Crispy on the outside, fluffy in the center, these vegan loaded smashed potatoes are the perfect little handheld food! Topped with rich cashew cream, scallions, and crispy rice paper "bacon".
1 to 2tbspplain, unsweetened nondairy yogurtoptional
Instructions
Add the potatoes whole to a saucepan, and fill with enough water to cover by an inch or two. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook for 15-20 minutes, until completely tender. Rinse and drain the potatoes, and set aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a metal baking sheet.
Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, place them on the baking sheet. Use a large fork, a heavy glass, or another object of choice to carefully but firmly "smash" each potato to flatten it. Brush each smashed potato generously with olive oil, and sprinkle with plenty of salt and pepper.
Bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until crispy and browned. Rotate the pan halfway through if your oven tends to cook things unevenly (mine does!).
Top each smashed potato with a big dollop of cashew cream, then sprinkle with sliced green onions and crumbled rice paper bacon. (Or other loaded baked potato toppings of your choice!). Serve hot.
For the cashew cream:
In a blender, combine all ingredients until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides if needed. If you don't have a high speed blender, it can take a few minutes for the cashews to break down and release their natural oils, resulting in a smooth texture (kind of like making peanut butter), so be patient. Because the cashews have been soaked, if you can't get the cashew cream perfectly smooth, it will still be pleasant to eat.
Adjust seasoning as needed and set aside. Extra cashew cream can be kept in the fridge for up to a week.
Notes
Cooking time will vary depending on the size of your potatoes.Nutrition facts are calculated using 1/3 of the cashew cream mixture, and excluding the rice paper bacon.