Crispy smashed potatoes topped with gooey brie, cranberry sauce and crispy bacon!
These are so perfect for the holiday season, but realistically there’s no time of year I wouldn’t demolish entire tray! And yes, I’m speaking from experience 😅 Follow me…
Smashed Potatoes
Smashing potatoes isn’t just therapeutic, it actually makes them ultra crispy. And who doesn’t love a crispy potatoes?!
What kind of potatoes to use?
I recommend using baby potatoes. Some recipes use slightly larger varieties, but I find the smaller the potato the crispier they end.
Boiling/Steaming the potatoes
The best way to prepare the potatoes so they’re ready to be smashed is to boil them. Once they’re fork tender, I recommend then letting them steam dry for 5 or so minutes. This will help some of the moisture escape the potatoes and help them crisp up in the oven. From there you can coat them in oil and seasoning, then smash until flat!
How do I smash the potatoes?
You’ll want to gently press down on the potatoes until they’re flat. You’ll want to smash them fairly thin, but not so much that they break apart. I typically use a measuring cup with a flat surface to do this.
Process shots: boil potatoes (photo 1), drain (photo 2), coat in oil and seasoning (photo 3), smash (photo 4).
Brie, Bacon & Cranberry Potatoes
Once they’re smashed, we’re going to bake them in the oven until crisp. From there, it’s time to get topping! If you’ve tried my Cranberry Bacon Brie Grilled Cheese, you’ll know how heavenly this combination is.
You’ll want to top the smashed potatoes with brie and pop back in the oven until it just begins to melt. Don’t over-bake at this point otherwise the brie will spill out all over the pan. From there, chuck on the cranberry sauce, bacon and chives!
Process shots: brush smashed potatoes with oil (photo 1), bake (photo 2), bake again with brie (photo 3), top with cranberry sauce, bacon and chives (photo 4).
Brie, Bacon & Cranberry Potatoes FAQ
What else could I use to smash the potatoes?
If I haven’t got a large-based mug or measuring cup on hand, I typically just use a fork or spatula, but honestly, any sort of flat utensil will do the trick!
How thin should I smash the potatoes?
The thinner you smash them, the crispier they’ll be. I typically smash as thin as I can get them without them falling apart, but you could keep them a little thicker if you’d prefer.
Can I use a different cheese?
If you’re looking for something similar to brie you could sub camembert.
Serving Brie, Bacon & Cranberry Smashed Potatoes
I typically use a plastic flat spatula/flipper to carefully get them off the tray before serving. They’ll also crisp up a little more as they rest.
These make THE perfect Finger Food but also make a great Side for a Roast Dinner!
Looking for more smashed potato recipes? Check out my Hunters Smashed Potatoes, Parmesan Smashed Potatoes and EXTRA Crispy Smashed Potatoes!
Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for these brie bacon cranberry potatoes shall we?!
How to make Brie, Bacon & Cranberry Smashed Potatoes (Full Recipe & Video)
Brie, Bacon & Cranberry Smashed Potatoes
Equipment
- Pot & Colander (for boiling potatoes)
- Large Bowl (for seasoning/oil)
- Large Mug or Measuring Cup
- 1-2 Large Baking Trays (for baking smashed potatoes)
- Tray or Pan (for cooking bacon)
- Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
- Brush
Ingredients
- 5 slices of Streaky Bacon, cooked & diced (see notes)
- 20 Baby Potatoes (approx 600-700g/1.3-1.5lb)
- 2 tsp + 1/4 – 1/2 tsp Salt
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil, plus more as needed
- 1/4 tsp EACH: Garlic Powder, Black Pepper
- 150g / 5oz Brie, diced
- 100g / 3.5oz Cranberry Sauce
- finely diced Fresh Chives, to garnish
Instructions
- Add the potatoes to a large pot with enough cold water to comfortably them. Stir in 2 tsp salt then bring to a boil. Once boiling, cook until fork tender, around 20-25mins depending on the size of the potatoes.
- Drain the potatoes and let them sit in the colander for 5 minutes to allow some steam to escape. Preheat the oven to 200C/390F.
- Tip the potatoes into a large bowl and toss in 2 tbsp oil, 1/4 – 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp garlic powder and black pepper. Spread the potatoes out on a 1-2 large greaseproof baking trays, then use a large mug or measuring cup to press down on each potato. The thinner you smash them, the crispier they’ll be. Just be careful they don’t break apart. They need to stay intact. Leave to sit for another 5 minutes to allow some more steam to escape.
- Use a brush to collect the leftover oil in the bowl and liberally brush over the smashed potatoes (add a drizzle more oil to the bowl if there’s not much left). Bake the potatoes until deep golden, visibly crispy and just starting to char around the edges, approx 30-35mins.
- Remove the tray and top the potatoes with brie, then pop back in the oven for 2 minutes, or until it JUST starts to melt. Top with cranberry sauce, bacon and chives, then serve up and enjoy. I find it easiest to remove them with a plastic spatula/flipper. They’ll crisp up slightly more as they cool.
Video
Notes
b) Cheese – Don’t completely melt the brie, otherwise it’ll spill out into the pan. Only bake until it just starts to soften/melt. You can sub camembert.
c) Potatoes – Try and ensure all of the potatoes are similar in size, so they cook at a similar rate. Smaller potatoes will boil and roast faster than larger ones.
d) Thickness – I try and get them as thin as I can without them falling apart. You can keep them slightly thicker, which will leave them slightly more fluffy in the centre if you’d prefer.
Nutrition
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