Mini Potato Smashers Two Ways Recipe: Day 4 – 5 Simple Party Foods in 5 Days
Sinkology is proud to present Emily Schuermann, our food-loving guest blogger who runs Food for a Year. Emily is here to share some recipes she has created exclusively for the Sinkology blog that reflect her view of a copper sink: simple, timeless, affordable, and beautifully rustic.
For the fourth recipe in Sinkology’s “5 Simple Party Foods in 5 Days” series, I am sharing a tasty and effortless twist on a classic comfort food: twice-baked potatoes. These potato smashers are a splendidly savory, crisp one-bite wonder with some zip.
As I was assembling this recipe and devising the blueprint for the best toppings, my little brain started over-firing. I was just so excited about all of the possibilities and couldn’t make myself settle on just one. And even after forcing myself to only create two variations, I kept adding flavor flair – but the end result is sublime. I think the flavor additions will come as a slight surprise — so get ready to be wowed.
To make these smashers, start off by boiling 1½ pounds of mini potatoes. I used a rainbow mix of half dollar-sized potatoes. Once the mini potatoes are fork tender, toss them in canola oil and onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Use the bottom of a glass to smash the potatoes, taking care not to smash them all the way to smithereens. In other words, try to leave them around ½” thick and be sure the thickness is consistent for all the potatoes.
Once all of the potatoes are properly smashed, sprinkle them with sea salt and black pepper and place into a preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until the outside of the potatoes are nice and crisp but still soft on the inside & golden.
Once crisping has occurred, it’s time for the really fun part – topping. I did a traditional topping and a not-so-traditional topping. For the traditional, I simply topped the potatoes with 2 types of shredded sharp cheddar and some chives. Let me tell you, I could have stopped with the traditional smasher and been content. But this is party food we are talking about and content isn’t quite the goal.
So, for the non-traditional, I topped with creamy bleu cheese crumbles, chopped bacon, a sprinkle of brown sugar, chives, lemon zest and lemon juice. As I added the brown sugar and lemon juice — I was actually a little nervous. But with that first bite, it was true love. I actually clapped my hands. No one was home to question my claps or to join in, it was a slightly lonely clap but my tastebuds were flipping out nonetheless.
Once the potatoes have received their toppings, return to the oven for 10 minutes so that he cheeses melt, the bacon crisps and the sugar & lemon juice mingle with the rest of the flavors.
It’s that addition of lemon and brown sugar, contrasting the creamy bold bleu cheese and the smoky, salty bacon that put this potato over the moon with flavor. I have to say, after tasting these bites, the lemon and brown sugar are crucial to making this party food be all it can be. Crisp, creamy, savory salty with and unexpected touch of sweetness followed by the clean, acidic zip of lemon juice and zest … this one is a tastebud blindside for sure.
What toppings would you put on a sashed potato??
- 1½ lb mini potatoes rinsed and boiled to fork tender
- 3 T canola oil
- sea salt
- ground black pepper
- 2-3oz shredded sharp cheddar, or another cheese favorite
- 2 oz creamy blue cheese, crumbled
- 10 sliced precooked bacon, chopped
- 3-4 T chopped fresh chives
- 1-2 T brown sugar
- 1 lemon zested & 2-3 T lemon juice
- Preheat the oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with parchment and toss boiled potatoes in canola oil. Evenly space boiled potatoes on the baking sheet. Using the bottom of a glass, gently smash each potato leaving them approximately ½" thick. Sprinkle each potato with salt and pepper and place into the preheated oven. Bake for 25 minutes or until they are crisp but still soft on the inside & golden.
- Once potatoes are crisp, top with desired toppings. I choose 2 varieties. The first : topped with shredded sharp cheddar and chives. The second : topped with blue cheese crumbles, chopped bacon, chives, a little sprinkle of brown sugar, lemon zest and a few drops of lemon juice per potato.
- Return the potatoes to the oven for about 10 minutes or until the cheeses have melted and the bacon is crisp. Serve immediately.
- Seves 12-15
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