Recipe - Smashed Red Potatoes

Do you ever get tired of the same old potatoes?  My usual summertime staple for serving with grilled steaks or chicken is Dutch Oven Potatoes when we have company. But recently I've been seeing lots of recipes for something called Smashed Potatoes, a crispy roasted potato side dish which seemed right up my alley.  I found you can make them a variety of ways and using different types of potatoes, but the most common is red potatoes. Since our garden potatoes aren't quite ready, I had to buy mine, and they were a bit larger than I would have liked (although no one was complaining).  I put my own spin on them by adding bacon, cheese, and chives, and they turned out really great--and very easy too!  I served mine with a delicious pre-seasoned grilled beef tenderloin and a zesty spiralized cucumber salad with Olive Garden dressing.  See last week's post about spiralizing HERE.  Find pictures and simple instructions for my Loaded Smashed Potatoes below.  I love that these potatoes can be made ahead of time, then finished up while the meat grills. By the way, here's the salad.  It has spiralized garden cucumbers and orange cherry tomatoes, red onion, avocado, diced peperoncinis, black olives, and Parmesan, all tossed in Olive Garden Dressing (available at Sam's Club).

NOTE:  I'm sorry to say that I need to take the next two weeks off from Savings for Sisters.  I have some family obligations that will keep me from having new posts ready.  Perhaps some of you may enjoy browsing some of the older recipes (click on the various headings along the right side of this page). Then watch for Savings for Sisters #190 on Tuesday, August 30.  See you then!

Loaded Smashed Potatoes

You need one large or two small potatoes per person.  Wash well and remove any eyes or blemishes as desired.

Place in a large pot and add a couple spoonfuls of salt.

Cover with cold water and bring slowly to a simmer on medium heat until done right to the middle (check with toothpick).  Don't boil hard or they will fall apart--just simmer gently.

Drain and set aside to cool for 10 minutes or so. 

Drizzle a cookie sheet with olive (or other) oil.

Brush evenly over surface.  You need quite a bit so the potatoes won't stick.

One at a time, smash the potatoes with a potato masher (or the palm of your hand with a clean towel between your hand and the potato).

Push down hard.  If the pieces it smashes into are quite large and chunky, use a fork to break the potato up a bit more. 

Using a pancake turner, transfer the potatoes carefully onto the prepared cookie sheet. 

Melt some butter.  For these six potatoes I used about a half stick.

Drizzle butter over the potatoes.  If it doesn't seem like enough because your potatoes are big, just melt some more.  You want enough they will crisp up nicely in the oven. 

After adding the butter, salt and pepper the potatoes generously.  I like to use coarse Kosher salt and coarse grind black pepper. 

Now cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready for them. 

Get your toppings ready after the potatoes are in the fridge.  First, cook up some bacon.  I like to do this in the oven.  See my instructions for easy oven bacon HERE.  (Scroll to the bottom of the German Pancake post).

I wanted to use chives for my potatoes because I always have them in the summer . . . 

However, the potatoes would be every bit as good with sliced green onions.  Here are my chives. 

I wash and dry them, then snip them up with my scissors. 

Now they're all ready for my potatoes.  Shred up some cheese (unless you have a bag of pre-shredded), and cut the bacon into small pieces (I also like to do this with my scissors!) 

Cover and put in fridge.  It's great to be able to get things ready ahead of time so that the work is over when the party starts!

About 30 minutes before time to eat, place the potatoes in a 450 oven and bake to the desired amount of crispness.  If they've been in the fridge, it may take a bit longer.  Here's how mine looked when I pulled them out.  You can go even crispier if you like. 

Sprinkle with cheese, bacon, and chives (or green onions), in that order. 

Now return to the oven for another five minutes.

Using a big spatula, lift them carefully off the cookie sheet and on to each person's plate.