Super easy, totally tasty, smashed potato party bites
There's three simple steps here: Boiling the potatoes, smashing them all together with basically your favorite baked potato topping flavors and sticking them in the oven, making the super simple avocado aioli and chopping some chives. Okay that's like FIVE steps, but they go fast and who's counting? Here goes.
Makes about 20 pieces.
INGREDIENTS
About 10-12 small to medium yukon gold potatoes -- washed but not peeled (about 24 oz if you want to be precise)
2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley (or more to taste, plus it's pretty in the mix)
1 Tbs. olive oil, plus more if needed
1 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/4 tsp. onion powder
3/4 tsp. kosher or sea salt + more (to taste) for the aioli
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1 large ripe avocado
1-2 cloves of garlic, finely minced if by hand, or pulsed in a small food processor
1/2 lemon (juiced)
1/4 cup Just Mayo vegan mayonnaise
chopped chive for garnish
PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 450 degrees
For the potato mixture:
In a large pot, cover the potatoes with water and boil over high heat until fork tender, about 20-25 minutes once it's boiling. Drain and set aside to cool until you can handle them. Remember what they say about hot potatoes...."Hot potato, hot potato!"
Once cooled, transfer the potatoes to a large bowl and with clean hands, begin to mash them up a bit with your fingers and palms. Let the skins loosen and mix them in as best you can. You want them to be chunky so do go overboard on mixing here.
Once you've reached a good texture, sprinkle in the parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper, then drizzle in the olive oil and mix it all together well with your hands again.
From here, on a parchment lined baking sheet, take about a 2 oz. portion of the potatoes in your hands and make a loose ball. If it doesn't quite hold together, add a little more oil and mix again. Set it on the baking sheet and using the tippy tops of your fingers, gently poke the potato into a chunky, round cake, with lots of divots and texture. That will help the tops crisp up and give it a nice rustic appearance. Repeat until the baking sheets are full. Place the potato cakes in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until nicely browned on the tops and bottoms.
For the aioli:
Meanwhile, make the avocado aioli by simply mixing the minced garlic, avocado, lemon, mayo and salt in a small food processor or blender. It's not a lot of aioli so a small mixer is best. You could also easily mix this by hand with a whisk in a bowl.
When nicely browned, take the potato cakes out of the oven. Drizzle a little of the aioli over the top of each one and sprinkle with chopped chives and additional salt and pepper if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature and enjoy!