These potatoes are so good, you can’t put them down. Now, full disclosure, I would eat these for breakfast, lunch or dinner. I’d serve them to company. I could eat a pan by myself. They’re just that addictive.
They’re crispy.
They’re loaded with veggies and bacon.
They’re practically jumping off the pan with herby flavor.
Sdkljsdflkjsdfeiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee (Note, that was our new kitten Rosie chiming in. She’s quite the connoisseur of all things food, so she had to walk on the keyboard to let you know how enthusiastic she would be to try these. If we’d let her. Which we won’t, because, onions. But, she really was sniffing the air greedily when I pulled these out of the oven.)
Speaking of greedy, that’s how I am with our itty bitty potatoes from our CSA. They’re small elegant little creamers and absolutely a few times a year treat. No other potatoes compare to these little beauties that we get over the summer. So, to keep them as long as possible I have a big paper grocery bag in the darkest corner of the living room with a few pounds that I’ve hoarded to at least get us through October.
Hey, I’m a potato hoarder and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Tips for Making Smashed Potatoes:
Go for small potatoes.
I’ve tried to make these with medium sized red potatoes and Yukon golds. It doesn’t work. They don’t “smash” as much as they “implode into weird pieces.”
Small is good.
Use a decent sized sheet pan.
These bad boys need to breathe in order to crisp up. So, pull out a big sheet pan fitted with parchment. That makes clean up easier. Unless you’re my fancy friend Kelee who has a dishwasher. Fancy pants!
Go for the spices.
You want generous amounts of spices on these. Potatoes can take a lot of flavor, so let them revel in it. Also, the secret to these potatoes isn’t just that they’re brushed with oil and spices, there’s white wine vinegar in there too. (Thanks for the idea, Mom!)
- Boil the potatoes in heavily salted water. Drain, and place on the parchment lined sheet pan. Smoosh them down with a glass, or a small measuring cup.
- Brush them with spiced up olive oil, and bake them for 35-40 minutes.
- When they’re crispy, top them with veggies, bacon, and cheese. Bake until cheese is melted.
Serving tip. Reserve some of the spiced oil, and swirl it into plain Greek yogurt for a delicious dipping sauce.
Other Toppings That Are Worth Hoarding Potatoes For:
Pickled jalapenos and scallions with pepper jack. (Oh, yeah.)
Cooked crumbled sausage and bell peppers with provolone. (Oh my.)
Blue cheese, bacon and chives. (C’mon, Son!)
Here are some other potato recipes you might dig.
Braised Potatoes with Butter Chive Sauce
Potato, Turnip Green, Cheddar, Thyme Tart
Baby Potato, Corn, and Zucchini Chowder
Italian Smashed Potatoes
Serves 2.
Ingredients:
10 small creamer potatoes
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon lemon pepper
½ cup quartered or halved cherry tomatoes
3 slices cooked bacon, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons diced red onion
½ cup shredded mozzarella
2 tablespoons roughly chopped basil
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Fit a piece of parchment into a large, rimmed baking sheet.
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil.
Boil the potatoes for 12-15 minutes, or until fork tender.
Drain, and place on prepared baking sheet.
Use a flat-bottomed glass to flatten the potatoes.
In a small bowl whisk together the oil, vinegar, oregano, basil, salt and pepper.
Brush the oil on the potatoes.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until crisp.
Remove from the oven and top with tomatoes, onion, bacon, and cheese.
Bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
Top with basil.
(Photos by Launie Kettler)