Elevate your smashed potato side dish game with this recipe, adding pesto and cheese for even more flavour.
How to make smashed potatoes with pesto
Wash and brush the potatoes before placing them on a sheet pan to roast in the oven until they feel soft.
In the mean time melt the butter in a pan. Turn off the heat, before adding your crushed garlic and let it cook through.
When the potatoes feel soft, take them out of the oven but leave them on the sheet pan.
With the bottom of a glass, gently crush the potatoes until they are flat. Be careful doing this so that the potatoes do not break apart.
Using a pastry brush, generously brush the smashed potatoes with the butter and garlic mix. Sprinkle salt over each potato.
Put the sheet pan back in the oven to roast the potatoes until they are golden.
Now is the time to add the yummy pesto and (optional) cheese to increase the flavour of the potatoes. Smear each smashed potato with pesto and add the shredded cheese to let it melt.
Serve hot on the buffet table or let the potatoes cool down to put in your picnic basket.
For full instructions and measurements, do not forget to check out the recipe card below.
Substitutes
I have used green basil pesto in this recipe, but experiment with your own favourite pesto.
If you cannot get small enough potatoes to make this a bite size snack, after washing the potatoes cut them in half, or quarters before roasting in the oven.
Variations
If you are looking for other potato side dish recipes, I have both a regular creamy potato salad and a roasted potato salad.
Smashed potatoes with pesto
Ingredients
- 750 g small potatoes
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- 50 g butter
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp pesto green
- Shredded cheese optional
Instructions
- Wash and brush the potatoes.
- Roast potatoes on a sheet pan at 200 °C (390 °F) 20 minutes or until feel soft.
- Melt butter in a pan. Turn off the heat and add in the crushed garlic, to slowly cook.
- Take out the potatoes and use the bottom of a glass to crush the potatoes.
- Brush the potatoes with butter and garlic mix. Sprinkle some salt over each potato.
- Put back into the oven for 10 minutes until potatoes are golden.
- Take out of the oven and smear each potato with the green pesto. Add the optional shredded cheese and let it melt.