Potatoes. I could (and have) easily eat them every single day of the week. This is one pantry staple I never ever grow weary of. There are so many wonderful varieties, and a countless number of ways to prepare them: boiled, baked, fried, and made into pancakes, soups and stews. And all are equally delicious in my book.
Open up my pantry and you will likely find bushels of potatoes stashed away. That is how much I loooooove them.
The first time I made Crispy Garlic Smashed Potatoes, I couldn’t help wondering why I hadn’t discovered them sooner. Smashed Potatoes combine everything I love about potatoes into one easy to make recipe. They are soft and creamy on the inside and deliciously crispy and crunchy on the outside. Just 6 simple everyday ingredients are all you need to make this crave-worthy comfort food dish.
Peeps, I am here to tell you that this really is the Crispiest Garlic Smashed Potatoes Recipe Ever.
Why You Will Love Crispy Garlic Smashed Potatoes
Smashed potatoes can be served as a main dish or a side, depending on how much you load them up with. They are equally are great served as the ultimate finger food when watching the big game, or as a satisfying and swanky appetizer at a fancy cocktail party. This Crispy Garlic Smashed Potatoes recipe is such a crowd pleaser, you just may need to plan on making a double (or even triple) batch for your event.
And the kiddoes will definitely go crazy for these Crispy Smashed Potatoes. The mini chefs absolutely looooved helping with the smashing and said the potatoes looked like pretty flowers when they came out of the oven.
Speaking of appearances, have you seen the fun retro-style packaging for Albert Bartlett Rooster potatoes in stores? I love their fab vintage look which was designed to celebrate their 70th anniversary. Do check it out and pick up one of their cute bags of rooster potatoes to make Crispy Garlic Smashed Potatoes.
As part of their year-long celebration, Albert Bartlett is highlighting potato recipes from each decade of the past 70 years. And Crispy Garlic Smashed Potatoes is the featured recipe for the 2000s. This “hybrid” of roast potatoes and mashed potatoes became popular in mid 2000s, when celebrity chefs began adding them to their menus and food magazines featured the smashed potato as a new twist on a classic pantry staple.
So are you ready to learn how to make this Crispy Garlic Smashed Potatoes recipe? Gather up your ingredients and let’s get started………
How to Make Crispy Garlic Smashed Potatoes Step by Step
- Preheat the oven. Put a large pot of water on the stovetop and bring to a boil, add whole potatoes and boil for about 15-18 mins until tender but not soft.
- Drain the potatoes and let dry for a few mins. Transfer potatoes to a lightly oiled baking tray, making sure to leave space between potatoes.
- Smash each potato with a potato masher so they are thin and mostly whole (I love having lots of edges in both the potato and the skin, as this is the part that gets nice and crispy). For bigger potatoes, you may want to split before smashing them.
- In a small bowl, mix together the oil, garlic, oregano, thyme and salt.
- Use a basting brush to spread the oil mixture over the potatoes making sure all the potatoes are thoroughly coated.
- Bake potatoes in the preheated oven for 20-25 mins, until golden and crispy.
Smashing those potatoes
Tips For Making Crispy Garlic Smashed Potatoes
- To make a perfect brunch entrée load them up with egg, cheese and ham.
- If topping your smashed potatoes with cheese, take them out of the oven 5 mins before done. Then add the cheese and put back in for a couple of mins until the cheese is nice and melty.
- Try adding Parmesan cheese, crumbled bacon, or the winning combination of fried onions and parsley.
Smashed Potatoes with Rosemary
You can make these smashed potatoes with rosemary by simply swapping the oregano and thyme for some chopped rosemary leaves.
Smashed Potatoes with Yogurt
You can make these smashed potatoes with rosemary by simply topping them with yogurt which you can flavour with herbs, spices and scallions. Make sure you use a diary-free yogurt if you want to keep this recipe vegan.
Smashed Potatoes and Pesto
Pesto drizzled all over these make a fantastic meal. Use a basil pesto or a dairy-free coconut pesto to your taste.
What are Smashed Potatoes?
Smashed potatoes are whole potatoes, usually smaller to medium in size that have been boiled with the skin on then set on a baking tray and smashed flat. The smashed potatoes are then coated with oil or butter, seasonings, and baked until the outside is golden and crispy.
Smashed Potatoes can be served as a side dish or even a main course depending on the amount of ingredients you load them up with. Since smashed potatoes have a lot of texture they tend to pair particularly well with rich meat dishes.
And some famous four-star restaurants even offer luxurious versions of smashed potatoes that are loaded with decadent offerings as foie gras, truffle butter and caviar.
What is the Best Potato For Making This Smashed Potatoes Recipe?
Most any variety of potato can be turned into smashed potatoes, but I recommend using British-grown Rooster potatoes from Albert Bartlett. This variety has a nice creamy texture and the thin skin crisps up quite nicely. And the deep red hue makes for a colourful presentation, just the thing for your holiday dinner table.
I strive to incorporate as many locally grown foods into my recipes as possible, and Albert Bartlett is a family-owned company that is committed to providing the best potatoes grown in the most responsible way. For 70 years they have been dedicated to providing tasty, wholesome food for proper meals.
As the leading provider of UK grown potatoes, they recently launched a line of frozen products following the purchase of a frozen potato factory in Westwick Norfolk. The ever-expanding range currently includes Roasts, Homestyle Chips, Chunky Chips and Wedges, all made with British grown red-skinned Rooster potatoes.
What are Rooster Potatoes?
Rooster potatoes are round in shape have a thin red skin and fluffy yellow flesh with a deep earthy flavour. They contain less starch and more sugars than other varieties, making them a great all-purpose potato that is equally good for baking, boiling, chipping, steaming and smashing.
How Do You Cook Smashed Red Potatoes?
There are 3 main steps to making delectable smashed red potatoes: boil, smash, bake.
Boiling the whole potatoes first will ensure that the inside is soft and fluffy. And baking the smashed potatoes in the oven is what gives them those perfectly crispy edges.
What to Serve with Crispy Garlic Smashed Potatoes
Weight Watchers Points in Crispy Garlic Smashed Potatoes
There are 5 freestyle points in one serving of Crispy Garlic Smashed Potatoes.
Thank you for reading my Crispy Garlic Smashed Potatoes Recipe post. And please come visit again as I continue dreaming up recipes, traditional African recipes, African fusion recipes, Sierra Leone recipes, travel plans and much more for you. Thanks for supporting Recipes from a Pantry, UK food blog.
Get the Crispiest Garlic Smashed Potatoes Recipe Ever:
- 2.2 lbs (1kg) of small potatoes (I used Albert Bartlett rooster potatoes)
- 2.5 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder or 1 tsp garlic purée
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
- salt optional
Preheat oven to fan-assisted 200C / 220C / 450F / gas 8.
- Put a large pot of water on the stovetop and bring to a boil, add whole potatoes and boil for about 15-18 mins until tender but not soft.
- Drain the potatoes and let dry for a few mins.
- Transfer potatoes to a lightly oiled baking tray, making sure to leave space between potatoes.
- Smash each potato with a potato masher so they are thin and mostly whole (I love having lots of edges in both the potato and the skin, as this is the part that gets nice and crispy).
- For bigger potatoes, you may want to split before smashing them.
- In a small bowl, mix together the oil, garlic, oregano, thyme and salt.
- Use a basting brush to spread the oil mixture over the potatoes making sure all the potatoes are thoroughly coated.
- Bake potatoes in the preheated oven for 20-25 mins, until golden and crispy.
Tips For Making Crispy Garlic Smashed Potatoes
- To make a perfect brunch entrée load them up with egg, cheese and ham.
- If topping your smashed potatoes with cheese, take them out of the oven 5 mins before done. Then add the cheese and put back in for a couple of mins until the cheese is nice and melty.
- Try adding Parmesan cheese, crumbled bacon, or the winning combination of fried onions and parsley.
Weight Watchers Points
There are 5 freestyle points in one serving of Crispy Garlic Smashed Potatoes.
Oh these look absolutely delicious, I’ll definitely be making these as the kids will love them! We love using Albert Bartlett potatoes in our dishes.
I am with you… potatoes are awesome and we never don’t have them in our pantry. These smashed potatoes look absolutely delicious and thank you for sharing!
AMAZING! So crispy, flavorful and delicious!
I’m a big fan of potatoes too. I’ve only made them smashed similarly to this a few times. I’ll have to try your recipe. They sound so good!
Coming across this recipe just reminded me that I have a bag of potatoes to use up without any plans for them! Now I know exactly what I’m making – I LOVE smashed potatoes and garlic!!
I have always wanted to try these! They look and sound smashing! Pun intended;)
I’m just in shock! How do you manage so beautifully appetizing to present a simple baked potato? Even without having read this recipe, I already asked my husband to put a pot of water on the stove