How do you improve on Smashed Potatoes? By adding cheese and baking until golden brown! Makeover boring boiled potatoes with this easy Cheesy Smashed Potatoes recipe, which will be your new favorite side dish in no time!
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Start by parboiling potatoes, before crushing them, drizzling with olive oil and adding some seasoning. After a quick bake in a hot oven, add some shredded cheese then return to the oven for a few minute more. Potatoes with melted cheese, it doesn't get any better!
The best part of this delicious side dish is the texture of the potatoes once cooked. The potatoes should be the perfect mix of crispy outsides and soft and fluffy insides.
This cheesy smashed potatoes recipe is great any time, serve it for family dinner, a special occasion, or add it to your holiday meals. It also makes a great BBQ side, or games day snack, perfect with your favorite dipping sauce.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Cheese Smashed Potato Recipe
- Crispy Smashed Potatoes Ingredients
- How to Make Crispy Smashed Potatoes - Step-By-Step
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Variations & Substitutions for Cheesy Smashed Potatoes
- Tips & Tricks For Making Cheesy Potatoes
- How To Serve Crispy Smashed Potatoes
- How To Reheat
- How to Freeze
- Pin The Best Easy Cheesy Crispy Smashed Potatoes Recipe Recipe For Later
- What Do You Think?!
- More Easy Side Dish Recipe Ideas
- Printable Recipe
- The Best Easy Cheesy Crispy Smashed Potatoes Recipe
- Reader Comments & Ratings
Why You'll Love This Cheese Smashed Potato Recipe
- With a few basic ingredients and some seasoning, you can really elevate the humble potato into something special.
- Potatoes are a great comfort food and these potatoes have perfect fluffy insides and crispy outsides.
- Try some of my favorite potato and sweet potato sides:
- If you love cheese, try this Cheesy Baked Cauliflower.
Crispy Smashed Potatoes Ingredients
Find the full list and quantities in the recipe card below.
Potatoes - I've opted to use baby potatoes, but you can use larger potatoes and cut them into smaller chunks. Russet potatoes are a great choice as are baby Yukon gold potatoes or small red potatoes.
Cheese - When it comes to the shredded cheese, I love cheddar. You could also use aged cheddar for extra cheesy flavor.
Oil - I've used olive oil in this recipe as I like the nutty flavor. You could also use sunflower, rapeseed or avocado oil.
Seasonings - I keep the seasoning simple with some sea or kosher salt and black pepper.
How to Make Crispy Smashed Potatoes - Step-By-Step
Find the full recipe card below.
Boil scrubbed potatoes in a large pot of salted boiling water for around 15 to 20 minutes, until fork tender. Drain and allow the potatoes to steam in the drainer for 5 minutes.
Place potatoes in a single layer onto a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and allow to steam for a further few minutes to get rid of excess moisture.
Take a potato masher (or use the palm of your hand, the bottom of a mug or a study glass) to smash the potatoes down onto the tray. The more they smash, the crispier they will be!
Generously sprinkle the potatoes with a bit of olive oil and season generously with sea salt and black pepper then bake for around 40 minutes or until crispy and golden brown.
Remove the potatoes from the oven and light the broiler (UK - grill). Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top of the potatoes and broil/grill for around 4 minutes, until the cheese is melted and golden brown.
Serve immediately garnished with chopped parsley or chives.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need to peel potatoes when making smashed potatoes?
No, there is no need to peel the potatoes before making smashed potatoes, in fact the skins give you crispy edges and crunchy bits around the side.
What do you use to smash potatoes?
You can use a potato masher, taking care not to go all the way through. Alternatively use anything with a flat base, like the bottom of sturdy glass.
Variations & Substitutions for Cheesy Smashed Potatoes
You can swap regular potatoes for sweet potatoes instead, just wash and cut into large chunks.
I've used cheddar cheese, but you can use different cheeses. Why not try a strong flavored cheese like parmesan cheese or blue cheese.
Sprinkle some crispy bacon pieces, or sliced green onions over the top of the cheese for extra flavor.
Add other spices and seasoning for extra flavor, try adding garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, Cajun seasoning, or Old Bay seasoning,
Swap olive oil for some melted butter or a seasoned garlic butter.
Sprinkle some chopped herbs over the potatoes, try fresh rosemary or thyme leaves on top of the potatoes before baking. Or add fresh herbs like chives, parsley or basil as a garnish before serving.
Tips & Tricks For Making Cheesy Potatoes
- No need to peel the potatoes, you can use either large potatoes cut into smaller pieces, or whole small potatoes.
- After the potatoes have boiled make sure you let the steam come off them in the strainer - drying them out helps them crisp up.
- Properly season the potatoes with salt and pepper as it will make a difference to the flavor of the finished dish.
- To ensure fluffy insides, parboil the potatoes until they are fork tender.
- When smashing the potatoes you want to get them nice and flat, but take care not to go all the way through.
How To Serve Crispy Smashed Potatoes
These potatoes are the perfect addition to any meal. Serve with a variety of main dishes including, meat, poultry, seafood and vegetable based dishes. They work really well as a BBQ side, alongside grilled meats and salads.
These easy potatoes are also popular on games day as they are so quick and easy to prepare. Serve the potatoes as they are, or add a dollop of sour cream on top of the smashed potatoes. You can also serve them with your favorite dipping sauce.
How To Reheat
Place leftover cheesy smashed potatoes into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. When ready to enjoy heat up in a warm oven for 10-15 minutes to crisp up the outside.
How to Freeze
Once cooked and cooled, place the smashed potatoes onto a lined baking sheet and place in the freezer for 1 hour. Remove from the freezer and place the potatoes into an airtight container, and return to the freezer for up to 3 months.
When ready to enjoy the potatoes no need to defrost, they can be reheated in a hot oven straight from frozen.
Pin The Best Easy Cheesy Crispy Smashed Potatoes Recipe Recipe For Later
What Do You Think?!
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More Easy Side Dish Recipe Ideas
Printable Recipe
The Best Easy Cheesy Crispy Smashed Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs Potatoes - scrubbed - see notes
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil
- Sea Salt and Black Pepper
- ¾ cup Cheddar Cheese - shredded
Optional Garnish
- 1 tbsp Chopped Parsley - or Chives
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°f / 205°c
- Put the scrubbed potatoes in a medium pot, cover with water, add a generous sprinkle of salt and bring to the boil.
- Allow the potatoes to cook for around 15 to 20 minutes, until tender.
- Drain and leave the potatoes in the strainer for 5 minutes to steam. This will help them become crispy by reducing their water content as much as possible.
- Move the cooked potatoes to a parchment lined baking sheet. This will make for easier clean-up later.
- Allow the the potatoes to sit and steam again for a few more minutes.
- Take a potato masher (or use the palm of your hand, the bottom of a mug or a study glass) to smash the potatoes down onto the tray. The more they smash, the crispier they will be!
- Generously sprinkle the potatoes with olive oil and season generously with sea salt and black pepper.
- Bake for around 40 minutes or until crispy and golden.
- Remove the potatoes from the oven and light the broiler (UK - grill).
- Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top of the potatoes and broil/grill for around 4 minutes, until the cheese is melted and golden brown. Carefully watch them as they broil because the moment you look away, they will inevitably catch and burn.
- Serve immediately garnished with chopped parsley or chives.
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