Hi! I'm a potato person and I'm back with another potato fiend recipe. Nothing gives me more comfort than potatoes - of any kind - filling my belly. And yes, I realize crispy smashed potatoes have been done nearly to death on the internet. Everyone thinks they have the best magical way to get the potatoes as crispy as possible. There is really no secret here. A combination of olive oil and butter is really the only way to get them crispy. All butter will burn and all olive oil isn't enough to crisp them. It must be a combo of the two. There. Secret revealed. Let's move on.
Smashing things can be good for you
The reason I'm making this recipe is simply because I had never made them before this blog post. This seems impossible given my well-known addiction to all things potatoes. Yet there I was, alone in the world one day, dreaming of potatoes (of course). I was listening to comedians on Pandora and one of my favorite bits, by Paul F. Tompkins, was playing. It's a hilarious story about those smashed pennies you can get at a carnival. One of the lines is, "I hate pennies, I love smashing things." Since my whole life is food these days as I'm building this website, "smashing things" reverberated in my brain.
Right out of the oven and I couldn't stop eating them! Don't forget the fixin's!
Smashed potatoes: I have to make them. That was the message I received from the universe. And I always follow messages from the universe that involve potatoes. Crispy smashed potatoes are a perfect anytime food. You can make them as a snack, a side dish or a brunch offering. They are versatile and totally low maintenance to make! You can choose from many toppings. I went with a loaded mini potato skin vibe with chives, scallion, sour cream and bacon bits!
If you're looking for other yummy snacky treats, you simply must try my Fancy French Fries with Garlic Butter and Parmesan or my Crispy Thai Pork Toast.
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The Best Crispy Smashed Potatoes with all the Fixin's
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 65 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
Description
These loaded mini potato skins are off the hook! The best crispy smashed potatoes recipe and an absolute necessity for your next gathering!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds of little potatoes (see note #1)
- 6-7 slices of bacon
- ¼ cup chopped chives
- ¼ cup chopped scallions
- ¼ to ½ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Note: Watch my step-by-video and follow along while you make them!
- After you’ve washed your little potatoes, put them in a pot of water and set the heat to high. It should take about 25 minutes for the potatoes to be soft and smashable. I truly do not believe that salting the potato water matters so I don’t do this.
- While the potatoes are cooking you should make the bacon then set it aside to cool.
- Chop the chives and set aside.
- Chop the scallions and set aside.
- When potatoes are fully cooked, strain them and let them sit to cool for 5 minutes or so.
- Once potatoes are cooled put them on a large sheet pan. Use a fork to smash them. (video show this well). I tried using a spatula previously and the potato sticks to the bottom of spatula and make a mess.
- Melt olive oil and butter in a small pan.
- Use a pastry brush and generously coat the smashed potatoes with the olive oil/butter combination. If there is any left over, just brush around the potatoes between the rows.
- Season the smashed potatoes with salt and pepper to taste. A light sprinkling will do.
- Cook in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for about 40-45 minutes. All ovens are different so just keep your eye on them – your oven may take more or less time to cook them. You do not need to turn these potatoes at any point. Just leave them be.
- While the potatoes are cooking, you’re bacon should be cooled down by now and you can chop it into small bits to sprinkle on your smashed potatoes.
- Put your sour cream into a small bowl and set it out with your scallions, chives and bacon.
- When the potatoes are finished cooking – serve immediately. I put the fixin’s out and everyone can load up however they want. Enjoy!
Notes
I used a small bag from “The Little Potato Company” for this. It was a combination of Yukon and Red Bliss potatoes and worked well. Most grocery stores have a couple of options for the tiny potatoes.
My bag contained 23 potatoes.
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