Smashed Red Potatoes
Yield: 40 appetizers or 4-6 side dish servings
Cook Time: About 40 minutes
Tips: To help potatoes smash more evenly, make a few small vertical slits around sides of potatoes with a pointed paring or steak knife (optional).
Suggestion: May be served as an appetizer or side dish.
Smashed Red Potatoes can be served as a side dish or as a tasty vegetable appetizer, and are very easy to make. This recipe features small baby red potatoes that have been baked in a hot oven until soft. The potatoes are then coated with some olive oil and smashed down to the size of
small cookies. A mixture of melted butter, sautéed garlic and fresh thyme leaves is then drizzled over the tops of the smashed potatoes, seeping into the cracks and openings created by the smashing. The potatoes are then seasoned with some salt and pepper and roasted again just long enough to make them brown and crispy. If you would like your potatoes to smash more uniformly, retaining more of a rounded shape, using a sharp paring or steak knife, poke a few small vertical slits all around the sides of the potatoes (about 4-5 small slits). This allows the potatoes to crack more evenly around the sides when you smash them. If you are pressed for time or are not overly concerned about how your potatoes will look after smashing, you can certainly skip this step (they are delicious no matter what shape they take!). A tip for removing thyme leaves from the stems: Holding one stem at a time, squeeze two fingers on the stem and pull in the opposite direction the leaves grow. The leaves will easily peel off.
Recipe▼
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. small red potatoes (1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (without stems)
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 500° F.
Rinse and gently scrub potatoes. Place potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour 3/4 cup water into the baking sheet and tightly cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes or until potatoes poke easily through the aluminum foil with with a sharp pointed knife or tines of a fork. Remove aluminum foil and blot any remaining water in pan dry with a paper towel.
While potatoes are cooling, melt butter in a sauce pan. As soon as butter is melted, add garlic and sauté until light golden brown (about 1 minute). Remove from heat and stir in thyme.
Optional step: Using a small pointed knife (such as a paring or steak knife), poke about 4-5 small vertical slits around sides of potatoes (this helps potatoes to smash more evenly). Drizzle oil over the potatoes, rolling the potatoes to coat. Evenly space potatoes on baking sheet. Using another baking sheet, press down firmly over potatoes, flattening potatoes until they are 3/8 to 1/2-inch thick (alternatively, a potato masher or flat bottom of a drinking glass may be used, smashing one potato at a time).
Spoon butter, garlic and thyme mixture over potatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Return potatoes to oven (uncovered) and bake for another 5-10 minutes or just until potatoes and garlic are lightly browned (be careful not to burn garlic). Serve immediately.
Rinse and gently scrub potatoes. Place potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour 3/4 cup water into the baking sheet and tightly cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes or until potatoes poke easily through the aluminum foil with with a sharp pointed knife or tines of a fork. Remove aluminum foil and blot any remaining water in pan dry with a paper towel.
While potatoes are cooling, melt butter in a sauce pan. As soon as butter is melted, add garlic and sauté until light golden brown (about 1 minute). Remove from heat and stir in thyme.
Optional step: Using a small pointed knife (such as a paring or steak knife), poke about 4-5 small vertical slits around sides of potatoes (this helps potatoes to smash more evenly). Drizzle oil over the potatoes, rolling the potatoes to coat. Evenly space potatoes on baking sheet. Using another baking sheet, press down firmly over potatoes, flattening potatoes until they are 3/8 to 1/2-inch thick (alternatively, a potato masher or flat bottom of a drinking glass may be used, smashing one potato at a time).
Spoon butter, garlic and thyme mixture over potatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Return potatoes to oven (uncovered) and bake for another 5-10 minutes or just until potatoes and garlic are lightly browned (be careful not to burn garlic). Serve immediately.
