Crispy Smashed Potatoes
What are dreams made of? Mine do involve, crispy potatoes, garlicky and cheesy goodness.. voila here we have my dream. If you are used to roasting potatoes, you should level up and try the smashing which is both easier and a lot tastier technique! It makes the potatoes unbelievably crispy while still leaving the center buttery and tender.. yummm. This recipe is all about the technique of smashing, so once you master this feel free to swap out the garlic/cheese for other herbs or spices to switch it up.. potatoes work with almost everything!
- 1 pound potatoes (should be a smaller one that you could leave unpeeled)
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 425°F/220C. In a large pot, cover potatoes with water and add a generous pinch of salt. Bring water to a boil and simmer until potatoes are tender which normally takes about 15 minutes. Drain the water and let sit until cool enough to handle.
On a large baking sheet, toss the potatoes with melted butter, garlic, and thyme. Now its time for the fun part, smashing; Using bottom of a small glass or a jar, press down on potatoes to smash them flat.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, then sprinkle with a good amount of Parmesan.
Bake until potatoes are beginning to crisp and the Parmesan on top is golden, about 25 minutes. Enjoy!
- Use potatoes with high starch content, which will make them fluffy and creamy when smashed.
- Don't overcook the potatoes. They should be tender when pierced with a fork, but not mushy.
- Let the potatoes cool slightly before smashing them. This will help prevent them from sticking to your hands.
- Use a heavy-bottomed skillet or baking dish to cook the potatoes. This will help them to brown evenly.
- Get creative with your toppings. Sour cream, chives, bacon bits, and cheese are all popular choices.
Here are some popular variations of smashed potatoes:
- Loaded smashed potatoes: Top with sour cream, bacon bits, cheese, and chives.
- Garlic smashed potatoes: Add minced garlic to the potatoes before smashing them.
- Cheddar and bacon smashed potatoes: Add shredded cheddar cheese and crumbled bacon to the potatoes before smashing them.
- Truffle smashed potatoes: Add truffle oil and grated Parmesan cheese to the potatoes before smashing them.