Australia's Crash Hot Potatoes Are The Smashed Treat You Need To Try

Whether they're mashed, fried, scalloped, shredded into hash browns, or baked, there's no wrong way to enjoy a potato. And enjoy them we do, with the average American consuming approximately 55 pounds of potatoes per year. This starchy root veg is a staple food all over the world and is cheap, readily available, and full of health-promoting minerals to boot.

Potatoes can take on just about any form and flavor you can imagine but are arguably at their most delicious when crisped up with oil or butter and salted. One such way to prepare your potatoes was devised in the '90s by Australian cookbook author and food writer Jill Dupleix, known as crash hot potatoes. You're familiar with mashed potatoes, but a crash hot potato is a different thing entirely. Here, you're pre-cooking potatoes before smashing them nearly flat on a baking tray, then dousing them in olive oil and seasonings and roasting on high heat until delightfully crispy, crunchy, and browned. It's a true "can't eat just one" side dish that combines the fluffiness of mashed or baked potatoes with all the crispiness of a latke or fry. If you've been looking for a new way to enjoy potatoes beyond the old staple recipes, look no further.

Like most good potato recipes, crash hot potatoes are endlessly adaptable. Outside of the basic formula of boil, smash, season, and roast, you can choose your own adventure here. Before baking, you could sprinkle the potatoes with fresh chopped herbs like rosemary or dill, or forgo the garnish entirely. You can also add a layer of grated parmesan, scoops of sour cream, or even dollops of Greek yogurt once they're out of the oven. Feeling spicy? Kick it up a notch with a dash of cayenne pepper. You're free to use pretty much any variety of potato that you have on hand.

Nothing truly replaces classic baked potatoes, but they can take an hour in the oven and are sometimes still hard and undercooked in the center. With a crash hot potato, the thinner profile means they'll cook through evenly and crisp up all over. And, because you have a larger surface area to season, your salt, rosemary, or other spices and toppings like sour cream can easily smother each bite evenly. Crispy, salty, browned, and perfectly seasoned potatoes? You probably don't need any further convincing. Crash hot potatoes make the perfect weeknight dinner side to go along with your protein and veggies or would make a great shareable potluck dish to bring to a tailgate or even to a campout.