Crash Hot Potatoes

I'd seen these potatoes on a number of blogs and just hadn't gotten around to making them. My friend Kati blogged about making them with cheese instead of herbs and we decided that was the way we'd like to try them first (I'm sure we'll do them with herbs eventually). They were delicious! The crispiness of the potatoes was just perfect. These are a great side dish when you want something different than your regular old potatoes.

Crash Hot Potatoes

Ingredients:

Small round potatoes (new potatoes, yukon golds, etc--we used baby reds)

Olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

Herbs or Cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 to 450 degrees (depending on how crispy you want your potatoes and if you have other things in the oven). Place desired amount of potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Add a couple tablespoons of salt to the water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes, or until potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork (time will depend on size of your potatoes). Meanwhile, prepare a baking sheet by spreading a thin layer of olive oil over the bottom of the pan. Note, I always line my baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup. (Shiny side down.) Remove potatoes from pot and drain. Depending on the size of your potatoes, you may need to cut some of them in half. Place potatoes on baking sheet, leaving space between. Using a potato masher or the back of a fork, mash down potatoes, rotate pan and mash again. Brush tops generously with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and desired herbs. Roast in oven 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. If using cheese instead of herbs, wait to add that until the last few minutes.

Source: The Pioneer Woman Cooks, with cheese inspiration from Kati