Smashed Potatoes!

Just and FYI up front, I have changed the name of these (in my own head, and therefore on my own blog)...  All over Pinterest and the other links I have been led to, these are called "crash hot potatoes".  I'm not sure why, but I have been calling them smashed potatoes and it's stuck in my head.

My pin (pic below) was sourced from this lovely blog, in turn her post was inspired by this recipe, on Pioneer Woman. (In case you want tons more detail and pics!)

I was tempted by the simplicity of this recipe, and a few of my real life friends commented on my pin about how good and easy they were.  So I gave it a try, and have given it a few more tries since then! 

What you need...

• Potatoes (I love the "baby reds" but I think any small potato would work.)
• Olive Oil
• Salt/Pepper 
• Any herb you might enjoy (Pioneer Woman's suggestion, I haven't done any with herbs yet.)

It's soooo quick and easy....I'm just going to give it to you quick and easy!

Boil water and toss in your potatoes.
Cook them until they are fork-tender.
Prep the cookie sheet.  (I use tin foil sprayed with a little Pam or wipe it with olive oil.) 
Put the cooked potatoes on the cookie sheet, spread out so there is room for the smashing.
With a potato masher (or fork, or bottom of a glass, whatever is handy), gently press down on top of each potato until it gets slightly "flat" and breaks open.
Sprinkle potatoes with (at least) olive oil, salt, pepper ... and maybe some garlic powder, herbs, whatever floats your boat! 
Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until crispy and browned. 

I have made these about 5 times in the past 2 months.  We love them.  

I cook them longer (and hotter) now that I did at first (when I took the pics) so they do come out more like the lovely pic at the top of the post.  Good and crispy. 

You can top them with a bit of sour cream and green onions...

...or bacon and cheese...
 whatever condiments you desire!

Any kind of toppings really, it's like a modified baked potato bar.  :-)
 

As you can see on the pic to the right above, my boyfriend threw everything in our fridge on top of his. (Chopped onions, sriracha, shredded/melted cheese, horseradish mayo)  

Personally I like them with a bit of ranch or honey mustard for dipping.  

Although I eat about half of them just as they come out of the oven.  

Honestly, you really can't go wrong!!  I hope you agree if you decide to try them.