Mashed potatoes are a staple on many Thanksgiving menus, and honestly it’s hard to top a helping of mashed potatoes and gravy to go with turkey. I like mine with roasted garlic, and I also like mashed sweet potatoes with a variety of flavors mixed in. When it comes to Thanksgiving, I treasure our family traditions. But it’s also fun to change things up a little and try something different depending on the crowd that’s coming for a big Thanksgiving meal, and these crispy smashed potatoes from Cooking Light make a great fast potato side dish. My guys devour the whole plate whenever I make them, and they are easy enough for young kids to get in the kitchen and help with, especially the smashing part. Kids can use a small plate or pan to press the potatoes, or give them a wide wooden spoon and have them press down on the spoon with their palms for better leverage. Even a rolling pin works.

Smashed potatoes are a terrific side dish for any time of year, and I play around with the sour cream ingredients using whatever is in season in our garden. Dill, parsley, cilantro, basil, and chives all work with the sour cream, and you can get more adventurous with chipotle peppers or roasted red pepper. Spice things up and have fun with the recipe!

📖 Recipe

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Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Herbed Sour Cream

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Total Time25

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Keyword: potatoes, sour cream

Servings: servings

Calories: 166kcal

Author: Andrea Meyers

Equipment

microwave-safe plate
large bowl
2 baking sheets, lightly coated with cooking spray
small bowl

Ingredients

2½ pounds small red potatoes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (divided)
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup light sour cream (or vegan alternative)
¼ cup chopped chives

Other Herbs for the Sour Cream (optional)

cilantro
basil
parsley
dill

US Customary - Metric

Preparation

Sour Cream

Combine the sour cream and chopped chives in a small bowl. Can make up to one day ahead.

Potatoes

Preheat the oven to 500°F/260°C. Place the oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven.
Place potatoes on a microwave-safe plate, and microwave at HIGH for 8 minutes or until tender. In the bowl, toss the hot potatoes with 2 tablespoons olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper. Divide the potatoes evenly between prepared pans. Flatten the potatoes to about ½-inch thickness, and then brush on the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Rotate pans from front to back and top to bottom, and then bake for 10 minutes more, or until browned and crisp. Place potatoes on a serving platter.