This Easy Crispy Oven Baked Smashed Baby Red Potatoes recipe shows how to make the best roasted new potatoes loaded with cheese, bacon and more!

Easy Crispy Oven Baked Smashed Baby Red Potatoes

Just when you think you've seen all the good smashed baby red potato recipes out there, along comes another fabulous one. Fully loaded smashed potatoes are so good on their own, they don't need company. Serve them with a protein and vegetables and you've got a work of art on your plate!

Describing this recipe as "smashed baked potatoes" or even "smashed baby red potatoes" doesn't really do them justice. Dressing them up is key and with a host of ingredients listed below, they're sure to delight. Easy Crispy Oven Baked Smashed Baby Red Potatoes are a must try.

What Potatoes Should I use for Smashed Baby Red Potatoes?

Clearly, I'm partial to the red potato. That doesn't mean you have to be. It all depends on taste and preference. With the exception of the Russet or Idaho, any type of potato will work well. No doubt, the Russet potato is a classic but it doesn't keep it's shape as well as others.

New potatoes are young, thin layered and come in many different kinds. Baby or mini potatoes are the same but slightly older.

Cooking smaller potatoes rather than the regular size is strongly suggested as they cook faster. Yellow, white and red ones are the most popular.

Don't discount Yukon Gold or the Purple Peruvian. All of these potatoes are so easy to work with and no peeling required! And that means time saved.

Obviously, this Easy Crispy Oven Baked Smashed Baby Red Potatoes recipe is made with red potatoes. Pictures say it all! Wrapped in a thin layer of red skin, red potatoes (sometimes called red bliss) are less starchy than their white counterparts. Waxy and butter-like in texture, they're sweeter and contain more fiber than white potatoes as the skin is left on.

Crispy Smashed Potatoes

My wonderful and reliable taste tester friend, Renate had sampled my crispy smashed potatoes on more than one occasion and was excited to make them for her son and his family. Boiling and baking was her preferred method and I reminded her to let the steam escape for a few minutes after smashing them if she wanted her crispy smashed potatoes extra crispy.

Following their visit, Renate told me how she'd got the grandkids involved in making these crispy smashed potatoes. Their first crack at it resulted in potatoes smashed to smithereens. Patiently, Renate showed them how to gently smash these roasted potatoes with a fork.

Once they got the hang of it, the grandkids took immense pleasure in smashing these little darlings. Each topped their potato with their initials using a sour cream squeeze bottle. It was like the icing on a cake.

Renate's smashed baby potatoes were such a hit, she sent them home with a roasted smashed potato care package!?

Smashed Baby Potatoes

Renate was over the moon that her grandchildren loved these smashed baby potatoes so much. Secretly she was hoping there would be some left over for her to heat up later. You can always make more I told her. Or she was welcome to come over the next time I was making them. Of course, Renate is welcome in my home any time.

The method of mashing and crushing potatoes has been around since the 1800s. Smashing baby potatoes into the looks of smooshed hockey pucks is a pretty recent thing, I'm sure. They're a riot to do and the results are hugely rewarding if you're a potato fan like I am!

Easy Crispy Oven Baked Smashed Baby Red Potatoes

Getting Patrick to eat these smashed baby potatoes was never an issue. In fact, it was the opposite problem. He couldn't get enough smashed baby potatoes into him. His father's the same way. They'd stuff themselves silly if they could. I hate to admit it, but I feel the same way.

Loading these smashed baby red potatoes up with tons of cheese and crumbled bacon was only half the fun. Tasting them was the other half and the final reward. Simply amazing!

Recipe for Easy Crispy Oven Baked Smashed Baby Red Potatoes

Ingredients

mini or small potatoes (yellow, red, white, purple)
butter
crispy fried onions
bacon
cheese
sour cream or flavored sour cream based dip
green onions
salt
pepper
cooking spray

Bake/Broil Method

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with tinfoil or parchment paper and cooking spray.
Pierce potatoes with a fork and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 45 minutes to an hour or until potatoes are tender.
Remove potatoes from oven and grab your hand held potato masher.
Turn oven up to broil.
Move all of your potatoes to one end of your baking sheet. Spray the other half with more cooking spray.
One by one roll each potato on to the side of the baking sheet with more cooking spray and press down on each potato with your masher. Do not press all the way down to the surface of your baking sheet. Press so that each potato is the shape of a hockey puck.
Once you've moved all of the sprayed potatoes onto the side, spray the remaining half of the baking sheet and finish smashing remaining potatoes.
For crispier potatoes, let the steam escape for 5 minutes or so
Next, place a pinch of French's Fried Onions, or as much as you can fit on the top of each flattened potato.
Repeat with shredded or grated cheese.
Place baking sheet back in oven until cheese melts and browns to your liking. Remove from oven.
While cheese is still hot, too each potato with crumbled bacon.
Using a small spoon, add a dollop of sour cream or your favorite sour cream based dip on top of each potato.
Sprinkle with green onions and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Boil/Bake Method

Bring potatoes to a boil in a large pot of water. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until tender.
Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Place cooked potatoes on a greased baking sheet.
Spray each one with more cooking spray.
Using a fork, gently smash each potato. For crispier potatoes, let the steam escape for 5 minutes or so.
Drizzle melted butter over top of each smashed potato.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Sprinkle cheese over top of potatoes.
Bake for 8 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Top each potato with sour cream and green onions or any other toppings of your choice.

Other Smashed Potato Topping Suggestions

Pour melted butter over each potato then add ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Same thing goes for onion powder—¼ teaspoon and melted butter
Drizzle of olive oil
Ranch Dressing (dollop)
Caesar Dressing (dollop)
Different types of cheeses—feta, Parmesan, Mozzarella, Swiss or Colby Jack)
Greek Yogurt (dollop)

Consider these other herbs with melted butter. A sprig of fresh on each potato or ¼ teaspoon of dry will do just fine:

Parsley
Chives
Cilantro
Rosemary
Thyme
Basil

Dressed up and one place to go. Straight into your mouth and you're in potato paradise!!

What to Serve with Smashed Potatoes?

Smashed new potatoes will go with just about any protein you can think of. As the holiday season approaches, ham or turkey are the most popular. Here are some others:

Chicken roast
Chicken thighs or breasts
Roast Beef
Corned Beef
Meat Loaf
Lamb
Veal

The same goes for vegetables. Consider any of these:

Carrots
Corn
Peas
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Green Beans
Garden Salad
Caesar Salad

These lists are just starters to get you thinking as I'm sure there are countless others.

Although these sides go fabulously well with smashed baby potatoes, load these smashed potatoes up and they could easily become the star of the show.

Can I freeze Smashed Potatoes?

It's possible but I'm not sure I would risk it as potatoes hold a lot of moisture. They could turn out soggy.

If you want to give it a try, do not smash or put toppings on them. Only partially cook the potatoes (al dente). Boil the potatoes but ensure cooking time is reduced to 8 minutes or so depending on their size. Cool potatoes completely. Space them apart on a baking sheet and freeze for up to 12 hours or until completely frozen. Transfer potatoes to freezer baggies or freezer safe container and store up to 3 months.

Completely thaw and bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes or so.

Given that I've never frozen potatoes, I can't guarantee they will be the same as fresh. All you brave souls out there that dare to do this, let me know how they turned out.

Still craving potatoes? Try these other popular recipes!

Creamy Little Potato Bake
Easy Cheese Potato Casserole
Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pork Chops
Red Red Rice

Smashed Potato Recipe

Discussing freezing options should not be the last words when talking about this smashed potato recipe. Although this recipe is recent, I'm pretty sure it will never get old.

Make these oven baked smashed baby red potatoes over the holidays and consider it a well made plan. Making them any other time will be a welcome sight!

Let me know what you think of this recipe. As always, I love hearing your comments!

Be well!