Pesto Smashed Potatoes (Only 2 Ingredients!)
Looking for a quick and delicious way to add some variety to your meals? Try out these pesto smashed potatoes! With just two ingredients, they not only pack a flavor punch but they’re also so easy to make.
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Pesto Smashed Potatoes
2 Ingredient Pesto Smashed Potatoes
What Potatoes to Use for Smashed Potatoes
There are a variety of potatoes you can use for this smashed potato recipe.
I used creamer potatoes but here are a few others you can play around with:
- New potatoes (also known as baby potatoes)
- Fingerling potatoes
Baby yellow potatoes, red potatoes, it really doesn’t matter.
I prefer a waxy potato like the creamers or baby potatoes but you can use whatever small potato you like.
Tools you’ll need
You don’t need anything fancy to make this recipe. Just a few items. If you don’t have a basting brush, just use a spoon.
How to Make Pesto Smashed Potatoes
You’re going to love how easy it is to make this flavor-packed side dish.
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the potatoes and boil under potatoes are fork tender, about 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425F degrees.
Drain the potatoes and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Let the potatoes cool for a few minutes and smash them with a fork. You can also use a potato masher if you prefer.
Brush pesto over top with a silicone basting brush (if you don’t have a basting brush, you can. use a spoon). Be generous, especially with the oil in the jar.
If the pesto you bought is on the dry side, you can add extra-virgin olive oil over top. You want oil so the potatoes get nice and crispy.
The basil in the pesto will cook and crisp up. It will look a little burnt (especially if you used lots), but it won’t be. You can brush off any dry parts if it bothers you when it comes out of the oven.
Bake for 25-30 minutes. Check on them through the process to make sure they’re crisping up, but not burning.
What to Serve Smashed Potatoes With
- Greek Sheet Pan Chicken
- Air Fryer Lemon Chicken
- Coconut Lime Chicken Skewers (coming soon)
- Grilled fish
- Steak
- Porkchops
- Roasted or grilled tofu or tempeh for a vegetarian or vegan option
The leftovers are also delicious as a breakfast potato.
What to Do with Smashed Potato Leftovers
If you have leftovers (and that’s a big if) here are some ideas on how you can reuse this side dish:
- Fry them up as a flavorful breakfast potato
- Dice them up and fry them with peppers, onions, and eggs for a delicious breakfast bowl recipe.
- Add them to a salad.
- Serve them as a side for tomorrow’s dinner.
- Make a mini potato salad. Use the leftover pesto smashed potatoes as a base for a potato salad by adding some chopped celery, red onion, and a simple vinaigrette.
- Two words: pizza topping.
- Try a roasted pesto veggie bowl. Combine the leftover potatoes with some roasted vegetables and a protein of your choice, such as chicken or tofu.
- Pesto mashed potato cake! Mash the leftover potatoes and shape into small cakes and fry them in a pan until crispy. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or greek yogurt on top.
As you can see, you can get really creative with some leftover options. Let us know if you give any of these a try.
FAQs about Smashed Pesto Potatoes
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Pesto Smashed Potatoes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5-6 cups creamer potatoes 1 bag
- 1/2 cup pesto I recommend starting with 1/4 cup and adding more if needed
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook until fork-tender, about 20 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 425F.
- Drain the potatoes and let them cool for a few minutes. Then, smash them with a fork or potato masher.
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and arrange the smashed potatoes on it.
- Brush pesto generously over the potatoes using a silicone basting brush or a spoon. If the pesto is on the dry side, add some olive oil on top to help the potatoes crisp up.
- Bake the potatoes for 25-30 minutes, checking occasionally to ensure they’re crisping up without burning.
- When they're done, remove the pan from the oven and let the potatoes cool for a few minutes. You can brush off any dry parts of the basil if you prefer (see notes).
- Serve and enjoy!