Loaded Smashed Potatoes
A baked potato bar, but make it tailgating and less messy. These loaded smashed potatoes are the perfect way to enjoy all the good stuff in a loaded baked potato, but in bite sized form! Serve alongside some pretzel bites, homemade guac or teriyaki meatballs to make the ultimate game day spread!
Potatoes
You can use either yellow or red baby potatoes. The smaller size works out so well for smashing and keeping things at a two-bite capacity. I haven’t tried this recipe using larger, more standard sized potatoes, so I’m not sure how that would work out.
These baby yellow potatoes had a buttery soft interior and the skins crisped up SO WELL by the end of the bake time. I imagine the results would be similar with baby reds, also.
Toppings
Everything a loaded baked potato would have, you can put on these loaded smashed potatoes. The cheese is a non negotiable, you can just melt it right onto the potatoes at the end of the baking time. I also like how the extra cheese that gets onto the baking sheet kind of crisps up, too.
You could fry up your own bacon and chop it up, or just use bacon bits like I did. The sour cream adds a fresh, tangy flavor and the chives give that onion-y bite that ties it all together.
Serve with your favorite beer, soda, water – or all of the above. You can refrigerate any leftovers for a few days, but just know that they won’t be nearly as good reheated, especially with the sour cream and chives still on there.
But I don’t think you’ll need to worry about any of these loaded smashed potatoes hanging around that long!
Loaded Smashed Potatoes
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 14–16 smashed potatoes 1x
- Category: Snacks
- Method: Oven, Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Description
These smashed potatoes are loaded with the good stuff for maximum flavor and bite sized for minimal mess.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs baby yellow potatoes
- 2 TB olive oil, divided
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup bacon bits
- 2 TB fresh minced chives
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil. Set aside.
- Wash the potatoes and add them to a 5 quart pot. Add water until the potatoes are covered by at least an inch, and add a few teaspoons of salt.
- Bring the potatoes to a boil and allow to cook for 13-15 minutes, or until you can pierce them with a knife without resistance.
- Drain the potatoes and allow them to dry on a few stacked sheets of paper towel or a clean kitchen towel. Continue to let them rest for another 10-15 minutes, which will also allow the oven to fully come up to temperature.
- Toss the dry potatoes with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and some salt and pepper as desired. Spread the seasoned/oiled potatoes onto the prepared baking sheet and space them out evenly.
- Use the bottom of a heavy glass or measuring cup to gently press down and smash each potato until they’re about an inch thick.
- After you’ve smashed all of the potatoes, drizzle them with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven. Carefully flip the potatoes and bake for an additional 15 minutes to brown and crisp the opposite side.
- Remove the potatoes from the oven again, and divide the shredded cheddar evenly among all of the potatoes. Return them to the oven for 5 minutes and melt the cheese.
- After the cheese has melted, remove the potatoes from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack or serving platter. Dollop a small portion of sour cream on each potato and sprinkle the bacon bits evenly among all of the potatoes.
- Garnish with fresh chives and serve immediately. You can refrigerate any leftovers in a sealed container for 2 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 smashed potatoes
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 0.8 g
- Sodium: 393.4 mg
- Fat: 10.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 16.2 g
- Fiber: 1.8 g
- Protein: 6.4 g
- Cholesterol: 60.9 mg
