Smashed Potatoes with a Crispy Parmesan Crust

Slightly crispy and golden-brown, these smashed potatoes are a deliciously fun and flavorful potato dish! Seasoned with olive oil, garlic, fresh rosemary and parsley, plus a generous sprinkle of parmesan cheese as a tasty finisher, these scrumptious potatoes make for a terrific twist on classic roasted potatoes!

Smashed Potatoes Are a Deliciously Fun Way to Jazz up Roasted Potatoes

Little baby Yukon Gold and baby red potatoes roasted in the oven until scrumptiously tender and golden are such a comforting treat!

Their flavor is ever-so-slightly sweet and boldly buttery, making these cuties such a perfect option to serve along with your main dish.

There's a wonderful (and even fun!) way to jazz up a roasted baby potato recipe when you're looking for an extra special way to serve them, and that's by creating some additional flavor and crispiness with my smashed potatoes recipe!

Tossed with a generous drizzle of silky and rich, good-quality olive oil, some sea salt and black pepper, plus a garlic clove and a dusting of herbs before being roasted until tender, these cute spuds are then gently smashed, just until they crack around the edges, then topped with grated parmesan to create a savory “crust”.

At a couple of bites each, these smashed potatoes are a fun and enticing way to prepare classic roasted potatoes, giving them a crispy and cheesy twist!

How to Make Smashed Potatoes with a Crispy, Parmesan Crust

Preparing smashed potatoes that have lots of savory flavor and a golden, crispy crust couldn't be any easier.

Baby Yukon Gold and baby red potatoes are already innately flavorful choices of potatoes, and using a small handful of simple ingredients such as sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, olive oil, garlic and woody herbs helps to impart even more flavor as they undergo their initial roasting.

Creating that crispy parmesan crust is how my smashed potatoes recipe becomes extra delectable, and that only takes a moment or two under the broiler just before serving—that's it!

Here's a peek at my smashed potatoes recipe: or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. I season my baby potatoes with a combination of seasoning ingredients, then turn them out onto a prepared baking sheet to roast until tender.
2. Once tender, I use a 1 cup measuring cup (or even a heavy-bottom glass), and gently smash each potato just until it slightly flattens and the cracks around the edges.
3. Then, I sprinkle over a good amount of grated parmesan cheese, return the potatoes to the oven, this time under the broiler for a few minutes.
4. Once the cheese is golden-brown, with a crisp outer crust, I remove the potatoes from the oven, and sprinkle over some additional seasoning with some reserved fresh rosemary, parsley and a pinch of lemon zest, then serve hot!

Recipe

Smashed Potatoes with a Crispy Parmesan Crust

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

These smashed potatoes are loaded with savory flavor with a deliciously crispy, golden parmesan cheese crust!

Category: Side
Cuisine: American

Yield: Serves 6

Nutrition Info: 235 calories

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Total time: 60 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds baby Yukon Gold or red potatoes (you can use a combo)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, pressed through garlic press
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves, plus ½ teaspoon, divided use
• Sea salt
• Cracked black pepper
• ¼ to ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 lemon

Preparation:

1. Preheat your oven to 400°, and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
2. Add the baby potatoes to a large bowl, and drizzle over them the olive oil; add in the garlic, the tablespoon of chopped rosemary, a couple of good pinches of sea salt and cracked black pepper, and then toss to coat well.
3. Turn the potatoes out onto your prepared baking sheet, and roast the potatoes for about 40 minutes, shaking the pan a couple of times during the roasting to roll the potatoes around for even crisping; once you can easily pierce a potato with a paring knife, they are done.
4. Take the potatoes out of the oven, and turn your oven to the “broil” setting.
5. Using a 1-cup measuring cup (or heavy-bottom glass), gently press each potato to smash it, taking care not to completely flatten it—you just want to cause it to smash and crack.
6. Sprinkle over each smashed potato about 1 heaping teaspoon of the grated parmesan cheese, and place the potatoes under the broiler; broil for about 1-2 minutes, or just until the cheese melts and becomes a nice golden-brown (don't walk away from your broiler!).
7. Finish the potatoes by sprinkling over top the remaining ½ teaspoon of chopped rosemary, plus the chopped parsley, and grate just a very small amount (just a little pinch) of lemon zest over the potatoes using a microplane or fine zester for a little extra aroma. Enjoy hot!

Tips & Tidbits for my Smashed Potatoes:

• Waxy baby potatoes: The baby Yukon Gold potatoes are terrific for this recipe, offering up lots of buttery flavor, but you can also use baby red potatoes, or a combination of both. Any other small, waxy potato that you can roast whole and then smash is perfect for this recipe.
• Parmesan cheese for the crust, or a combo: I stick to grated parmesan cheese for these spuds, but a combo of romano and parmesan cheese, or just romano, or even pecorino, or another grated “blend” would be delicious!
• Switching up the herbs: I'm a fan of the woodsy flavor of rosemary and parsley for this recipe, but another delicious option is fresh thyme leaves, or even fresh dill. Feel free to choose your favorite herbs!

Hungry for more delicious potato recipes? Check out these Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, these Rosemary Potatoes, or these Roasted Potatoes!

Cook's Note: This recipe was originally published in 2015, and has been updated with even more love!