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Are you ready to meet your new favourite side dish? I’m instantly regretting not making smashed potatoes before because they are OH-SO-GOOD!! These red potatoes get extra crispy and warm in the oven and then are smothered in my homemade vegan hemp seed pesto. Pair them with seafood or meat for dinner, or have them as a side to eggs for breakfast. This side dish is packed with nutrition like complex carbs, fibre, vitamin C, healthy fats, and protein, so you can feel great while enjoying them. If you’ve never made smashed potatoes before, you are in for a treat!
What are smashed potatoes?
Not to be confused with mashed potatoes, smashed potatoes are eaten individually, with the skin on, and after baking in the oven. Smashed potatoes are incredibly easy to make and SO worth the time involved. While they take a bit of time to cook, the active cooking time is really not that long or complicated!
What type of potatoes should you use?
Any type of white potato should work, but I would recommend choosing smaller or mini potatoes. They cook faster, and you’ll have more bite-sized bits rather than a few really large potatoes. I used mini red potatoes for this smashed potato recipe.
How to make smashed potatoes
To make smashed potatoes, you begin by giving the potatoes a good wash (since you’re leaving the skin on). Next, add the potatoes to a large pot, submerge them in water, and bring them to a boil. Continue to cook them for about 20 minutes, until they’re fork tender. Drain the potatoes and place them in a large bowl to toss with olive oil and salt. Then, spread them on a baking sheet (no need to line it) and “smash” each potato down with a potato masher or a fork. Be gentle here and make sure not to push your fork all the way down to the tray – you don’t want them to fall apart. As well, you want to make sure there’s a bit of space between the potatoes so that they will get a bit brown and crispy! Pop them in the oven at 425F and bake for an additional 25 minutes.
You’ll ideally want to eat these smashed potatoes hot from the oven, but they do taste good leftover, too. Drizzle them with sauce, or dunk these little guys in your favourite dip. While I chose to pair them with a pesto (inspired from a recent brunch), feel free to experiment with different sauces to eat them with. Garlic aioli? Something cheesy? Even just a drizzle of olive oil, garlic powder, and fresh herbs would taste excellent. You can’t really go wrong with hot, crispy potatoes, can you?!
If you have any leftover, simply store them in a glass container in the fridge. Cooked potatoes can keep for about 3-5 days, but there’s a high chance they’ll be gone by then! If planning on reheating the potatoes, do not add pesto or other sauce until immediately before eating.
Are potatoes healthy?
I’ve talked about this before, but YES – white potatoes are full of nutrition! Their bad rap is totally undeserving. A 100-gram serving (2/3-cup) provides a THIRD of your daily vitamin C needs. Potatoes are also high in vitamin B6 and potassium. Because you’re leaving the skin on in this recipe, you’re also going to pack in tons of fibre. Fibre is good for your gut, heart health, blood sugar control, and weight management.
Looking for more healthy potato recipes? Why not try my Canned Salmon Potato Salad or this Spinach Salad With Goat Cheese & Roasted Potatoes?
If you give these Crispy Smashed Potatoes With Hemp Seed Pesto a try, let me know by leaving a comment and recipe rating below! Be sure to follow along on Instagram and Pinterest for more simple, healthy recipe ideas.
Crispy Smashed Potatoes With Hemp Seed Pesto
Ingredients
- 2 lbs mini red potatoes (907 grams)
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Salt + pepper
Hemp seed pesto
- 2 cups fresh basil (about 2 large handfuls)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup hemp seeds
- 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Salt + pepper to taste
Instructions
- Give potatoes a good wash, leaving skin on. Add potatoes to a large pot and submerge with water. Cover and bring to a boil. Continue to boil for about 20-25 minutes, until potatoes are fork-tender. Remove from heat and drain in a colander.
- Preheat oven to 425F.
- Add boiled potatoes to a large bowl. Drizzle 1 tbsp of olive oil over potatoes and a few shakes of the salt shaker. Toss well with a large spoon until potatoes are evenly coated in oil.
- Spread cooked and oiled potatoes on a large baking sheet, leaving adequate space between the potatoes (you may need 2 sheets). With either a potato masher or large fork, press each potato down gently (but don't hit the tray with your fork). You want the potatoes to flatten, but not fall apart. They should be about 1/2 an inch thick.
- Place trays of smashed potatoes into the oven and let bake for another ~25 minutes, until potatoes are slightly browned and crispy.
- While potatoes are in the oven, prepare the pesto by adding all pesto ingredients into a food processor. Mix until pesto forms, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
- Once potatoes are done, remove from oven. Top each potato with a small spoonful of pesto and serve immediately. Sprinkle with extra salt, cracked pepper, and a sprinkle of fresh basil if desired. Best enjoyed hot!
Notes
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This dish is sooo good! I have made the pesto at least 5 times and adding it to these smashed potatoes was perfection. I’m sure they taste good as leftovers, but my husband and i ate the entire tray in one sitting! Another amazing recipe. Thanks carrie!!
Hi Gurjeet – thank you soo much! I’m so happy you enjoyed this (and the pesto) recipe!! LOL at your husband eating the entire tray – it’s so hard to stop haha. If you like this one be sure to check out the smashed potatoes with parsley yogurt too!!