These crispy smashed potatoes are no joke. Once you’ve had a bite there’s no going back. It’s pretty much the best kind of potato side dish you could ever have – they’ve got the crispy goodness of french fries on the outside and the soft fluffiness of mashed potatoes on the inside. Couple that with a light touch of butter, salt, pepper and some fresh thyme, and it is absolute perfection. It’s so good, you’ll want to devour it all without a main dish!
These potatoes are also super easy to make. Boil until tender and easily pierced with a fork, then smash ’em, drizzle with olive oil and melted butter, sprinkle with salt and pepper and throw them in the oven until they are nice and crispy.
You don’t need to get fancy with how you smash them. I used the bottom of a glass since I don’t have an actual potato masher, but you could use anything you might have around the kitchen – even a spatula or spoon. Smash them until they’re about a 1/2 inch thick, and try to keep them in one piece.
The olive oil and butter really crisps up the skin and only a little salt and pepper is necessary to give each bite a burst of flavor. Now do your best to not eat them all before serving dinner. Enjoy!
- 2 pounds mixed baby potatoes (Yukon Gold, red, etc.)
- 1 Tablespoon kosher salt, plus addt’l for sprinkling
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add potatoes and 1 Tbsp. kosher salt to a medium saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. I like to cook mine just a few minutes longer to make sure they will smash easily.
- Drain and transfer potatoes to prepared baking sheet, spreading them out in a single layer. Using a heavy mug or glass, smash each potato to about ½-inch thickness. Drizzle on half the olive oil and melted butter then bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove potatoes from oven and turn each with a spatula. Drizzle with remaining olive oil and butter and continue baking for 20 minutes more.
- Once baked, sprinkle with chopped thyme, salt and pepper. Serve hot.
Ken says
July 31, 2015 at 5:03 pmThey look awesome – but where’s the bacon?
Senika @ Foodie Blog Stalker says
July 31, 2015 at 5:09 pmThese potatoes look amazing! Can’t wait to try them out. Love how they’re unique yet still “normal” enough to serve at a dinner party & everyone will enjoy!