Smashed Potatoes Recipe

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5 from 1 vote

Crispy smashed baby potatoes topped with homemade basil pesto.

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Total Time1

Course: Sides

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Author: Shawn Williams

Ingredients

12 small gold/yellow potatoes baby Yukon or baby dutch potatoes
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Coarse sea salt to taste
Fresh basil pesto for topping
Alternate topping: sour cream and chopped chives

Homemade basil pesto

3 loosely packed cups of basil leaves about 2.5 ounces
3 tablespoons pine nuts
2 garlic cloves
2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
2/3 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

For the pesto

Combine all pesto ingredients except for the olive oil in a food processor or blender. Blend/pulse until mixed and smooth.
With the motor running, add olive oil in a slow stream until combined. Pesto should not be too soupy or fine. Set aside. Can be made a day in advance and stored in the fridge in a tightly sealed container. Cover with plastic wrap seated directly on top of the surface to prevent browning/air exposure.

For the potatoes

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Add potatoes to a large pot. Fill with cool water to cover by 1-2 inches. Add a generous pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Once boiling, set a timer for 15 minutes. Potatoes should be fork-tender.
Strain potatoes through a colander and let steam dry for 5 minutes.
Drizzle a little oil over a large baking sheet. place potatoes in 4 rows of three. Using the bottom of a glass or mason jar, smash each potato to desired thickness. For very crispy potatoes, smash thinner to 1/4 inch thick, for thicker fluffier potatoes, smash to about 1/2-3/4 inches thick.
Drizzle each potato with a little olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until potatoes are golden and crispy around the edges. There is no need to flip potatoes.
Remove from the oven and drizzle each potato with a little pesto just before serving. Alternatively, simply season potatoes with sea salt or a dollop of sour cream and chopped chives.

Notes

I used baby dutch potatoes for this recipe. You can also use baby Yukon potatoes or small gold/yellow potatoes. Ideally, you don't want anything smaller than a golf ball. Larger potatoes may take longer to cook.

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