Smashed Potatoes, A Smashing Success
Jamie and I love happy hours so whenever she comes home we usually throw together a couple impromptu gatherings. Drinks and finger foods are part of our MO. Half the fun is perusing cookbooks or the Internet looking for yummies for our casual soirees. Jamie came across a recipe for Smashed Potatoes on the site Damn Delicious…uh-oh, boil em’, mash em’ stick em’ in a stew. It’s like Pavlov’s Dogs, mention potatoes and I immediately parrot Sam-Wise Gamgee. Drives my family crazy.
Back to the recipe, very easy and very tasty. We like getting a variety of potatoes, reds, golds, purple all about 2 inches, you know, not too big, not too small. but just right The potatoes are boiled until tender. Removed and smooshed with a potato masher (you could probably use a fork) until flattened. The spuds are seasoned with garlic, thyme, salt and pepper then drizzled with olive oil. Place in oven for about 20 minutes to crisp and voila’, potatoes with soft and creamy centers and crispy edges. Serve with sour cream if you like. So, so, good. So, so, simple.
We had pancetta in the fridge, so we added a generous sprinkle of it over the smooshed potatoes before baking. You can use rosemary in place of thyme, bacon instead of pancetta, butter instead of olive oil, sprinkle with parmesan, whatever your imagination dreams up. A combination I plan to try includes smoky paprika and rosemary with a squeeze of lemon, Damn Delicious posted a new riff, Crispy Dijon Smashed Potatoes. Can’t wait to try it!
So next time you need a tasty bite, try these smashed potatoes. Added bonus, they’re gluten free, dairy free if you don’t use cheese and a perfect vegetarian dish if you skip the pancetta/bacon. Delicious!
Smashed Potatoes, with Garlic and Herbs
Ingredients
- 18-24 small potatoes yukon, reds, purples or a mix washed and scrubbed clean
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- Finely diced pancetta or bacon optional
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- Lightly oil a baking sheet or line with parchment. Put a couple of squeezes of oil on the parchment
- In a large pot of boiling water, cook potatoes until tender, about 15-20 minutes; drain well.
- Place potatoes onto the prepared baking sheet. Using a potato masher or fork, carefully smash the potatoes until flattened but still in one piece.
- Top with olive oil, garlic and thyme. (Combine minced garlic and thyme with oil and drizzle on potatoes)
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper and pancetta!
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp.
- Serve immediately.