While I can’t necessarily say I love watching football, I definitely can’t deny that football season has its perks. I always look forward to making a fun couple of appetizers for game days and definitely start to miss the novelty-like classics once the season ends. Which got me thinking, there’s no reason not to make some of these classics year round!
Sneaky hard to make, never really looks as appetizing as one would think, but nonetheless mouthwatering. To fix problems A and B, enter these smashed potatoes! Much easier, plus sprinkle on some chives and you’ve instantly nailed that springy vibe.
We’ll start by partially cooking the potatoes so they’re easy to smash. Once they’re just fork-tender, you can either let them cool (you’ve been warned) and smash them gently with the base of your palm, or use a glass to smash them. Either way, try not to break them in half.
Once they’re good and smashed, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, being sure not to put them too close together. I have found that parchment paper really is best at crisping up the bottoms of potatoes which is what we’re going for. Drizzle each with a little bit of olive oil and butter, sprinkle with lots of salt and pepper, and pop them in the oven. While you can use solely olive oil, a little bit of butter does give that classic baked potato flavor.
After about 30-35 minutes they’ll be good and crisped and it’s time to sprinkle each with a mini heap of cheese. My favorite type of cheese to go with potatoes is probably cheddar, but you can really use any type of cheese that you have on hand. Kind of similar to when you're making nachos, make sure to put enough cheese on each so the horrifying how-did-it-disappear-in-the-oven tragedy doesn't occur.
Once the cheese is super melty, it’s as easy as sprinkle each with crumbled bacon and some chopped chives. Don’t be afraid to really add on lots of toppings as potatoes can handle the flavor!
Pop each potato off of the baking sheet and admire these easy and delicious appetizers. With just eight ingredients, (including salt and pepper!), these will remind you of your favorite football Sunday afternoon, even if it might be May.
Sour cream is not my favorite, but any drizzle-r or dipping sauce would be great with these. You could definitely use ranch, or to keep things simple an additional drizzle of butter would also be perfect.
Enjoy these pretty, satisfying, cheesy smashed potatoes any time you start feeling that football food nostalgia.
All the best parts of baked potatoes or potato skins but make them a little easier and a little fancier with these smashed cheddar and bacon potatoes.
Servings: 12 smashed potatoes
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large pot, add potatoes, cover with water, and add salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 25-30 minutes or until you can just stick a fork into the center. Drain and let cool completely.
3. Place each potato on a cutting board and gently flatten it with the base of the palm of your hand, being careful not to break it in half.
4. Spread out potatoes on a parchment-lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and melted butter. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Bake for 30-35 minutes until bottoms are crisp and tops are golden brown.
5. Remove from oven and sprinkle each potato with cheese. Bake for an additional 7-8 minutes until cheese is melted.
6. Meanwhile, cook bacon in the microwave or on the stove. Once crisp, coarsely chop.
7. Remove potatoes from oven, sprinkle with bacon and chopped chives, and serve immediately with sour cream or ranch.
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