea, but it brings a little sweetness as the pan roasts.
Make it a little richer: A small pat of butter melted over each serving at the table makes this especially satisfying when the weather begins to cool and you want supper to feel just a little more generous.