There is one thing that everyone would agree is that Potato has deliciousness written all over it!!! Bake it, fry it or even put it in a potato salad, all equally delectable! It can easily be versatile and can be incorporated into multiple dishes! It marries perfectly with an array of herbs and spices yet still taste different and mouthwatering. It has power to possess even the pickiest eaters!
During my childhood years I made friends with a girl who was obsessed with potatoes, in-fact potato was the only vegetable she would consume without making any fuss. For her mother though, it was a different and difficult challenge to come up with food ideas involving potatoes, I still have faint memories about us playing and in the background – her mother complaining to my mother about her eating hobbit. Don’t blame her for loving the potatoes so much ;), but it’s not a healthy way of nourishing your body with just the potato diet!
Potatoes doesn’t have a good rap when it comes to food for nourishment. Because the main form of potato that we are used to loving and liking so much is either fried in some form or slathered in butter! But if cooked and eaten correctly, potatoes have huge amount of benefits, it contains loads of potassium, fiber and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) which is a coenzyme that assists in the breakdown and utilization of carbohydrates.
My favorite way of eating potatoes is baking it! My Oven Baked Fries recipe – is my go-to way of eating potatoes and sweet potatoes. They cook quickly when sliced thinly and tastes so much better with the addition of just the salt or you could go little fancy and add fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, oregano or spices like garlic powder, cayenne, chili flakes or just some basic freshly ground black pepper! These spices add tons of flavor and taste.
In today’s recipe post we are going to boil the potatoes first and smash ’em! Smother them in some good quality extra virgin olive oil and brush on some fresh thyme and minced garlic. Yummmm! These do not take so much of the prep time, you can boil the potatoes ahead of time if would want. My favorite part is the crispy edges you get around the smashed potato! They are to die for!
Creamy, soft center and crispy edges! Just look at those crispy goodness! Nommm nommmm!!
- 18 baby potatoes or 2 lb in weight ( or new potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes)
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 2 teaspoons garlic, crushed ( about 4 big cloves)
- water to boil the potatoes
- cooking spray or extra olive oil to grease the baking sheet
- kosher salt, to taste
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a small bowl mix chopped thyme, crushed garlic and salt along with olive oil. Set aside. ( I used 1 teaspoon of salt)
- In a large stock pot of boiling water add generous amount of salt. Add the potatoes and cook them until fork tender, about 15-20 minutes; drain well and pat dry.
- Place potatoes on to the prepared baking sheet making sure that they aren’t too close to each other. Using a potato masher (or fork or the back of the glass), press down in the center to smash the potato until flattened but still in one piece. Don’t worry if they break; repeat for all potatoes.
- Drizzle the prepared olive oil-herb mixture with the spoon on each smashed potato or simply brush them with the help of a brush.
- Place into oven and bake for 18-20 minutes or until edges seem to be browning and appear crispy.
You can put it on broil setting for a minute to make the potatoes more crispy and golden on the edges.
When the potatoes come out of the oven, you could sprinkle 2 tablespoon of parmesan cheese to make them cheesy or garnish with some chopped parsley if you like!
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