Hot Smashed Potatoes

When I was in college, my younger sister found this ridiculous t-shirt with a cow and a pig dancing on the front that says, “I love carbs!” Which was made slightly less ridiculous, because I really, really do. I wore that shirt proudly 😉 I need to resurrect it to wear while whipping up these potatoes! I’ve seen recipes for smashed potatoes here and there and always thought they looked delicious. I mean, they’re basically a cross between a french fry and mashed potatoes. I think we can all objectively agree that those are two of the best foods in existence. Therefore, these potatoes must be the pinnacle of carb-y deliciousness.

Turns out, they were. We devoured them in about 2 minutes. They were just as I’d hoped they’d be… The outside crisped up under the high heat in the oven, but the inside remained soft. They really are an amazing cross between fries and mashed potatoes! These are quite versatile… We had them as a side dish tonight with some fish and broccoli. But they’d be perfect as an appetizer. I can definitely see them as a sit-in-front-of-the-football-game-on-tv munchie. And let’s be for real… I’d definitely eat a bunch of them as a full meal.

We’re already planning on new versions of this. Both Selim and I have several ideas each for new variations. I loved this version… the hot sauce isn’t enough that I’d qualify the dish as “spicy,” but is enough to have a great flavor. We’ll definitely be smashing potatoes again soon!

Hot Smashed Potatoes

(Adapted from The Pioneer Woman )

Ingredients:

• 10 petite potatoes
• 4tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp Frank’s Hot Sauce
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper
• Cooking spray

Instructions: 

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add the potatoes and 1tbsp of salt to the pot. Reduce to a simmer and cook for ~20 minutes. You want the potatoes to be tender and mash-able, but not falling apart.
2. Pre-heat your oven to 450 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with a thin layer of cooking spray.
3. Place your potatoes on the cookie sheet, leaving a fair amount of room between each potatoes. Using a potato masher, large serving fork, bottom of a jar/cup, or the palm of your hand (if you’re feeling tough & brave – they’re still pretty hot!), smash the potato flat. Don’t over-smash… you want them to stay in one piece.
4. Melt your butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Whisk in the hot sauce, garlic, and 2 turns of fresh ground black pepper.
5. Brush a healthy layer of this mixture over top of the potatoes. Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven, flip the potatoes with a spatula, and re-brush the rest of the mixture over the other side of the potatoes. Return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes.
7. Sprinkle with a little more Kosher as desired prior to serving.