Potatoes + butter + herbs + a hot oven = crispy, delicious smashed potatoes.
Potatoes make for a great low sodium side, but they can get a little bit humdrum. Smashing and baking them until they are crispy adds flavor and texture that is unmatched. These potatoes are so easy and versatile, just use whatever fresh herbs you have on hand (my favorite is a simple sprinkle of chives). You can even omit the herbs entirely if you don’t have any on hand.
If you are looking to reduce the fat in this recipe, you can do so by omitting the butter and oil. If you do this, smash the potatoes and place in the oven for about 10 minutes. Remove the potatoes from the oven and sprinkle the smashed potatoes with the garlic and onion power and then spray the tops with cooking spray. This will help keep the powders from burning in the hot oven. These will not crisp up quite as nicely as if you use the butter and oil, but they will still taste great.
Make ahead tip
Want to make these a quick weeknight side dish? Just boil the potatoes on the weekend and refrigerate them until later in the week. When it is time to roast them, just pull them out of the fridge, smash, dress, and bake them. They are every bit as good this way as they are the day of. In fact, I almost exclusively make them this way in my house.
More than just a side dish!
You can eat these potatoes as a side dish and they are wonderful that way. But if you are looking for some other ides for how to eat them, check out a few ideas below.
- Top them with your favorite gravy (check out my recipes for sausage gravy and beef gravy).
- Top them with your favorite marinara, bolognese, or other red sauce. I was skeptical at first, but the family loves it.
- Use them as a base layer for nachos instead of chips (check out the Loaded Beef Nachos recipe).
- Top with a dollop of sour cream or spoonful of Quick and Creamy Herb Dip.
- Sprinkle an ounce or two of grated Swiss cheese (or other lower sodium cheese) for the last 10 minutes of baking.
- Check out sauce recipes online at SodiumGirl.com or HackingSalt.com.
Smashed Potatoes
SODIUM COUNT: 7 mg per serving; 29 mg in the entire recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 1 pound baby potatoes ((any variety))
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter ((melted))
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp chopped fresh herbs ((such as parsley, chives, rosemary, or thyme – optional))
- Fresh ground black pepper ((to taste))
Instructions
- Wash the potatoes until they are free from dirt and debris.
- Preheat the oven to 425°Prepare a baking sheet* by spraying it with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. Once the water boils, place the clean potatoes into the pot and boil for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Drain.
- While the potatoes are boiling, combine the melted butter, olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, and herbs in a small bowl. Set aside. TIP: If you want to make these potatoes ahead, you can refrigerate the boiled potatoes for several days. When you are ready to bake the potatoes, simply follow the recipe directions from this point forward.
- Place the drained potatoes on the baking sheet, separating each by a few inches. Flatten each potato using the bottom of a jar/mug, a fork, or a potato masher. TIP: My favorite is something with a handle, like a large coffee mug or a small skillet.
- Once the potatoes are flattened, use a pastry brush to spread the butter mixture even across the potatoes. Grind fresh pepper even over the top.
- Place the baking sheet into the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes are crispy and browned.
Notes
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION – Yield: 4 servings
Sodium: 7.2 mg, Calories: 142.8, Total Fat: 6.5 g, Saturated Fat: 2.4 g, Cholesterol: 7.6 mg, Carbohydrates: 19.8 g, Fiber: 2.5 g, Sugar: 0.9 g, Protein: 2.3 g.
* I advise using a medium to dark colored pan. The darker your pan, the crispier the potatoes will get. A light colored pan will work, but it will take longer to get the potatoes browned.
If you are looking to reduce the fat in this recipe, you can do so by omitting the butter and oil. If you do this, smash the potatoes and place them in the oven for about 10 minutes. Remove the potatoes from the oven and sprinkle the smashed potatoes with the garlic and onion power and then spray the tops with cooking spray. This will help keep the powders from burning in the hot oven. These will not crisp up quite as nicely as if you use the butter and oil, but they will still taste great.
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