Change up your dinner potato side, and that game day snack favorite with these easy and delicious sheet pan parmesan smashed potatoes!
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A cutie little potato find, and a new dinner side fav!
Over the holiday break, I saw these super sweet little multi-colored potatoes that the girls were swooning over. We used them for our New Year’s Eve charcuterie board, and they were absolutely inhaled! I just loved how easy they were to make, so I’ve made them a few times since for Sunday dinner sides to steak or roasted chicken. I really think they would make a fun game day munchie too. With the Lions’ possible Super Bowl bound status, I just had to get these up to mark such an event!
My little potato cooking secret!
To get the potatoes into a “smashed” consistency, they need to be cooked. These little potatoes would be easy enough to boil soft. However, for the last number of years, anytime I need a potato cooked for smashing or mashing, I use my Instant Pot every time. It just means way less fuss and hands on time. If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can still make this recipe though, so stick around!
The Method :: Cooking the Potatoes
I did absolutely nothing to these little potatoes but wash them before cooking. If you don’t have access to smaller potatoes, you can cut some yellow potatoes in halve or fourths depending on the size. Put a cup of water in the bottom of your Instant Pot, and use the basket or trivet to hold the potatoes. Cook them on high pressure for 7 minutes with a quick release. You’ll see they are ready to split, and are perfectly ready to smash! (If you do not have an Instant Pot, simply boil your potatoes until fork tender.)
The Method :: Smashing the Potatoes
Once your potatoes are cooked, transfer them to an unlined sheet pan. Use the back of a spoon or the flat side of a meat mallet to gently “smash” the potato on the sheet pan. You’ll want some surface area to carry the butter and parmesan, but you do not want to smash so much that you break the potatoes in half.
The Method :: The toppings for the parmesan smashed potatoes!
After smashing the potatoes, sprinkle each potato with sea salt and top with a pat of butter. Then you can add your parmesan cheese. The cheese sprinkling does not need to be perfect! In fact, those crispy bits of parm that melt on the sides are my favorite part!
The Method :: Roasting the parmesan smashed potatoes
Put the sheet pan of potatoes in to a 425 degree oven for a good 7-10 minutes, until the cheese is golden. Or, you can cook them longer or put them under the broiler if you want them crispier.
How to serve your parmesan smashed potatoes
Other than that fun charcuterie board on New Year’s Eve, I’ve mostly been serving the parmesan smashed potatoes as a fun side change up to steak or roast chicken. If you are serving for game day, you might even make them “loaded” smashed potatoes and have some toppings available to customize the smashed potatoes. Sour cream, chives, and crumbled bacon would be so fun!
How to store leftovers and make ahead options
Store any leftovers in the refrigerator. The smashed potatoes can be heated back up on a sheet tray in the oven so they crisp up again. I have served leftover parmesan smashed potatoes, and they taste great! I do think they would make a great make ahead game day item, or food prep item for a busy week of meals. Again, I think they are best warmed back up on the sheet tray in the oven so that the cheese gets crispy.
Easy Sheet Pan Parmesan Smashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs small potatoes between 18-22 small potatoes.
- sea salt to taste
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1 cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. You'll need an unlined sheet tray as well.
- Put a cup of water in the bottom of your Instant Pot, and use the basket or trivet to hold the potatoes. Cook the potatoes on high pressure for 7 minutes with a quick release. (If you do not have an Instant Pot, simply boil your potatoes until fork tender.)
- Transfer the cooked potatoes to an unlined sheet pan. Use the back of a spoon or the flat side of a meat mallet to gently "smash" the potato on the sheet pan. You want some surface area to carry the butter and parmesan, but you do not want to smash so much that you break the potatoes in half.
- Sprinkle each smashed potato with sea salt, top with a pat of butter, and then add your parmesan cheese. The cheese sprinkling does not need to be perfect! In fact, those crispy bits of parm that melt on the sides are my favorite part!
- Put the sheet pan of potatoes in to a 425 degree oven for a good 7-10 minutes, until the cheese is golden. You can cook them longer or put them under the broiler if you want them crispier.
Notes
- Other topping ideas we love! Add some fresh pressed garlic to the butter before putting the potatoes in the oven for garlic parmesan smashed potatoes! Or have a toppings bar set out to top the potatoes once they come out with sour cream, chives, and crumbled bacon!
