Smashed sweet potatoes are simply mind bending! Crispy edges with tender, soft and sweet center will make and cheesy Parmesan toppings make it an ideal for winter meals.
1tablespoonolive oilmainly for spraying the tray and on top smashed potatoes before roasting
Salt to taste
Pepper to tastefreshly ground
2tablespoonParmesan cheesefreshly grated
Instructions
Scrub potatoes to get rid of any dirt.
Cut into 1 inch thick rounds. No need to peel the skin off.
Boil water in a big pot. Either place the rounds inside water to boil or steam it. To steam place a steamer basket on top of boiling water with rim of the basket barely touching the boiling water.
Cover and boil for 20 to 30 minutes or until just fork tender. Do boil them until it has become very tender.
Wait for few minutes so sweet potatoes cool down a bit and it’s safe to handle them without burning your fingers.
Arrange boiled sweet potatoes on well greased baking tray with 2 inch gap between each other.
Gently smash potatoes using back of the fork or spatula. You can use flat bottom on any bottle or jar to smash as well.
Pro Tip – don’t use potato smasher to smash sweet potatoes. It will destroy the shape completely. Using the back of the fork to gently smash the potatoes will keep it together. Don’t worry if the skin splits, try to be gentle while mashing and push back together into rounds even if it splits.
To melted butter add fresh minced garlic, fresh chopped parsley, dried (or fresh) rosemary chopped fine (optional) ,dried (or fresh) thyme (optional). Whisk it all together.
Generously spread it over each smashed potatoes. Sprinkle salt and ground pepper to taste. Spray little olive oil on top.
Broil or grill in pre heated oven for about 15 to 25 minutes or until they are golden and crispy.
Remove from oven. Sprinkle fresh grated Parmesan cheese on top.
Place it back into the oven until cheese melts.
Remove oven from tray. Season with little more salt and pepper (if needed). Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.
Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Look for longer and fairly wider sweet potatoes. It’s better. Choose same sized sweet potatoes for this recipe. It’ll cook even and better. Leave out the smaller round ones or ones that are thick in the middle and thin on the edges.
Cut even thickness so they all cook evenly.
Don’t peel the skin on. These are best enjoyed with those fiber-rich skins. Yes skin is edible and can be eaten, but you don’t have to if you don’t like. Skin will help hold it’s shape fairly better when smashed.
You can roast the potato rounds in oven until its fork tender then smash, add the seasoning and broil until golden brown and edges turn crispy. I recommend steaming (boiling) method, boiling makes them tender and creamier with better caramelization. The texture is so much better.
Use back of the fork for smashing. Try to smash it as gentle as you can. Don’t worry if the skin splits, try to be gentle while mashing and push back together into rounds even if it splits.
Keep them plain or season with whatever spices-herbs and seasoning you want.
For a kick add crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to taste.
This recipe uses all three herbs – fresh parsley, dried rosemary and dried thyme. Choose whichever is your favorite herb.
Jo’s Recommendation – don’t skip rosemary. Butter-garlic-rosemary flavors are BOMB!
Parmesan cheese is optional but highly recommended. It balances the sweetness of sweet potatoes.
Nutritional Info – Please keep in mind that nutritional information provided is only a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.