These Smashed Potatoes with Cheese are the perfect dinner side dish or appetizer. Bite size potatoes are oven roasted to perfection, brushed with garlic butter, then layered with cheese and green onion. A must try recipe!
These Cheesy Smashed Potatoes are seriously delicious. I always whip up my 5 minute Sour Cream Sauce or Green Onion Dip with these potatoes for the perfect pair up. They're a great recipe for the Thanksgiving and Christmas Holiday table too.
If you're looking for main dishes to serve beside these potatoes, try my Air Fryer Turkey Burgers, Baked Italian Sausage, or Baked Boneless Chicken Thighs.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- These potatoes are bite sized with buttery, garlic, and cheesy flavors
- A great side dish or appetizer
- This recipe is so easy with little prep work required
- Perfect for dipping into sauces like Chipotle Lime Sauce, Sour Cream Sauce, or Creamy Poblano Sauce
Big on potato recipes? Try my Southern Stewed Potatoes, Simply Potatoes Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole, Cheesy Tater Tots, Smoked Baked Potatoes and Red Skinned Mashed Potatoes.
Ingredients for Cheesy Smashed Potatoes:
Bite sized potatoes: The best potatoes are bite sized or mini potatoes that fit in the palm of your hand. They bake faster and are really flavorful. Plus, if it's an appetizer, it's better to have a bite size potato that doesn't require utensils.
Olive Oil and Salt and Pepper- To help the potatoes roast without drying out and adds flavor.
Garlic Butter-The garlic is simmered in melted butter to remove the raw flavor and make it much more subtle. Then, it's brushed all over the potatoes and baked. Wait until the end of the baking process for this to avoid the garlic burning in the oven and becoming bitter.
Cheddar Cheese-A mild cheese that melts really quickly into the most gooey goodness. I suggest shredding it from a block for an overall better melt. Shredded cheese from the package has anti-caking agents and doesn't melt as well.
Green Onion-For a fresh finish and crispy texture.
See recipe card below for full list of ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations:
- I had white cheddar cheese at home, but regular yellow cheddar works too. Not big on cheddar, use parmesan cheese instead. It won't melt as well, but it will be really delicious.
- Any mini or bite sized potatoes will work well in this recipe. New potatoes, red potatoes, baby potatoes, or fingerling all are great choices. Look for a bag that has similar sized small potatoes, so they will cook evenly.
- Want to add a salty crunch? Cook 4 slices of bacon, and crumble and top with the green onion over the cheese.
How to Make Smashed Potatoes with Cheese:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash, scrub and dry the bite sized potatoes.
Step 2: Toss the potatoes in the olive oil, salt and pepper.
Step 3: Transfer the potatoes to a cookie sheet and bake for 25-35 minutes until they are fork tender. *If they are extremely small, they will be closer to 25 minutes baking time. These potatoes in the photo took almost 35 minutes.
Step 4: In a skillet over medium low heat, melt the butter. Add in the garlic and cook until fragrant, approximately 60 seconds. Remove from heat and set aside.
Step 5: Once fork tender, remove the potatoes from the oven. Smash just once with a potato masher or the bottom of a glass. Brush with garlic butter. Return to the oven for 3 minutes.
Step 6: Top each potato with cheddar cheese and return to the oven for 3-5 minutes until the cheese is melted.
Step 7: Top with green onion or chives. Serve with a dip, like this easy sour cream sauce.
Expert Tips:
- Watch the cook time for the potatoes closely. You want to pull them out of the oven when you can easily slide a fork into them. Mine took 35 minutes, but if they are smaller, they will take less time to cook. Don't overcook or they may fall apart.
- Only cook the potatoes with the garlic butter on top for 3 minutes as the garlic can burn and become bitter.
For more easy side dishes, try this Broccoli Orzo, Garlic Risotto, and Crack Green Beans.
Recipe FAQs:
They are over cooked or they are over smashed. Press down onto the potatoes just once to smash them.
All kinds of cheeses are wonderful on potatoes! For smashed or mashed potatoes, cheddar or parmesan are really great choices.
Store the smashed potatoes in the fridge for up to 3 days in a sealed container. Reheat in the oven on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes until hot.
More Side Dish Recipes You Will Love:
If you tried this Cheesy Smashed Potato Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
PrintRecipe
Smashed Potatoes with Cheese
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 1 and ½ pounds of mini potatoes 1x
Description
These Smashed Potatoes with Cheese are the perfect dinner side dish or appetizer. Bite size potatoes are oven roasted to perfection, brushed with garlic butter, then layered with cheese and green onion. A must try recipe!
Ingredients
- 24 ounce package of bite sized potatoes or baby potatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup green onion or chives, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash, scrub and dry the bite sized potatoes.
- Toss the potatoes in the olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Transfer the potatoes to a cookie sheet and bake for 25-35 minutes until they are fork tender. *If they are extremely small, they will be closer to 25 minutes baking time.
- In a skillet over medium low heat, melt the butter. Add in the garlic and cook until fragrant, approximately 60 seconds. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Once fork tender, remove the potatoes from the oven. Smash just once with a potato masher or the bottom of a glass. Brush with garlic butter. Return to the oven for 3 minutes.
- Top each potato with cheddar cheese and return to the oven for 3-5 minutes until the cheese is melted.
- Top with green onion or chives. Serve with a dip, like this easy sour cream sauce.
Notes
- Watch the cook time for the potatoes closely. You want to pull them out of the oven when you can easily slide a fork into them. Mine took 35 minutes, but if they are smaller, they will take less time to cook. Don't overcook or they may fall apart.
- Only cook the potatoes with the garlic butter on top for 3 minutes as the garlic can burn and become bitter.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: side dish
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: American
Sherry Terzan
Hi Everyone!....Hi Tara, I'm actually planning my menus for the week, having so much fun reading your recipes. Anyone who knows me, knows I love potatoes. My grandmother used to have them in her garden so we ate them a lot when we were together. I'm going to make these this week and will let you know how it goes. And, Robert, love that you mentioned the sour cream sauce, I read the recipe so fast, I missed that. Thank you....and I'll be writing back on this one soon.
Tara Smithson
Yes! The sour cream sauce is so good! I love potatoes too & these ones are yummy!
Robert
The best! Especially with that sour cream sauce. Yum!
Tara Smithson
Yay! I love this one too. So good. Thanks for the review.