Potatoes and salt are one of the most beautiful combinations on the planet. Add in some butter and herbs and you might have THE most beautiful flavor combination on the planet. To season the potatoes, we want plenty of salt along with a generous amount of dried garlic and herbs. I don’t suggest fresh garlic or fresh herbs as they can burn at high temperatures and leave you with unsightly bitter, black bits. Instead, we infuse our melted butter with salt, garlic powder, dried parsley, dried oregano, dried basil, dried thyme and pepper. The garlic herb butter seeps into the fleshy potatoes and drizzles down the skin to create buttery bliss. But it gets better… Once the garlic smashed potatoes are golden, we add about ¼ cup freshly, finely grated Parmesan Cheese. The salty, nutty Parmesan is the crowning glory on our crispy buttery – now cheesy, morsels. For the Parmesan, make sure you use FRESHLY, finely grated Parmesan, otherwise the chees won’t melt successfully or taste as irresistible. I find ¼ cup Parmesan to be the ideal amount, but feel free to use as little as 2 tablespoons or as much as ¾ cup – it is totally up to you how cheesy you like your Smashed Potatoes.
Seasoning Before Roasting Smash Potatoes
Salt: Potatoes and salt are one of the most beautiful combinations on the planet! This recipe calls for regular table salt. Butter: Use unsalted butter or the potatoes will be too salty, or reduce the salt in the recipe. The garlic herb butter seeps into the fleshy potatoes and drizzles down the skin to create buttery bliss. Garlic: Use garlic powder for this recipe. I don’t suggest fresh garlic because it can burn and become bitter. Herbs: Again, dried herbs are best otherwise the high roasting temperature will leave you with unsightly bitter, black bits. Instead, the melted butter is infused with dried parsley, dried oregano, dried basil, dried thyme and pepper. Parmesan: Once the garlic smashed potatoes are golden, we add about ¼ cup freshly, finely grated Parmesan Cheese. Take care to use FRESHLY, finely grated Parmesan, otherwise the cheese won’t melt successfully or taste as irresistible
Toppings After Baking Smash Potatoes
Garnish the smashed potatoes simply with fresh green onions or chives, or get elaborate with any toppings you would add to baked potatoes or make it a meal by adding meat! Here are some ideas:
Aromatics: Chives, green onions, parsley Dips: sour cream, Greek yogurt, tzatziki, French onion dip, spinach artichoke dip Dressings: ranch, blue cheese dressing, cilantro lime dressing, avocado ranch Meat: bacon, BBQ pulled pork, carnitas, carne asada Chicken: Greek chicken, Mexican chicken, buffalo chicken, chipotle chickee, lemon chicken, barbecue chicken Veggies: petite peas, tomatoes, roasted broccoli, roasted cauliflower, roasted bell peppers
It really is that easy, but here is a breakdown of all the steps so you will be a crispy Smashed Potatoes master (full recipe in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post):
STEP 1: WASH POTATOES
Even though we are going to be boiling the potatoes, we don’t want them boiling in dirty water!
STEP 2: BOIL POTATOES
Next, you want to add your potatoes to a large pot and fill with cold water. We don’t want to add the potatoes to boiling water because they will not cook evenly – you’ll likely end up with overcooked mushy outsides and under cooked insides. By bringing the water to a boil with the potatoes, we get evenly cooked potatoes every time. Cook your potatoes until fork tender – you might want to poke a few potatoes to ensure they are all cooked. It is okay if the potatoes split while testing for doneness or even while cooking because we are going to smash them anyway.
STEP 3: DRY POTATOES
Add your potatoes to a colander to drain. Pat dry with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. It is imperative that the skins be dry in order to achieve crispy potatoes. The dryer the potatoes – the crispier the smashed potatoes!
STEP 4: OIL AND SALT POTATOES
I am the only smashed potato recipe I’ve seen that oils and salts the outside of the smashed potatoes – and it makes a WORLD of difference! Just like you oil and salt the outside of Twice Baked Potatoes, we want to envelop the entire potato in deliciousness – not just the tops. The oil and salt also promote crispy skins that butter alone cannot.
STEP 5: SMASH POTATOES
You can use whatever is handy to smash the potatoes – a potato masher, fork or back of a glass, etc. When you smash the potatoes, be gentle – you want to push slowly so the skin splits but the rest of the potato stays intact. I have found ½” seems to be the right thickness. Keep in mind, thinner potatoes will be crispier because more of the potato skin is in contact with the hot baking sheet, whereas, thicker potatoes will be fluffier and not as crispy all over – your call!
STEP 6: BUTTER POTATOES
Drizzle potatoes evenly with herb butter mixture. If your potatoes are raised in the middle, it helps to push in the center with your finger, so the butter pools into the potatoes instead of off of them. If you have extra butter after you’ve spooned it over all of the potatoes, wait a few minutes for the potatoes to absorb the butter then coat again.
STEP 7: BAKE POTATOES
Bake potatoes for 30-40 minutes depending on size. You want the skin to be deeply golden which means crispier skins. Once the potatoes look done, add Parmesan and continue to bake until melted, about 2 minutes.
STEP 8: EAT SMASHD POTATOES!
Let the Smashed potatoes cool for 5 minutes or so, garnish with chives and dig in! To make ahead: Follow the recipe through flattening the potatoes. Let the potatoes cool completely, then cover the pan tightly with foil, or better yet, wrap the entire tray in plastic wrap a couple times. Refrigerate for up to 8 hours. You can also grate the Parmesan cheese and make the herb butter ahead of time and refrigerate. The herb butter will harden in the refrigerator, so simply microwave it when ready to use. Now all that’s left to complete your crispy Smashed Red Potatoes is to drizzle on the butter and bake!
add a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt, because creamy + crunchy is always a good idea. And bacon is always a good idea. You can also swap the Parmesan for cheddar, mozzarella or even brie. Get creative with the toppings such as broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms or even chicken or ground beef. Swap out the flavor profile and add some lemon and kick up the oregano. Swap the seasonings for ranch seasoning and use cheddar instead of Parmesan. Use Mexican seasonings, pepper jack or cheddar, tomatoes, avocados and/or dollops of sour cream, guacamole and green onions. Dip in ranch, ketchup or barbecue sauce (although they don’t need it!) And anything else you can dream up!
Use waxy potatoes: this Smashed Potatoes recipe will not work with starchy potatoes, like Russet potatoes, because the skin won’t crisp up. Instead, only use small waxy potatoes such as red potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes. Use freshly grated Parmesan: it melts much better and tastes far superior! Select uniform potatoes: the size is up to you based on the crispy skin to fluffy inside you prefer, but keep it uniform so the potatoes cook evenly. Don’t use fresh garlic: it is likely to burn leaving you with bitter, black bits. Add potatoes to cold water and then bring to a boil: this helps the potatoes cook evenly Cook your potatoes until fork tender: the more tender the potatoes, the easier they will be to smash. Dry the potatoes well after cooking: the dryer the potatoes, the crispier the Smashed Potatoes! Don’t ignore the outside of the potatoes: oiling and salting the outside of the potatoes promotes crispier skin and adds flavor. Don’t break the potatoes in half: press gently and slowly to split the top of the potato but not the bottom! Bake the potatoes long enough: look for deeply golden potato skins which means crispy skins!
Smash Potatoes Recipe Storage
What to Serve with this Smash Potatoes Recipe
Brown Sugar Glazed Ham Baked Ham with Cider Maple Glaze Thanksgiving Turkey Nashville Hot Chicken Oven “Fried” Chicken Slow Cooker Barbecue Ribs Slow Cooker Beef Brisket Beef Brisket Sandwiches Spice Rubbed Steaks with Herb Butter Pan Seared Steak with Balsamic Herb Cream Sauce Mom’s Pot Roast Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches Lemon Garlic Butter Salmon Anything and EVERYTHING!
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