These loaded smashed potatoes are the ultimate side dish or great to serve as an appetizer. Made with a handful of simple ingredients, these are a real crowd pleaser!
I for one love a tasty potato side dish, and when you add bacon, sour cream and chives they really don’t get much better! I also love serving these as a group appetizer – they disappear so quickly!
How To Make Loaded Smashed Potatoes
Be sure to scroll down to get the full recipe!
Prep: Rinse the potatoes and boil them until they are fork tender and drain. Cook the bacon in a skillet and crumble it into pieces. Set the bacon fat to one side. Preheat the oven and cover a baking sheet with foil.
Make: Heat the bacon fat in the baking sheet. Smash each potato with a flat bottomed cup and gently place the potatoes onto the baking sheet.
Cook: Cook the potatoes until they are crispy and golden brown, flipping halfway through.
Serve: Top the potatoes with the crumbled bacon, cheese, sour cream and chives and serve.
Crispy and Fluffy Potatoes Every Time
Smashed is easily my favorite way to enjoy the humble potato. The outsides get amazingly crispy edges while they remain light and fluffy inside. Cooking them in bacon fat really enhances the flavors – they really are irresistible!
What are the best potatoes to use?
For the best loaded smashed potatoes, use small golf sized potatoes. New potatoes, baby reds or yukon golds all work well. You don’t need to peel them as the skins are thin, just give them a quick wash before boiling them.
Can you make them ahead of time?
Loaded smashed potatoes should be served straight out of the oven, but you can do a lot of the prep the day before. Boil and smash the potatoes and place them covered in the fridge for up to 8 hours. When you are ready to cook them, simply melt the bacon fat and bake them.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Use potatoes that are even in shape and size so that they cook evenly.
- Boil the potatoes until the are fork tender. They should still hold their shape and not be falling apart.
- Spread the potatoes in one single layer on the baking sheet. Don’t overcrowd them and use two sheets if needed.
More Potato Side Dishes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 516kcal
These loaded smashed potatoes are the ultimate side dish or great to serve as an appetizer. Made with a handful of simple ingredients, these are a real crowd pleaser!
- 1½ pounds new potatoes golf ball size, baby reds or Yukon Golds
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 pound thin-sliced bacon cooked crisp & crumbled
- 1-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese or your favorite
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2-4 tablespoons chopped chives
Rinse the potatoes and cut out any large dark spots. Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water by 2-inches. Add 1-tablespoon kosher salt and stir well. Bring the water to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer just until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 15-20 minutes.
While the potatoes boil, crisp cook and crumble the bacon. At this point, leave the rendered bacon fat in the skillet; set aside.
Drain the potatoes, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to cool and dry.
While the potatoes cool, adjust the oven rack to lower-middle position and set oven to 425°F. Cover a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil, and lightly spray the foil with nonstick spray. Set the baking sheet in the oven to preheat while the oven heats.
After the baking sheet has heated 10 minutes, add 3 tablespoons rendered bacon fat to the hot pan. Return the pan to the oven so the bacon fat heats.
Once the potatoes have cooled about 10 minutes, use a flat-bottomed cup to smash each potato to about ¼- inch thick – just enough to expose the insides but not enough that the potatoes fall apart.
Once the bacon fat is hot, carefully remove it from the oven and sprinkle it generously with salt and pepper. Place the smashed potatoes in a single layer at least 1-inch apart on the baking sheet. Sprinkle the topside of the potatoes with salt and pepper.
Place the pan with the potatoes in the oven and cook 10-15 minutes or until the underside of the potatoes is crispy and golden brown. Turn each potato over and cook an additional 10-20 minutes or until the other sides is golden brown and crispy.
Transfer the potatoes to a serving plate and top with crispy, crumbled bacon, shredded cheese, sour cream and chives.
Serve immediately.
Enjoy!
- Choose waxy potatoes, with thin skins, and that are about the same size (about golf ball size) to ensure even cooking. Creamer-style Baby red or Baby Yukon Gold potatoes work well.
- Boil the potatoes until the are fork tender. They should still hold their shape and not be falling apart.
- Spread the potatoes in one single layer on the baking sheet. Don’t overcrowd them and use two sheets if needed.
Calories: 516kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 80mg | Sodium: 1802mg | Potassium: 673mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 380IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 174mg | Iron: 1mg
