Akin to potato skins but without all the work, these cheesy smashed potatoes are the perfect side dish or party appetizer.
Cheesy smashed potatoes are a fun way to switch up how you serve mini potatoes. They can be a fun side dish or a meal all on their own. See our frequently asked questions to see how to make it a meal.
Potatoes are one of the most versatile vegetables. I serve them all time so am always looking for new ways to cook them. I personally could never get sick of potatoes because I have a real love for this starchy vegetable but my family doesn’t share my passion.
These smashed potatoes are really easy to make. You just need a couple of extra ingredients and one extra step from regular roasted potatoes. This can bring your family meal to ‘favourite’ status if you have cheese lovers in the house.
Preparing Cheesy Smashed Potatoes
Ingredients
Potatoes: Mini potatoes are recommended in this recipe because you want the potatoes encased in their skin for the best results. The skin adds flavour and keeps the flesh from drying out.
Paprika: I use sweet paprika for this recipe. It is not sweet in the sugary sense, but compared to its spicy and smoked siblings it is definitely the sweetest of them all.
Garlic Powder: Garlic powder is dehydrated garlic ground to a powder. It’s sweeter than raw garlic so it just adds a hint of garlic flavour without the sharpness.
Cheddar Cheese: I like to use old cheddar in this recipe to add a bold flavour to complement the potatoes. Medium cheddar will work great as well.
Green onion: Also known as scallions, green onions add a fresh flavour to this dish. Use the green parts of the green onion for a milder flavour or chop up the whites as well if you prefer a stronger taste.
Sour cream: The slightly sour taste of the sour cream is the perfect cooling factor for the hot potatoes and melty cheese.
How to Make Cheesy Smashed Potatoes
Start by warming up the oven to 400°F.
While you wait for the oven to warm up, wash the potatoes and place them in an oven-safe dish. I use a 9×9 glass dish. If you are doubling the recipe opt for a 9×13 dish instead. 
Top the potatoes with oil, salt, garlic powder and paprika and stir until the potatoes are evenly coated with the oil and spices. I like to use spatulas to do this but you can also use your hands, which might be faster but messier.
Once the oven is heated, place the potatoes in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
In the meantime, grate the cheese. I like to use a coarse grater but any size will do.
Next, wash and chop the green onions. I like to finely chop them so they are easy to disburse evenly over the potatoes.
When the 25 minutes are up, take the potatoes out of the oven and turn on the
broiler.Using a potato masher, smash the potatoes until they are about an inch thick. All you want to do is flatten them and pierce the skin a little. What you don’t want to do is fully mash them.
Once all the potatoes are smashed, or flattened, sprinkle the grated cheese evenly over the top.
Place the potatoes back in the oven for another 5 minutes under the broiler.
Take the potatoes out of the oven and let them cool for a couple of minutes before serving. They will be very hot!
Serve topped with sour cream and green onions.
Substitutions
Potatoes: You can use any kind of mini potato though yellow flesh is my favourite. Fingerling and red skin potatoes will work very well in this recipe as well.
Cheese: Any kind of melty cheese will be great with these smashed potatoes so feel free to cater to your taste.
Green Onions: Instead of green onions you can use chives. They have a milder flavour so may be more favourable for your picky eater as well.
Paprika: You can use smoked paprika for this recipe if you prefer a smoked flavour. If you choose to go this route, half the quantity otherwise it will overpower all the other flavours. You can also use chili powder at half the quantity if you don’t have any paprika on hand.
Sour Cream: You can use Greek yogurt if you don’t have sour cream however the dish may taste a little more tart. You can consider reducing the quantity to reduce that tartness.
Serving Cheesy Smashed Potatoes
These cheesy potatoes are perfect on the side of roasted chicken like our beer can chicken. They are also perfect as a side for game day meals like ribs or chicken wings.
These potatoes aren’t just a great side. They also make an excellent appetizer or a party dish. Add some bacon bits to load them further.
Cheesy Smashed Potatoes Recipe
Equipment
- 8x8 oven safe dish
- Potato masher (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 lb mini potatoes 5-6 potatoes per person
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup cheddar cheese
- 1 tbsp green onions
- 2 tbsp sour cream
Instructions
- Turn the oven to 400°F
- Wash the potatoes and put them in an oven safe dish in one layer.1 lb mini potatoes
- Add the oil, paprika, garlic powder and salt. Stir well until the potatoes are well coated in the oil and spices.1 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp salt
- Once the oven is heated, put the potatoes in for 25 minutes.
- While the potatoes are in the oven, grate the cheese. Wash and chop the green onions.1/4 cup cheddar cheese
- Take the potatoes out of the oven and turn the broiler on. Using a potato masher or fork smash the potatoes squishing them to flatten them to about ½ inch thick. Do not push all the way through. You will know to stop when you feel a slight release of air, like a pop, as you break through the skin.
- Top the potatoes with cheese and place back in the oven for 5 more minutes.
- Remove the potatoes from the oven. Top with sour cream and green onions and serve as a side to your favourite main.1 tbsp green onions, 2 tbsp sour cream
Video
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I turn this side dish into a full meal?
Yes, you definitely can. You can add sliced grilled chicken, shredded rotisserie chicken or cooked ground meat on top of the potatoes, under the cheese. To keep the dish vegetarian, try topping the potatoes with some crisp tofu either under or on top of the cheese.
Can I make this dish with regular, large potatoes?
You can, but this will change the texture of the dish a bit. Firstly, leave the skin on the potatoes and cut them into 2-inch pieces. When smashing the potatoes be very gentle, you may even want to skip this step. The potatoes pieces will mash very easily without the skin protecting the flesh.
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