Need Some Stress Relief? Crispy Smashed Potatoes

Oh, lookie here.....another Joelle recipe. I am completely hooked on Joelle. Everything that I make from her blog is always family satisfying and bursts with flavor. You really need to give her a visit.

The original recipe for these crispy smashed potatoes can be found here.

I am going to walk you through and show you what I did......

I used the tri-colored potatoes (red, yellow, and purple).

The spice of my choice was this little guy and crushed black pepper.

I cooked the potatoes (whole) in a pan of water until fork tender, and then placed them on a lightly greased (rubbed with olive oil) foil lined cookie sheet (with sides).

I used the same pan that I cooked the potatoes in to smash them. And this is where the stress relief comes into play. This is the perfect dinner item to fix after a bad day at work.....did someone make you mad? Did your boss ask you to do too much? Did a co-worker steal your lunch?

This is perfect!! Pop their heads (potato heads) with the pan (this takes some imagination), and you can even curse a little while your doing it.

Just make sure you press their heads with the same amount of force. The layer of smashed potatoes should be the same, or similar. That way those stupid potato heads that went out of their way to make you mad will bake evenly.....

This is what they look like after they are spiced and baked. Big, huge french fries.....

I made some Red Hot Ranch sauce to pour on them too. I don't know your feelings on Red Hot and Ranch, but I really think these two should be married. They make the best sauce (for dipping bread sticks, pizza, chicken wings, and chicken nuggets....and anything else you want to dip).

Crispy Smashed Potatoes is the perfect side for any kind of meal. They will be made over and over and over in my house.

Crispy Smashed Potatoes

12 - 14 red or yellow potatoes (babies)

Water for boiling the potatoes, and big pan

1/3 c. melted butter

Seasonings of your choice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In large pan place potatoes, and completely cover with water. Boil until fork tender. Drain.

On a baking sheet (with sides) place a sheet of foil. With a paper towel spread olive oil on the foil. Place cooked potatoes on foil. With the bottom of the pan you cooked them in (be careful, may still be hot) smash potatoes into a flattened even layer, continuing until all the potatoes are done. Drizzle the potatoes with the melted butter and top with seasonings. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until crispy enough to your liking. Serve immediately.