This cheesy smashed potatoes recipe is an IRRESISTABLE, oven roast, of melted cheese and CRISPY BACON over tender CRUNCHY baby potatoes!
Crispy Smashed Potatoes
Let me introduce you to your new favorite way to fork tender potatoes with crispy outsides! These baby potatoes are a very easy recipe and the perfect side dish.
Potato recipes are always good no matter how you make them really. From the best roast oven roasted potatoes, Crispy Baked Hasselback Potatoes and Air Fryer Potatoes they are all good.
Serve them plain, with sour cream, simple black pepper, cheese, bacon, take your pick. See below why this is the best way to make this cheesy smashed potatoes recipe.
What Are Smashed Potatoes?
Smashed potatoes are baby potatoes that are first boiled to make them soft, then smashed down and roasted. That's it!
You can turn the oven to grill (broil) for the last few minutes to get them even more crispy if you want, but you'll have to check that they don't burn.
Solid Reasons To Love These Smashed Pototoes
- EASY: This will be your new favorite way to make roast potatoes! Even if you are a novice in the kitchen, you can make these. Smash potatoes - Think about it, there's no right or wrong way to smash a potato, plus the recipe uses simple ingredients.
- DELICIOUS: Did I mention that we use melted butter and olive oil in the bake? We do, butter alone will burn.
- HEALTHY: Potatoes are rich in Vitamin C, potassium, and a decent source of fiber, especially with the skin kept on. They are also low in calories and a safe option for those seeking low-fat foods.
- VERSATILE: Gluten and dairy free customizable.
Ultra crispy and delicious, cheesy smashed potatoes recipe, with bacon!
The ingredients you'll need are small potatoes, olive oil, butter, salt, and pepper, bacon and cheese. There are different types and preferences of cheese, but for this recipe, we’ll use gouda cheese because it melts so well, or cheddar cheese. Parmesan cheese is also a frequent go-to option. Chopped fresh parsley is optional. It can adds extra flavor to your meal with a garnished finish.
How To Make Cheesy Smashed Potatoes Recipe
You can find the full recipe in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Prep
Start by washing the potatoes to remove any dirt. In this recipe, we leave the potato skins on.
Step 2: Cook
Bring a large pot of water to the boil, add salt and the potatoes. Cook for 25 minutes or until fork tender. Cooking time will vary i.e. size and type dependent. We are using baby potatoes also known as new potatoes.
Step 3: Drain
Drain the potatoes in a colander over the sink and place the colander back over the now empty pot. Cover, let them steam finish for about 5 minutes or so.
Step 4: Smash The Potatoes
Use a potato masher or fork, you will get a feel for what works best for you, some people use a glass too. Gently press down on the potoes giving them a decent smash but remember we are making 'smashed potatoes' not mashed potatoes. There's a difference!
For great mashed potatoes, use my Buttery Mashed Potatoes Recipe.
Step 5: Season
Season with salt and pepper, we are keeping the seasoning basic because we have more than enough flavor from the remaining ingredients. Pour the melted butter over and bake .
Step 6: Bake
We bake these for 25 minutes in a preheated oven, then remove them, add the bacon and cheese and continue baking for another 15 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
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Why we don't add the bacon and cheese from the beginning? To avoid the bacon over crisping and drying out.
Tip! You can pull the potatoes out halfway through, add the bacon, back for 10 minutes, pull them out, add the cheese and continue roasting till melted. This is purely because you end up with crispy bacon yet soft not over crispy. See what works for you.
Step 7: Serve and Enjoy
Your cheesy smashed potatoes are ready! Wait for a while for them to cool, and you're ready to go. Your cheesy smashed potatoes can either act as a side dish or as a satisfying snack or meal.
Recipe Notes
Grill/Broil: If the potatoes are not as crispy as you want, then turn the grill on. In South Africa, a grill is the top heating element inside the oven that browns the top of your food. Also known as a broiler or 'to broil' in America and possibly other names in other countries.
Cooking: Ovens are all different so when you take the potatoes out to add bacon and cheese, is a good time to see which side of the potatoes are browning quicker. In which case, rotate the oven tray for overall browning.
Prep: I would not suggest peeling the pototoes for a smashed potato recipe. You need the skin to hold the potato together. Besides, it has many benefits as well as additional texture and flavor to the meal.
What to use to smash potatoes? A fork, an egglifter, the bottom of a glass whatever works. Personally, I find that a fork gives me leverage on creating an opening on the flesh as opposed to flat but not open. Helps with the nestling of the bacon and crisps up better.
Want to make these smashed potatoes without bacon and cheese? Salt, pepper, olive oil and butter. Images below of another simple approach to these with a cooking time of 25 minutes to cook the potatoes and 35 to 40 minutes baking.
Serving Ideas For Cheesy Potatoes
Serve them with your favorite dipping sauce.
Serve with chicken breast, air fryer roast chicken, oven roast chicken, Steak, Air fryer pork belly, and so much more. Salad ideas can range from something simple like cucumber & red onion, tomato & cucumber to a more filling salad like Mediterranean salad. Dont forget that you can also serve these wonderful smashed potatoes with salmon and veg, fish, roasted vegetables and or an additional side dish of roasted tomatoes. Both air fryer and oven roast recipes.
Recipe Tips For Make Ahead Smashed Potatoes
- Grate your own cheese and store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Chop the bacon if not already diced, you can use either.
- Boil the potatoes as per the recipe up until the 'steam dry' only this time, leave them until properly cooled. Place in an airtight container overnight in the fridge. Next day, take them out to reach room temperature.
- Preheat the oven and continue the recipe.
Equipment
Large baking sheet or small for two people
Potato masher or fork
Variations of Cheesy Smashed Potatoes
There are many ways to make these potatoes, see below for ideas.
- Crispy garlic butter parmesan smashed potatoes
- Salt and pepper smashed potatoes
- Cheesy mashed potatoes, any cheese or a combination.
- Fresh rosemary and garlic smashed potatoes
- Add herbs infused in oil with shallots
- Make them spicy with dried chili flakes, fresh chili or spice powders.
More Potato Recipes
- Buttery Mashed Potatoes
- Potato Salad
- Crispy Sliced Spiral Potatoes
- Air Fryer Potatoes
- Roast Chicken and Potatoes
- Crispy Spicy Baked Potato Wedges
- Sweet Potato Chimichurri Bowl
STORAGE AND REHEATING
Store any leftover potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge and remove them from the fridge to thaw before reheating in the microwave or oven. They will be good for a day or two but the quality does drop afte that.
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Deliciously Cheesy Crispy Smashed Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 kilo/2.2lb approxiamtely 20 baby potatoes, skin on, left whole
- 40 grams butter, melted (3 tbsps)
- salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, use your hands or a pastry brush to coat all the potatoes
- 250 grams bacon, chopped
- 1 ½ cups cheese, goud or cheddar
- fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- Rinse the potatoes: Rinse the potatoes rubbing any dirt off and leave the skins on.
- Cook the potatoes: Add the potatoes to a large pot, top them up with regular cold tap water, add a tablespoon of salt, lid on and bring to the boil. Cook the potatoes for 25 minutes or until fork tender.
- Get the oven on: Preheat the oven to 190°C / 374°F and place the rack in the middle of the oven.
- Drain: Pour the potatoes into a colander and drain the water out. Place the colander over the now dry pot that they cooked in and place the lid over the colander. It wont fit the pot tightly, that's fine. Leave them there for 5 minutes, it helps them steam finish.
- Smash: Gently toss the potatoes onto the oven tray (sheet pan) and use either an egg lifter or fork to press down onto the potatoes. Remember the idea is to keep them smashed but in one piece so don't make mash! See notes below.
- Season and add oil: Use your hands to smear (rub) the olive oil coating all the potatoes. Season well with salt and pepper, pour melted butter over and bake for 25 minutes or until fork tender.
- Add bacon and cheese: Remove, add the bacon and cheese and bake for an additional 18 minutes or until the bacon is crispy and the cheese melted. Roughly a total of 45 minutes.
- Grill/Broil: If you want them more brown and crispy, turn the grill / broiler on and put them under, move the tray to the top rack and grill for 2 minutes but watch them closely to not burn!
- Garnish and serve: Serve warm with fresh chopped parsley and sea salt.
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