Roasted Smashed Potatoes – Now why didn’t I think of that?

Roasted Smashed Potatoes

Last year when I was looking for some great side dishes to make for a roast that I had made for my husband’s birthday dinner, I came across a picture for these smashed potatoes in one of my many cooking magazines. The brilliance of this side dish makes me wonder “how come I didn’t think of that”! Super easy to prepare, super delicious to eat

this is really the perfect potato to go with your meat.

2 lbs. small red bliss potatoes, scrubbed

6 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. thyme

Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Arrange potatoes on cookie sheet, pour ¾ cup of water into the pan, and wrap tightly with aluminum foil. Cook on bottom rack of oven until a knife slips into potatoes easily, 25-30 minutes. Remove foil and cool 10 minutes. If any water has remained in the bottom of the pan, use paper towel to dry completely.

Drizzle 3 tbsp. oil over potatoes and toss to coat. Space potatoes out on cookie sheet and place another cookie sheet on top, press down firmly, flattening potatoes to ½ inch thick. Sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper, and drizzle the remaining 3 tbsp. evenly over potatoes. Roast potatoes on top rack 15 minutes. Transfer potatoes to bottom rack and continue to roast until well browned, 20-30 minutes. Serve hot.

Tip: I recently have tried to do this with sweet potatoes, but I am very sorry to report they do not work as well. Sweet potatoes are too moist and do not give you the crunch that these potatoes are famous for.

Tip: I make a fantastic milchig version of these potatoes. Before putting them in the oven the second time around, sprinkle parmesan liberally and get a terrific tasting result.