Loaded Smashed Potatoes are a Pinterest inspired recipe. Everyone keeps pinning it, so I figured I would try it.
I did like that smashing it and then baking it allowed for crispier edges and skin, but otherwise, it was just a plain potato.
So I took the plain smashed potatoes and turned them into loaded smashed potatoes with gobs of bacon, cheese and sour cream!
Why These Are the Best Loaded Smashed Potatoes
A cross between loaded mashed potatoes and a loaded baked potato, only with a fabulous zesty butter sauce- what’s not to love!
- Crispy edges – Different from just a regular loaded baked potato, these potatoes are first boiled and then baked for the best, crispy edges.
- Secret ingredient – Adding a dash of hot sauce is sure to have your family asking “what did you put in these?” You don’t even have to tell them the truth. We can’t keep it our little secret.
- A great side for any meal – If you’re a potato lover like me, you can serve these smashed potatoes with just about any protein or meal that you’d like to.
Ingredients
You are going to love the simple ingredient list needed to make these loaded smashed potatoes.
- Red potatoes – I personally love red potatoes for this recipe. They’re easy to get fork-tender and the skin has great flavor.
- Butter – Is there anything better than a buttery, loaded potato? not much in my book. I like to use a good quality butter here to really take it over the top.
- Hot sauce – I’m a lover of homemade sauces, so I use my homemade buffalo sauce. You can just as easily use your favorite store bought hot sauce too.
- Garlic cloves – I much prefer to use freshly minced garlic. It packs so much more of a punch than the jarred minced garlic does. you can use garlic powder in a pinch.
- Salt and pepper – I prefer to use sea salt and coarse freshly cracked pepper. Coarse kosher salt is also an option.
- Bacon – Make sure your bacon is slightly crispy. It’s way easier to crumble when it’s on the crispy side.
- Cheddar cheese – I always prefer to shred my own cheese. The pre-shredded bags have an additive that prevent the cheese from melting smoothly.
- Sour cream – You can’t have loaded potatoes without sour cream! Alternatively, you can use plain Greek yogurt.
- Scallions – These are optional, but add a great color and flavor to these loaded smashed potatoes. Cut on a diagonal for extra flair.
How to Make Loaded Smashed Potatoes
Making these loaded potatoes is as easy as one, two, three!
- Boil water. Fill a medium sauce pan part of the way with water and bring to a boil. While waiting for water to boil, scrub potatoes and remove any blemishes.
- Boil potatoes. Place potatoes in rapidly boiling water. Boil until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork.
- Prepare oven and potatoes. Preheat oven and remove potatoes from boiling water to a paper towel lined plate. Pat dry.
- Add potatoes to sheet pan, smash and bake. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place potatoes onto parchment. Using a small plate or the bottom of a pint glass, smash potatoes.
- Make butter sauce. Meanwhile melt butter and mix with hot sauce, garlic, fine sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Drizzle over each potato. Return to oven.
- Add toppings. Top with shredded cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon, sour cream and scallions. Serve immediately.
What to Serve with Loaded Smashed Potatoes
These potatoes can be served with just about any meal you can dream up. My family is a steak and potatoes family, so we like serving them with a good pan fried steak or something similar.
Because they are starchy and full of carbs, balancing them out with a nice green side salad or side of green beans is always a great option.
You can also serve them as a snack or appetizer for game day. Serve with other finger foods like mozzarella sticks or dill pretzels for a complete spread.
Variations
There are plenty of ways you can doctor up these loaded smashed potatoes to make them your own.
- Potatoes – You can easily switch up the type of potato used, like yukon golds. Yukon gold potatoes are similar in size so the cooking/boiling time won’t vary too much. You could even use french fries and load them up!
- Fresh herbs – Take the sophistication level up a notch by adding sprinkles of fresh herbs on top. Parsley, rosemary or thyme would all be great options.
- Cheese – In addition to or in place of the shredded cheddar, try adding parmesan cheese to change up the flavor a bit.
- Seasoning – Try adding some flaky sea salt, onion powder, or even some cayenne pepper to take the heat up a notch.
Storage and Freezing
Check the instructions below for how to store leftovers.
How to Store Loaded Smashed Potatoes
You can easily store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. However, reheating with sour cream isn’t a good idea. Keep that separate.
Can I Freeze Loaded Smashed Potatoes?
These potatoes are best enjoyed after freshly made, so I do not recommend freezing them.
Frequently Asked Questions
The secret here is to boil them first to soften them up a bit. Then add the potatoes to the pan you will bake them on before smashing. That way you won’t be moving them around, therefore no falling apart.
For this specific recipe, I prefer to use the bottom of a pint glass, but any flat, round surface will work.
Smashed potatoes are well, exactly that, smashed. You use a glass or other flat item to flatten boiled potatoes before baking. Mashed potatoes are cut, boiled, and mixed with milk and butter to make a creamy texture.
More Recipes That Use Potatoes
More They are like a blank canvas just waiting to be painted. And I don’t care what people say, they are a vegetable. Not starch or carbohydrate (I realize they are both things, just indulge me in my denial.) Here are some of our favorite potato recipes.
Crab Smashed Potatoes
Brown Sugar Cinnamon Sweet Potato Fries
Potatoes O’Brien
Ranch Roasted Potatoes
Loaded Smashed Potato Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 small-medium red potatoes
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon coarse fresh cracked pepper
- 2 tablespoons bacon crumbled
- 1/3 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons scallions cut on the diagonal
Instructions
- Fill a medium sauce pan 3/4 of the way with water and bring to a boil. While waiting for water to boil, scrub potatoes and remove any blemishes.
- Place potatoes in rapidly boiling water. Boil for 20-30 minutes (depends on the size)or until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove potatoes from boiling water to a paper towel lined plate. Pat dry.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place potatoes onto parchment. Using a small plate or the bottom of a pint glass, smash potatoes.
- Place in oven for 20 minutes. Meanwhile melt butter and mix with hot sauce, garlic, fine sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Drizzle over each potato. Return to oven for 5 minutes.
- Top with shredded cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon, sour cream and scallions. Serve immediately.
- If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was!
I really love getting on the net to find lovely new recipes then when I have tried them I like to share them with my family and friends