Roasted Two-Bite Garlic & Herb Smashed Potatoes

It is holiday party season, and these easy garlic and herb smashed baby potatoes will be the star of the show! Roasted potatoes are dang good on their own accord… but when you smush them, smother them in herbs and garlic butter, and roast them into crispy two-bite delights? Game over. Don’t worry, there are vegan options of the recipe included too! Or, for those who embrace dairy, finish these smashed baby potatoes off with a soft cheese of your choice to seal the deal. 

One of the best things about this smashed baby potatoes recipe (aside from being ridiculously tasty) is that they’re the perfect make-ahead appetizer. Personally, we think they somehow taste even better once the potatoes have cooled to room temperature – or even cold as leftovers! 

Also, it goes without mentioning that these don’t need to be made just for a party, or only for the holidays! Any time we have a harvest of homegrown spuds, we love to make a tray of these garlic and herb smashed potatoes to graze on over a couple of days. That is, if they make it that long.

Whaddya say… Ready to smash?

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5 pounds of small potatoes (usually around 2 dozen or just under), such as baby red potatoes, creamer potatoes, or fingerlings. We love using our smallest homegrown spuds for this recipe!
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 tbsp butter (sub with vegan butter of choice, such as Earth Balance)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp of fresh chopped herbs. We usually use garden thyme and/or sage, though oregano is welcome too!
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Recommended: A soft cheese such as fromage d’affinois, taleggio, or brie added at the end of roasting really helps hold the sometimes-crumbly smashed potatoes together. A more firm cheese like sharp cheddar or parmesan would work too! Or, sub with your favorite non-dairy plant-based cheese.

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1: Partially Roast the Potatoes 

Preheat your oven to 400°F.

In a mixing bowl, toss the washed baby potatoes with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a good sprinkle of salt and pepper each. Now, roast the potatoes on a baking sheet for about 20 minutes, until they’re tender when poked with a fork. 

Step 2: Prepare the Garlic & Herb Butter

While the baby potatoes are roasting, wash and finely dice the fresh herbs. Also peel and mince the cloves of garlic. When the potatoes are about 5 minutes away from being done, begin heating the called-for butter, herbs, and garlic in a saucepan on the stove to create a melted garlic-herb butter. If you want to get fancy, brown the butter slightly before adding the garlic and herbs for a delicious twist!

Step 3: Smash & Smother the Potatoes

Once the baby potatoes are fork-tender, remove them from the oven. Now, using a fork or potato masher*, smash the potatoes into slightly flattened patties – about a quarter to half-inch thick. It may help to score an X the top of the potato skin with a knife before smashing. If there is a little indent in the middle, all the better to hold the herbed garlic butter! (*Note: I recently learned a neat trick: use the bottom of a clean mason jar to smash the taters!)

Next, use a spoon to add a small drizzle of the garlic and herb butter to each smashed potato. I like to go light on each one at first, ensuring I have enough for every spud. Then I go back around to spread the love if there is any left over garlic butter. 

Step 4: Finish Roasting the Potatoes

Return the smashed and smothered potatoes to the oven. Continue to bake for another 20 to 25 minutes until the edges turn brown and crispy.

From here, you can either enjoy them as-is, or finish (and bind) off your garlic and herb smashed potatoes with some cheese! If you do opt to add cheese, pull the potatoes out of the oven when they’re just about done, add a small slice to each spud, and return them to the oven for another 5 minutes or until the cheese is nicely melted. 

We have made this recipe with many types of melty cheeses, and you really can’t go wrong. Brie is excellent on top of these potatoes. Or for a slightly stronger flavor, try something like Fromage d’Affinois or Taleggio. Both look and melt a lot like brie, and taleggio has an extra tang. Sharp cheddar or parmesan would also be divine.

Step 5: Enjoy!

Serve up your garlic and herb roasted smashed potatoes, and enjoy! As I mentioned, they seem to get even better as they cool down. Most recently, we enjoyed serving a platter of these bad boys with a side of our fresh homemade cranberry sauce (get that recipe here). It was a drool-worthy combination. We also enjoy serving a few smashed potatoes with dinner, such as alongside a pile of sautéed garden greens and black beans.

Thanks for smashing with me!

I hope you, your friends, and family all enjoy this recipe as much as we do! Because I’m sure you’re going to share these with them, right? If not, I don’t blame you.

Please come back and leave a review if you do try them! Also, be sure to share your two-bite smashed potato adventures with us on Instagram by tagging me with @deannacat3 or #homesteadandchill, or Pin the recipe below!

If you would like to try growing your own potatoes at home, check out this article: “How to Grow Potatoes in Containers”. I have to say, the flavor of homegrown spuds is hard to beat!