Garlic Parmesan Smashed Potatoes
Garlic Parmesan Smashed Potatoes
Garlic parmesan smashed potatoes are the appetizer that clears the table before the main course arrives. Boil Yukon Golds until just tender, smash them flat on a sheet pan, and roast at 425°F until the edges go golden and the centers stay creamy.
Clears the table before the main arrives, the highest compliment available in our game day recipes.
What makes this version land is Kinder’s Buttery Steakhouse Seasoning worked into softened butter, then dolloped on top of each potato before it goes into the oven. As the butter melts, the seasoning, garlic, onion, a hint of richness, soaks down into the potato and builds flavor from the top down. Kinder’s Garlic Parmesan Wing & Dip Sauce on the side is the dipping situation everyone reaches for first.
A quarter-inch smash is the target. Thinner means more surface area, more surface area means more crust. Don’t overboil before you get there, pull the potatoes when a fork slides in but they still hold their shape. They’ll finish cooking in the oven. These two details are what separate good smashed potatoes from ones with real crunch.
This recipe serves 4. Total time runs around 50 minutes: 10 minutes of boiling, a short rest, then 25–30 minutes in a fully preheated oven. Keep a timer on the preheat. A slow oven means pale potatoes instead of that golden-brown crust.
Put these out at a party and plan to make a double batch next time. They also work as a serious side next to grilled steak or roasted chicken, the kind that quietly becomes the thing everyone mentions after.
Flavor First.
Garlic Parmesan Smashed Potato Appa-Teaser
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Bring potatoes to a boil in a large pot of salted water. Cook until tender when poked with a fork, about 8–10 minutes. Drain and let cool 10 minutes.
- Place potatoes on a baking sheet, drizzle with 2 Tbsp olive oil, and spread out about 2 inches apart. Press down firmly with your palm or a flat-bottomed ramekin until each potato is about ¼ inch thick.
- In a small bowl, combine butter and Kinder’s Buttery Steakhouse Seasoning until mixed. Place a dollop on each smashed potato. Top each with a pinch of shredded Parmesan.
- Drizzle remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil around the potatoes on the pan.
- Roast 25–30 minutes until tops are golden brown and edges are crispy.
- Serve hot with a ramekin of Kinder’s Garlic Parmesan Wing & Dip Sauce alongside.
Nutrition
Notes
- Don’t overboil — Pull when a fork slides in easily but the potato still holds its shape. They keep cooking in the oven. Overboiled potatoes fall apart on the pan and won’t crisp at the edges.
- Press to a quarter inch — The thinner the smash, the more surface area contacts the pan. Use a flat-bottomed ramekin or the bottom of a drinking glass for consistent pressure across every potato.
- Preheat fully before they go in — A cold or slow oven means pale, soft potatoes instead of a golden crust. Let the oven sit at 425°F for at least 10 minutes before the pan goes in.
- Use softened butter, not melted — Softened butter combines with the seasoning into a thick cap that sits on top of each potato and melts down into the crust as it roasts. Melted butter runs off.
- Give them space on the pan — Keep potatoes at least 2 inches apart. Crowded potatoes trap steam and turn soft instead of roasting. Use two pans if needed.
- Re-crisp in the oven — Day-old smashed potatoes come back at 400°F for 8–10 minutes. Skip the microwave — it softens the crust and undoes everything.
- These work as a standalone appetizer or a shareable side. Set out the Kinder’s Garlic Parmesan Wing & Dip Sauce in a ramekin alongside — it goes fast, so consider a double portion for larger groups.
- As a side dish, they hold up next to grilled steak, pork chops, or roasted chicken. The Buttery Steakhouse Seasoning already pulls toward red meat, so lean into it.
- For a loaded version, top each potato straight out of the oven with a small dollop of sour cream, chopped chives, and a pinch of flaky salt. That takes them from party appetizer into something closer to a composed side dish.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. They won’t stay crispy overnight, but they reheat well.
- Re-crisp in a 400°F oven or air fryer for 8–10 minutes. That’s the only method worth using — the microwave turns the edges soft and kills the crust.
- Store the dipping sauce separately in a sealed container. It keeps for up to a week. Serve it cold or let it come to room temperature for a few minutes before serving.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these ahead?
Boil and smash ahead, refrigerate on the baking sheet, then roast just before serving. Add 5 extra minutes to roasting time if they’re going in cold from the fridge.
What if I only have large potatoes?
Cut them into smaller chunks before boiling so they cook through evenly. Small potatoes are the better call, they smash in one piece and hold together better.
Can I use a different dipping sauce?
Ranch, sriracha mayo, or sour cream and chive all work. The Kinder’s Garlic Parmesan Wing & Dip Sauce is what makes these hard to put down, but any creamy dip fits.
What’s the best potato for smashed potatoes?
Yukon Golds. Thin skin, creamy center, and they hold together through the smash. Red potatoes work too. Russets are too starchy and tend to fall apart when pressed.
How do I get the crispiest edges?
Press thin, quarter-inch is the target, and don’t crowd the pan. Both olive oil drizzles matter: one before you smash, one after. Skip either and you lose crust.
More like this: Appetizer & Dip Recipes
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