These Smashed Potatoes with Spicy Lamb, Cheese, Tomatoes, Onions, Guacamole and cilantro are the BEST smashed potatoes recipe you’ll ever make! I’ve included a full recipe video below too, so no excuses to miss out 🙂
Today’s mouthwatering cheese potato and lamb recipe is in partnership with the American Lamb Board. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I’m so excited to share this recipe, first of all yes obviously because it’s utterly delicious! But also, because it’s part of a Sunday Funday Personality contest which is happening on Instagram and involves LOTS of prizes! More on that below!
SMASHED POTATOES
These baby potatoes, sometimes red , yellow, purple or mixed are pillowy soft potatoes on the inside, yet crispy on the outside.
Crispy smashed potatoes are probably one of the most versatile ways to eat bite size potatoes. You can flavor and top them endlessly.
Today’s toppings include:
-Monterey Jack – for cheesy goodness
-Spicy Ground Lamb – for unbeatable flavor
-Chopped Tomatoes – for juicy fresh taste
-Chopped Onions – for contrast
-Guacamole – for a cooling effect to the spice
-Cilantro – for a bright refreshing finish
-Green Chillies – optional for more spice
Imagine all of this together in one bite with the crispy smashed potatoes! YUM!
Since it’s the season, I have to say, a platter like that is a show stopper for Tailgating!
SMASHED POTATOES RECIPE
There are several ways to make smashed potatoes recipe. My favorite way is to boil the potatoes first, that’s how I get an extra pillowy soft potatoes on the inside.
You will however find recipe where you can roast the potatoes too. I just prefer boiling to roasting in this recipe.
Once ready and smashed lightly and certainly NOT perfectly, go crazy with the toppings.
I start with American Lamb.
Why American Lamb?
-It’s utterly delicious!!
-Very flavroful and fresh tasting lamb compared to lamb meat from any other origin.
-Because I’ve visited a few American lamb ranches and met the amazing ranchers behind them, I know for a fact how well raised the lamb is. It’s raised to highest industry standards you can possibly imagine and it’s raised with love. A lot of love actually.
-It’s available in your local stores, just be sure to ASK and make sure you’re buying American lamb.
There’s also cheese. Cheese and potatoes and lamb are like a match made in heaven! I’ve picked Monterey Jack cheese, however you can make this smashed potatoes recipe using cheddar or your favorite cheese.
Another of my favorite toppings is guacamole. It’s that cool, zesty and fresh taste that’s much needed to contrast the cheese and spicy lamb. Likewise, you can substitute that with fresh avocado, extra cilantro and lots of lime juice.
You can probably also substitute sour cream for the guacamole. Or of course use both!
Then comes the fresh toppings. I’ve added green chilies for extra spice, chopped tomatoes, onions and extra cilantro. Feel free to add whatever your heart desires! You can’t go wrong here 🙂
HOW TO MAKE SMASHED POTATOES
Here’s the Full Recipe Video
Start off with boiled potatoes, mash them, load them with cheese and bake them till crispy.
Then make your delicious spiced lamb mixture. Sauté onions, garlic and lamb with spices like oregano, spicy chilli powder and cumin. Then finish it off with lots of fresh parsley and cilantro.
Load the crispy potatoes with the spicy lamb mixture and add an extra layer of cheese. Bake the potatoes just until the cheese has melted.
Now your smashed potatoes are ready for the fresh toppings. Load them up as little or crazy as you like, and dig in!
TIPS FOR SMASHED POTATOES
- Start with baby potatoes.
- Boiling the potatoes giver you a pillowy smooth interior to the potatoes.
- When you boil the potatoes, salt the water to flavor the potatoes, the same way you were to cook pasta.
- When smashing the potatoes, make sure you don’t break the potato. It has to remain one piece. The tops have to be broken up so you can have space for the toppings.
- Seasoning the potatoes is very personal. I used salt and pepper to allow the lamb and toppings to shine, however you can season with chilli spice, cumin and your favorite spices.
- Choose the type of cheese you like, any type works great.
- Don’t skimp on the lamb—it’s the base of an incredible smashed potatoes recipe versus a bland smashed potato.
- Make this recipe in advance by preparing the lamb, potatoes and leave the toppings only during serving.
- Keep the ready cheesy potatoes in the fridge for up to 3 days, and reheat in the oven until warm and cheese has melted again, then top with your toppings and serve.
WHY CRISPY SMASHED POTATOES
Remember the competition I mentioned to you earlier in the post? Well, here’s the deal. I was supposed to pick my Sunday Funday personality wish in all honesty varies between the Sunday bruncher and the Sunday partier.
Since it’s Tailgating season, for now I’m all about the Sunday partier! Who can miss a good game with some good food?
Now if you’re like me, or you’re probably a slow cooker Sunday kinda person. Or maybe the meal prep guru on Sunday. Whatever your personality is, I want you to go over to the American Lamb and enter the sweepstakes. There’s a BIG Prize to be drawn and many many other prizes which you’ll also have a chance at winning. Best of luck!
Now make some smashed potatoes and share them over a good game, and ENJOY!! Tag me when you make this recipe so I can see the amazing smashed potatoes recipe and toppings you come up with!
Smashed Potatoes With Spicy Lamb
These Smashed Potatoes with Spicy Lamb, Cheese, Tomatoes, Onions, Guacamole and cilantro are the BEST smashed potatoes recipe you’ll ever make! I’ve included a full recipe video below too, so no excuses to miss out 🙂
Potatoes:
- 2 lb baby potatoes bag (yellow, red, purple or mixed, Boiled)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (pink Himalayan or Kosher salt)
- 1 teaspoon Black pepper
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese (divided in two half cups)
Lamb:
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 10 ounces of ground American Lamb
- 1/2 cup onions (finally minced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (Pink Himalayan or Kosher salt)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder (spicy)
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 2 Tablespoons parsley and cilantro (minced)
Toppings:
- 1/4 cup onions (finely chopped)
- 1/4 cup tomatoes (finely chopped)
- 1/3 cup cilantro (minced)
- 1-2 jalapeños sliced (or green chillies)
- 1/3 cup guacamole (homemade or store bought)
- chilli flakes (optional)
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Place your boiled potatoes on a baking sheet and use a smasher to smash each potato flat. You don’t want to break the potatoes apart, you want to smash then flat only, but each potato should remain one piece. It doesn’t have to look perfect, in-fact it’s best when it looks rustic.
- Season the potatoes with salt and pepper and drizzle the olive oil evenly over the potatoes. Sprinkle half a cup of cheese over the potatoes, so about a heaping teaspoon over each.
- Bake the potatoes for 20 minutes until crispy and the cheese has melted.
- In the meantime, prepare the spicy lamb mixture. Heat the olive oil over medium high heat over a skillet.
- Add the onions, garlic and lamb. Season the lamb with all the spices (don’t add the fresh herbs) and start breaking the lamb. Sauté the lamb with the spices, garlic and onions until it cooks and crumbles.
- Once the lamb is read (about 6 minutes later), add in the fresh herbs, mix them in the lamb mixture and turn off the heat.
- As soon as the potatoes are ready out of the oven, start dividing the lamb mixture over the cheesy potatoes. About half a tablespoon per potato is what you should aim for.
- Divide the remaining amount of cheese between the potatoes and tope the lamb mixture with the shredded cheese.
- Place the baking sheet bake in to the oven for 8-10 minutes until the cheese has melted and the potatoes are extra crispy.
- In the meantime, have all your toppings ready.
- Once the potatoes are out of the oven, start piling the toppings and enjoy right away!
Start with baby potatoes.
Boiling the potatoes giver you a pillowy smooth interior to the potatoes.
When you boil the potatoes, salt the water to flavor the potatoes, the same way you were to cook pasta.
When smashing the potatoes, make sure you don’t break the potato. It has to remain one piece. The tops have to be broken up so you can have space for the toppings.
Seasoning the potatoes is very personal. I used salt and pepper to allow the lamb and toppings to shine, however you can season with chilli spice, cumin and your favorite spices.
Choose the type of cheese you like, any type works great.
Don’t skimp on the lamb—it’s the base of an incredible smashed potatoes recipe versus a bland smashed potato.
Make this recipe in advance by preparing the lamb, potatoes and leave the toppings only during serving.
Keep the ready cheesy potatoes in the fridge for up to 3 days, and reheat in the oven until warm and cheese has melted again, then top with your toppings and serve.
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