October 27, 2021

Parmesan Herb Smashed Potatoes

Though I don’t make them too often, potatoes are one of my favorite foods. It’s so hard to go wrong with so many ways to prepare them. They can be mashed, whipped, roasted, hash-browned, or made into soup or salad to name a few. Recently though, I discovered discovered the smashed potato and it is one of my go-to ways to prepare them! They are crispy on the outside, yet soft in the middle and full of fresh herb flavor. Parmesan Herb Smashed Potatoes make the perfect side dish along almost any meal.

Ingredients

I adapted my recipe for Parmesan Herb Smashed Potatoes from the Real Food Dieticians‘s version. It’s a great recipe, but I’ve made a few substitutions and adjusted some quantities to make the perfect crispy, healthy, and flavorful potatoes. Here what you’ll need to make them:

Small/medium sized red potatoes (about one and a half pounds)
Irish butter
Olive oil (garlic or herb infused works great)
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Fresh basil
Fresh chives
Dried rosemary
Fresh thyme
Rubbed sage
Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
Celtic sea salt and freshly cracked pepper

How to Make Parmesan Herb Smashed Potatoes

First, bring a small/medium sized pot of water to a boil. Scrub the potatoes and dice them into 1-2 inch chunks. Leaving the peel intact, add them to the boiling water. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Then, preheat the oven to 450°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Meanwhile, whisk the melted butter, garlic olive oil, garlic powder, and onion powder in a medium bowl.

When the potatoes are tender, drain them and pat them dry with a fresh dish towel. Toss them with the butter mixture. Next, spread the potatoes on the baking sheet and gently flatten them using a potato masher. Each piece should be roughly ½ inch thick. Finally, add Celtic sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste.

Bake for 20 minutes. Then, remove from oven, toss the potatoes, and sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top. Return to oven for another 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is melts and the potatoes are crispy.

While they are baking, use a small bowl to whisk the remaining olive oil with the herbs. When the potatoes are done, toss them with the herb oil before serving. Enjoy!