Crushed potatoes

Working full time is, as most of you will know, a pretty tiring business.

Working as a temp in an office is actually not that lucrative, so there’s always a fine line to be drawn between saving money and making things taste good.

This cold, dark winter seems longer than usual and it affects everyone’s mood. We get up in the dark, go to work in the dark and come home in the dark. If it’s not snowing then it’s raining or just bone-chillingly cold. The street lights come on mid afternoon and the freezing fog just hangs about.

I feel permanently exhausted and everything seems so much effort. Even cooking – my great joy – seems to be suffering. I want to come home and do the minimum…. the minimum, that is, until I have to eat it. I want something to cheer me up and make me feel marginally more special than a cold, dark and miserable Thursday warrants.

The answer is, of course, make something that takes the least effort imaginable, in the shortest time, with the loveliest taste.

When your mood is low then the thing to do is to get some potatoes… life always seems better when spuds are involved

The answer, therefore, is….. crushed and roasted (sort of) potatoes.

You’d be happy, I take it, with something that takes less than half an hour to make and serve? Some of those packet meal things take 40 minutes.. so something fresh and easy would be better? Surely?

So, you get some potatoes, peel them and cut them into manageable pieces… put them in a microwavable bowl with a sprinkle of salt and some water.

Put the oven on at 180 degrees.

Cover it with a plate and cook on high power for 6 or 7  minutes. (I say cover it with a plate because that is quicker and more economical than covering it with cling film and then throwing it out. Besides, that’s what I always do)

That’s just enough to mainly cook them but them still to keep their shape. Jab them with a knife to check there’s give in them.

Drain the spuds and put them on an oven tray… and get out your potato masher.

(Funnily enough, when I make mashed potato I won’t use the masher, I always use a potato ricer to make sure the mash is as smooth as can be. The masher is, however, perfect for part crushing the potatoes)

Now, don’t go mad. You aren’t mashing… you are bashing.

The potatoes need to be broken down around the edges… not flat, just bashed about.

Drizzle oil over it… garlic oil is good… as is chilli oil if you want your potatoes to have a bit of a bite … then shove them in the oven on a top shelf for ten minutes or so.

See how the littler bits have gone golden and crispy?

And the bigger bits have crisped up round the outside?

And there you have it… perfect to serve with (as I did) some roast lamb…. or maybe left over sausages, heated through, or maybe some roast chicken.

Sometimes, it is just enough to have a bowl of potatoes.

That really did take just about 30 minutes to make. 

And it really did take the edge off a bad day.

10 thoughts on “Crushed potatoes”

  1. Good thinking… that will be perfect! Was it a good match? Did you support the winners? Hope you had a good day!

  2. Drooool! Those look so tasty, I’m also a believer in the Spud haha thank you for posting, it’s good to know you can get a dish like that in such a short time! 🙂

  3. Yes, they were JUST the right mix of soft and crunchy… perfect for comfort. There is a problem, however… they are so quick and easy and oh-so-tasty that you might be tempted to make them again… and again.
    As I did the next night! (A mix of sweet potato and potato, this time drizzled with chilli oil) Bang goes the diet!

  4. There you go again Wendy making me feel really hungry. Real comfort food. We’re on soup tonight as we are every work night – partly because it’s quick and partly because we’re trying to not eat much in the way of carbs in the evening, but all it does is make me pig out on biscuits at work and make me feel really envious when I see such delights as garlicky roasted potatoes!

  5. Oh Choclette… I was supposed to be cutting down on carbs… but… but…. Anyway, in my defence, I don’t eat biscuits at work! 🙂

  6. Another one tried. As I was extremely tired last night wanted something quite to go along with the Grilled Lamb Chops my husband was grilling on the outdoor barbeque. The potatoes were great and fast and easy to do. Sorry no picture as they disappeared real fast.

  7. It’s great for those “I-need-something-quick-and tasty-right-now” nights. The only problem is that they ARE so quick and tasty.. you end up making them again and again! So glad you tried them, Lorraine!

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