Crash Hot Potatoes
I love no-recipe recipes. This isn’t my recipe, but when I saw it on The Pioneer Woman, I knew I not only had to make it (over and over), but also share it with you guys.
It is EASY and it is TASTY.
Boil potatoes, smash them, cover them with olive oil, salt, and rosemary, and bake them until they’re crispy. There. Now you know how to make them.
The Pioneer Woman uses New Potatoes, and I think those are a good choice. They’re small and waxy, which means when you squish them they don’t explode into a fluffy mess.
I, however, used regular organic russets, but small ones. These also worked just fine, but I did get a bit of fluffy mess. No worries, if this happens to you, just scoop the potatoes into rough piles and proceed.
In November I bought a pressure cooker, and I adore it. Especially for making potatoes. It’s not that boiling potatoes is hard, but pressure cooking them is definitely easier. They come out nice and fluffy and delicious, and they cook quickly and evenly. No soggy potatoes from over boiling, no splashing and scalding, just well-cooked potatoes every time.
Also, keep in mind that this recipe does require a good deal of oil and salt to be tasty. Obviously fat and salt make lots of things tasty, but when you’re dressing up naked potatoes, they’re really required. You can add more salt at the table if needed, but do your tastebuds a favor and close your eyes when you’re putting the oil on before baking.
Crash Hot Potatoes
Makes as many as you please
Several Smallish Potatoes, red or russet
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil
2-3 Sprigs Rosemary
Preheat oven to 450º F.
Scrub the potatoes clean. Boil them until tender all the way through. If you have a pressure cooker, cook the potatoes whole on a trivet with 1 cup of water for 10-20 minutes at high-pressure, depending on the size of your potatoes. Turn off the heat and let the cooker release pressure naturally.
Place the cooked potatoes on a baking sheet drizzled with olive oil. I like to use parchment paper here to keep things clean and non-stick.
Make an X cut on the top of each potato for easier squishing. Use a potato masher and gently press on each potato until squished but not obliterated. You want them to stay together somewhat. If they fall apart, have no fear! Just scoop the bits into piles and proceed.
Once smashed, generously sprinkle salt over each potato. Follow with pepper, and douse everything with more olive oil. If desired, sprinkle each potato with freshly chopped rosemary.
Bake the potatoes at 450º F for 20-25 minutes, longer is better as long as they’re not burning. Serve hot! I sprinkled smoked paprika over them to finish, but I put that on everything.
Thanks, Pioneer Woman, for the awesome recipe!
thank you for sharing this incredible recipe! i made it for a dinner party last night and everyone was raving about it! as a vegan, i appreciate new, creative recipes for potatoes, and i never would have found this if it wasn’t on your blog. thank you x3! xo
These are so freakin good. My wife and I love them!!
hello …
I watch your site as you like …. so … I tried your recipe .. so I like hot potato … .. in fact I do not know English translation program was written to take advantage of these comments …. thank you for the recipe ….
Joe, how many vegans looks at Pioneer Woman’s blog? I don’t, so if VeganYumYum had never posted it I would have never been able to make this delicious recipe. Why is the negativity necessary?
I too have made this recipe after seeing it on Pioneer Women’s Blog. Everytime I make it I get tons of compliments.
Try putting “Dukkah” on those spuds. Nuts, seeds and spices! I found it online at Juliet Mae Spices.
I have to say, I made these for our Mom Day BBQ and they were INCREDIBLE. Piled on the garden rosemary, sooooo good :)
Should I be concerned that on the package of my parchment paper it says it is only safe up to 420 degrees and not 450? What the heck, fire roasted is always good!
After enjoying these potatoes several times at home, last week I made them for a group of 15. (I did the cooking during a yogaweek) They all loved them and its’s very easy to make for a big group. (As long as you have a really big oven; I had a huge one).
They also loved the slow rise pancakes at breakfast on the last day. The few ones left, have been carefully wrapped and taken home.
I love all things potato and these are great! I had a little trouble smashing them and making them look as great as yours did but you gobble them up in the end anyways, so who really cares?
I would also add a bit of pressed garlic on top for that bit of a kick but then again, I add garlic to almost everything. These go great with a side of salad :)
I never post comments – ever – but I have to say that these were so amazingly tasty that I had to say thanks for posting – I too would never have found these had it not been for your site (& ipod app!) Thank you thank you thank you – I will share the love :)
I just made these and they were absolutely wonderful. So very, very delicious.
I made these for my Holiday, and they were phenomenal. So easy and delicious, I will definitely be making these potatoes again…soon!
Im making these right now– they are in the oven and i cant wait to see how they taste. I was looking at the blog and decided to make lunch– thank you!
Beautifully and apparently tasty. Thank you.
I make the same with lots of garlic as well, sometimes with anchovies too.
Pressure cooker, great idea!!!