At our house, potatoes are a favorite and I am constantly looking for new ways to cook them to keep things interesting.
This year we did a trial run on growing potatoes in buckets to help get our clay soil loosened and to see how well the buckets improved our potato growing capabilities. The results were good but also gave us more "little" potatoes than usual. So this recipe was just perfect to be sure to put all those little potatoes to good use. And the bonus, my family says this is their new favorite way to have potatoes!
So I do plan to grow potatoes in buckets again this year and use this recipe again and again on those "little" potatoes.
Here is the recipe - enjoy!
Instructions
Cook potatoes: Bring a pot of water to the boil, add 1 tbsp salt. Cook potatoes until soft - small ones should take around 20 to 25 minutes, medium ones might take 30 minutes. It's ok if the skin splits. Alternatively, steam or microwave them. I do not remove the skins but you are welcome to if you wish!
Preheat oven to 390°F
Steam dry: Drain the potatoes and let them dry in the colander for 5 minutes or so.
Smash! Place on the tray then use a large fork or potato masher to squish them, keeping them in one piece. Thin = crisper. Thicker = fluffier insides. (Both ways are good!)
Steam dry again: Leave on the tray to steam dry for 5 minutes or so - makes them crispier!
Drizzle: Drizzle with LOTS of melted butter with some garlic salt, and a bit of pepper mixed in. Sprinkle with a bit of Celtic Sea Salt or other good salt. Sprinkle a little cheddar cheese on top of each potato.
Bake: Bake for 45 minutes (small potatoes) to 55 minutes (medium) or until deep golden and crispy. Do not flip!
Serve hot, sprinkled with parsley if desired.