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Crispy Garlic Smashed Potatoes

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Ah, crispy, garlic-y, salty, potato-y goodness.

Can I just eat you every day for the rest of my life?

Seriously though…who in the world doesn’t love potatoes? (Now I am talking to you…not the food.)

I have never met someone who doesn’t…even if you aren’t a “meat and potatoes” kind of person, I feel like you still love them.

And if you are saying no to this question you fall into one of three categories.

1. You are trying to convince your brain that you don’t love potatoes because they aren’t very healthy, and if you tell yourself you don’t like them it will be easier to resist the little spherical morsels of deliciousness.

2. You don’t THINK you like potatoes, but you have never had these Crispy Garlic Smashed Potatoes.

3. You straight up don’t like potatoes. You have tried crispy smashed potatoes and you STILL DON’T LIKE THEM. If you fall into this third category, I just want to know…How is life for you? Is it sad?

Crispy Garlic Smashed Potatoes -- TheGarlicDiaries.com

Okay but for reals. If you don’t love potatoes I still love you. We all have flaws ;).

Kidddddding, kidding. If you don’t like potatoes it’s fine. Just go back and read about my Roasted Apples with Cinnamon Peanut Butter Sauce. Or my Healthy, Cheesy Taco Skillet. Both are potato free!

As for the rest of you. Let’s talk about these crispy, flavorful, AMAZE-BALLS potatoes.

I actually really can’t take credit for these babies. These are my mom’s specialty. In her house they are called Crash Hot Potatoes and they are the meaning behind my existence.

I really don’t even know how to explain these. They aren’t like any other potato.

They are slightly fluffy on the inside, but SO crispy on the top and bottom. They are boiled until tender, smashed, smothered in garlic, thyme, and chili infused olive oil, and roasted in a hot-hot-hot oven until they are so crispy and golden that they will make your entire day week month life so happy.

Crispy Garlic Smashed Potatoes -- TheGarlicDiaries.com

Seth was a happy camper when I made these. Because like I said here, potatoes are Seth’s JAM.

And we really don’t make them often because aren’t very good for you *said as I roll into a ball and cry in a corner for the next hour*.

But hey! Everything in moderation right?

Besides. When I do make anything with potatoes, Seth eats so much of it that he probably doubles any normal human’s consumption of potatoes for the month.

First example. I had two of these potatoes and he had the rest of the baking sheet. And then he suggested we use the entire second bag of potatoes that we bought from the store to make another batch. So he could eat more.

Second example. When I go out of town for any reason, Seth buys a bulk box of instant mashed potatoes and survives on solely that for the entire time.

His poor stomach is probably thinking…what…the…crap…is…HAPPENING.

Alright so before I bestow upon you the recipe for life fulfilling potato goodness, I will give you a few suggestions for making the smashing process as easy as possible for you.

1. The smasher. You know what didn’t work AT ALL for me? This:

images

You can totally try it if you want. It might work better for you. They don’t need to be pretty or perfect.

But if you have one that looks like this, I think it would work a little better:

images

But we always just use a cup! Just a plain, flat bottomed cup. I don’t know why that works better for us, but it does.

We dip the bottom of the cup in the infused olive oil just to give it a little non-stick-ness and then we smash!

2. The “after smash.” So if you are using a cup, sometimes (even if you dip in olive oil), little pieces of potato like to travel back with you. To avoid this (super easy!) we just use a knife and slide it in between the cup and the potato once has been smashed.

And that’s it. Other than that this recipe is incredibly straight forward and easy.

Crispy Garlic Smashed Potatoes -- TheGarlicDiaries.com

NOW GO MAKE THEM!!!!

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Crispy Garlic Smashed Potatoes

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Annie Chesson
  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 60 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 mins
  • Yield: 5 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 10 small gold potatoes (you can easily use more or less)
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
  • A few pinches dried thyme
  • One pinch red pepper flakes

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees (you might want to wait a little bit to preheat your oven depending on how long it takes to heat up)
  2. Place the potatoes in a pot of water (enough to cover all the potatoes)
  3. Bring to a boil
  4. Boil for about 30 minutes, or until a knife pierces the potato easily (it should be very tender!)
  5. It might take less time than this, or it might take more. It really depends on the size of your potatoes. Just test them with a knife every once in a while! (If they aren’t tender enough, they won’t smash easily)
  6. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, add the olive oil, garlic, dried thyme, and red pepper flakes
  7. Cook on low/medium low, just so the oil around the garlic is very lightly bubbling
  8. Infuse the oil for about 10 minutes and then remove from the heat and set aside
  9. Transfer the potatoes to a colander and let the water drain off
  10. Spread the potatoes out on a baking sheet
  11. Smash using a potato masher or a cup (we always just use a cup)
  12. If you are using a cup, dip the bottom in a little of the infused oil before smashing each potato, and when you are done smashing each one, slide a knife in between the potato and cup to help release any bits that are still sticking
  13. Using a pastry brush, brush the infused oil onto the potatoes until all the oil has been used. You want a pretty decent amount of oil so they will get nice and crispy!
  14. Top with salt (potatoes kind of need a lot of salt. Try a little piece of potato to see if it is seasoned well before placing it in the oven)
  15. Roast for about 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are nice and golden and crispy on top

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*This recipe is gluten free and vegan*

Crispy Garlic Smashed Potatoes -- TheGarlicDiaries.com

Want more yummy sides? Check these out:

Mustard Chive Potato Salad

Asian Cucumber Noodles

Broccoli and Brussels Sprout Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

If you make this or any of my other recipes, be sure to Instagram it and hashtag #TheGarlicDiaries!

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Comments

    • Thanks, Ana! Yes – moderation, moderation, moderation. Sometimes I don’t like moderation!

      Reply

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