Growing up, my fondest memories were in the kitchen cooking and baking with my mom and grandmother. So, I am so happy that my little sister is always excited to cook alongside of me. Building these memories with her just gives me all of the feels!
This recipe is actually Julia’s creation. We had just finished watching the Schomberg Santa Claus parade and needed to pick up groceries for dinner. With nothing in mind, I asked Julia if she wanted to make dinner and she had the perfect dish in mind — Loaded Smashed Potatoes!
This recipe is a really simple, fast and delicious side dish that you can pair with any dinner. I love that you can add just about anything to it, but we kept it simple with the basics that you would find on a loaded baked potatoe. Since Julia is very comfortable in the kitchen, she did all of the prep work including washing the potatoes, cutting all of the toppings and putting together the dish. If your kids want to help, then this is a great recipe to have them join in on.
Some Tips:
Making sure you have all of your ingredients prepped ahead of time will definitely help you to cut down on the assembly. I like to ensure that all of my toppings are prepared while the potatoes are cooking. This will be important so that your dish is nice and hot and the cheese melts as you’re putting it together.
If you want to make this ahead of time, that is completely possible. Just make sure to assemble everything into an oven proof dish and then just pop it into a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes before you want to serve it. This will ensure that everything is warm and the cheese is melted and gooey!
Hope you enjoy and let us know if you try out any of our recipes by posting in the comments or sharing your food pics on Instagram with #sflfoodie and #strollinforlattes — Don’t forget to check out our other Recipes, Reviews and Travel posts for more great information!
Julia’s Loaded Smashed Potatoes
An easy side dish to satisfy your craving for a loaded baked potatoe!
Ingredients
- 3 Lbs Small Pre Packaged Potatoes 2 packages
- 1 Package Bacon
- 1 Cup Cheddar Cheese Grated
- 1/2 Cup Sour Cream
- 1 Bunch Green Onions
- 2 Cloves Garlic
- 1 Lemon
- 1/8 Cup Olive Oil
Instructions
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Fill large pot with water and bring to a boil. Place potatoes in pot and boil for 30 minutes or until cooked through.
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In a frying pan, place 4-5 strips of bacon and fry until crisp (approx 10 minutes). Repeat until entire package is cooked. Reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon grease and put aside.
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Drain excess oil from bacon on a paper towel and chop into tiny pieces. Put aside.
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Grate the cheddar cheese and chop the green onions. Put aside.
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In a small frying pan (or use the same pan from the bacon), place 2 tablespoons of the reserve bacon grease, 1/8 cup of olive oil and 2 garlic cloves crushed. Lightly fry the garlic until just golden on medium heat. Be careful not to burn the garlic!
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Drain potatoes and individually smash with a fork until flat.
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Begin to assemble the Smashed Potatoes in the following order:
-Smashed Potatotes
-Salt and Pepper
-Garlic Oil
-Squeeze of Lemon Juice
-Cheese
-Bacon
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Continue until you are done layering the potatoes.
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Sprinkle extra cheese and bacon on top of the dish. Finish with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle the green onions over the whole plate.
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Serve with extra cheese and sour cream on the side and enjoy!
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