by Raquel Smith
Pohhh-tayyy-toesssss. What is it about potatoes that just says, “I am the perfect food for you to eat all day every day”? I really can’t put my finger on it, but I’m pretty sure I’d be okay with eating potatoes 3 meals a day for at least a few days in a row.
Recently, smashed potatoes are quite a hit. You can find a new recipe for them any day of the week. But, I’m pretty lazy and kind of snub my nose at any recipe that requires cooking in a pan first, then in the oven later.
I mean, can’t we just get it all done with one cooking method?
Most smashed potatoes require boiling the potatoes first and then sticking them in the oven to crisp. Aside from using two cooking methods, this also requires that I turn my oven on in the heat of summer… which is not ideal.
So what did I do? I simplified.
First, we start by boiling the whole baby red potatoes. You can buy giant ones, but I don’t recommend it. Babies cook quicker, smash better, fit in the pan better… You get it. Get small ones.
Anyway, you boil them, then drain. Then you toss them with the above delicious olive oil-mustard-shallot mixture and put them back into the pan you boiled them in.
Then you smash them. This part is kind of fun, but don’t go too gung ho on ’em.
Finally, you put that there pot right back on the stove and brown them in the pot. Flip each one over and brown the other side, and you’re a winner.
So quick and easy!
Note: Just for the photos, I put these in a cast iron skillet so that you could see them. I normally make them in the same stock pot I boiled them in, and it’s perfect!
You’re probably wondering if they taste exactly like the boiled-then-baked kind. Well, no. They don’t. They’re not the exact same, but they’re pretty darn close.
And the ways they are different actually make them even better in their own way. All in one potato you get the crispy skin but plenty of mushy potato insides that you love.
And can we talk about the dijon dressing? it’s not really a dressing because they are cooked in it but IT IS SO GOOD. I made these babies twice and each time I was just impressed with how much a little bit of dijon and rosemary can elevate a dish.
If you are doing a smaller celebration for the holdiays, definitely give these a go. Due to their in-pot nature you can’t really make a huge batch at one time unless you use multiple pots or a really, really large pot.
If you do that, please send me photos.
But these really are perfect for a smaller celebration, or any time you want to have dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes and make people think you spent twice that much. This recipe is definitely a keeper.
Cheater Smashed Red Potatoes
- Author: Raquel Smith
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 3 servings 1x
Description
This delicious recipe for Cheater Smashed Red Potatoes is the easy, one-pot, no-bake way to make smashed potatoes.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 1/2 lb small red potatoes (about 15)
- 1 Tbsp minced shallot
- 1 Tbsp minced rosemary
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
Instructions
- Place the potatoes in a single layer in the bottom of a large pot. Don’t cram them – give them some room to breathe.
- Add enough water to cover the potatoes by about a half inch of water, then bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, cook the potatoes for about 15 minutes, until they are easily pierced by a fork but are not falling apart. Drain.
- While the potatoes boil, combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl.
- Place the potatoes back into the pot, then add the dijon mixture. Toss to cover the potatoes.
- Use the bottom of a pint glass or other flat object to gently smash the potatoes until they burst.
- Place the pot back over the heat and cook over medium-high heat for about 4-5 minutes, until nicely browned and crispy. Use a fork or spoon to turn the potatoes over one-by-one, then cook for another few minutes to brown that side.
- Remove from the heat and serve immediately!
Notes
– Just for the photos, I put these in a cast iron skillet so that you could see them. I normally make them in the same pot I boiled them in, and it’s perfect!
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Comfort Food
Keywords: smashed, red potatoes, cheater, easy, side dish
If you love your potatoes, then try out some of these tasty recipes:
- Kale Mashed Potatoes
- Roasted Rosemary Reds
- Cast Iron Roasted New Potatoes with Fresh Herbs
- Quick and Crispy Roasted
- Lemon Baby Potatoes
- Garlic Parsley Mashed Potatoes
Photos by Raquel Smith, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published on July 2nd, 2015. Last updated: May 19, 2020 at 18:02 pm.
Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.
About Raquel Smith
Raquel is a whole foods enthusiast, an avid mountain biker, and a dog lover. She works by day at Food Blogger Pro and formerly maintained her food blog "My California Roots" (now merged into Foodal).
