Another non-trivial way to bake potatoes: boil them until tender, spread them out on a baking tray, crush them with a shovel, and bake them in the oven with a little garlic butter. Potatoes cooked this way are better fried, the crust is more crispy, and it is also very quick and easy.
In the middle of the baking process, the potatoes are sprinkled with parmesan to embellish the taste and get a nice cheese crust. This recipe calls for serving with sauce, which is also cheesy, so I don’t put too much cheese on top of the potatoes. But if you are too lazy to make the sauce – put more cheese and not just Parmesan or its analogues. You can experiment with any cheese or even sprinkle a mix of different cheeses. If you do it this way – be sure to try adding some blue mold cheese for a brighter and spicier flavor.
⏱ Cooking time — 70 minutes overall. Includes 20 minutes of preparation and cooking + 50 minutes unattended.
🥣 Ingredients
🍽 For 4 servings:
- 750-1000 (1,7-2,2 lb) grams of potatoes
- 40 g (1,4 oz) of butter
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 40 g (1,4 oz) Parmesan cheese (or grands Padano)
- salt, black pepper
For whipped feta dip:
- 200 g (7,1 oz) feta
- 100 g (3,5 oz) sour cream
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp. white wine vinegar
- dill (optional)
🔪Step by step directions
Preheat oven to 200 ° C / 400 ° F, top mode, no convection (fan)
Rinse the potatoes well and rub them with a sponge. Put them in a saucepan, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pour water over them. Bring to a boil and cook for 30-40 minutes, until soft. Check with a wooden skewer – if it goes in loosely, the potatoes are ready.
Meanwhile, peel and finely chop 3 garlic cloves.
Grate 40 grams (1,4 oz) of parmesan cheese or grana padano (you can substitute other hard cheeses at your discretion) on a fine grater.
Put 40 g (1,4 oz) of butter in a saucepan and melt over a low heat. Add the finely chopped garlic and cook over a low heat for a minute and a half. Make sure that the garlic does not overcook and burn, for this you need a minimum heat.
When the potatoes are done, drain the water and let them cool slightly before continuing. At least until the steam stops flowing.
Grease the baking tray with neutral vegetable oil. If desired, cover with parchment or foil.
Place the potatoes and press each potato on top with a potato masher. Don’t press hard or sharply. Try to make them flatten, but not fall apart. But a lot depends on the type of potatoes and on the cooking time. If some of the potatoes flatten too much and fall apart, that’s okay.
Pour melted butter on top of the potatoes (warm if it has time to solidify), salt and pepper. Place in the oven for 15 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare the sauce. To do this in the bowl of a blender or food processor mix all the ingredients and whisk, salt and pepper to taste, mix. Transfer to a bowl to serve. If you need more details, read the recipe for the sauce.
After 15 minutes, remove the potatoes from the oven, sprinkle with Parmesan and return to the oven for another 7-10 minutes.
Serve with sauce, you can make it directly on the tray.
Smashed Oven Baked Potatoes with Feta Dip
Ingredients
- 750-1000 g potatoes
- 40 g unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic
- 40 g parmesan cheese (or Gran Padano)
- salt
- black pepper
For whipped feta dip:
- 200 g feta cheese
- 100 g sour cream
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp. white wine vinegar
- dill (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200 ° C / 400 ° F, top+bottom mode, no convection (fan)
- Rinse the potatoes and boil them in salted water for 30-40 minutes. Meanwhile, peel and finely chop 3 cloves of garlic and grate the cheese on a fine grater.
- In a saucepan, melt the butter, add the garlic and simmer on low heat for a minute or a minute and a half, do not overcook.When the potatoes are ready, drain and cool.
- Grease the baking tray with oil. Place the potatoes and press each potato on top with a potato masher. Do not press hard or harshly. Drizzle with creamy garlic butter. Put in the oven for 15 minutes.
- In the meantime, prepare the sauce. To do this in the bowl of a blender or food processor mix all the ingredients and whisk, salt and pepper to taste, mix. Transfer to a bowl to serve. If you need more details, read the recipe for the sauce.
- After 15 minutes, remove the potatoes from the oven, sprinkle with Parmesan and return to the oven for another 7-10 minutes. Serve with the sauce, you can serve directly on the tray.
