Instant Pot Loaded Smashed Red Potatoes. Less is more? Today, more is more. When I test a recipe with my kids, I usually get resignation and sighs. “It’s OK…I guess.” Not this time. I served Instant Pot Loaded Smashed Red Potatoes for dinner last night, and the kids were gushing:
Wait, is that bacon? Is there bacon in this? Oh wow, this is so good. Why don’t you put bacon in the mashed potatoes ALL THE TIME?
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Other than “You fool! You’ll kill us all!”, what can I say about this recipe? The tricks are:
- Steam the potatoes in a steaming rack in the Instant Pot. I use baby potatoes, because I like the extra red skin in this recipe. It makes them more rustic. Go ahead and use regular red potatoes (or Yukon gold potatoes) if you want.
- Have some leftover bacon in the fridge - I hid a few strips from Sunday Breakfast in the back of the fridge, and hoped nobody would notice. When that doesn’t work, I cook a few strips of bacon right before making the potatoes.
- I like the extra herbs that french onion dip brings to the recipe; if all you have is sour cream, mix in some minced parsley, basil, oregano, or thyme.
And…that’s all I’ve got. If you’re looking for the shock and awe version of mashed spuds, give this recipe a try.
(If you're looking for a simpler version, try my Red-Skin Smashed Potatoes Recipe).
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Instant Pot Loaded Smashed Red Potatoes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
Instant Pot Loaded Smashed Red Potatoes. Over the top potatoes? Over the top potatoes.
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 2 pounds red baby potatoes (aka new potatoes), or red potatoes cut into ½-inch thick slices
- 4 tablespoon butter
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup french onion dip
- ½ cup half and half (plus more if needed)
- ¼ cup cooked bacon, diced (about 4 strips of bacon, optional)
- ½ cup minced green onions (plus more for garnish)
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese (plus more for garnish)
Instructions
- Pressure Cook for 8 minutes with a quick pressure release: Pour 1 cup of water into the pressure cooker pot. Add a vegetable steaming basket, then fill the basket with the baby red potatoes. Lock the pressure cooker lid. Cook at high pressure for 8 minutes in an electric pressure cooker or stovetop PC (“Manual” or “Pressure Cook” mode in an Instant Pot). When the cooking time is over, quick release the pressure. Once the pressure is released, unlock the pot, opening the lid away from you to avoid the hot steam.
- Melt butter and mash the potatoes: Carefully lift the vegetable basket out of the pot, pour the water out of the pot, then dump the potatoes back into the pot. Put the pot liner back in to the pressure cooker base (or back on the stovetop), add the butter, and melt the butter over sauté mode (medium heat on the stovetop). Once the butter melts, turn off the pot and move the pot liner to a hot pad on the countertop. (it’s easier to mash if the pot liner isn’t in the Instant Pot base.) Sprinkle the potatoes the salt, and give them a rough mash, stirring to coat with the butter and salt. Add the french onion dip and the half-and-half. Mash again, starting out gently - the half-and-half will splatter - and keep mashing and stirring until the half-and-half is blended into the potatoes. (Stir in more milk if the potatoes are too thick.)
- Stir in the add-ons: Stir in the bacon, green onions, and shredded cheddar. Transfer to a serving bowl, sprinkle with a little more bacon, cheddar, and green onions, and serve.
Notes
Don’t want these potatoes to be quite so extra? Use milk instead of half and half, or use sour cream instead of french onion dip, or skip the bacon. They won’t be quite as over the top, but they will still be good.
Anything I missed? Mix it it in there. These potatoes can take it.
Tools
6 quart or larger pressure cooker (I love my Instant Pot electric pressure cooker)
Vegetable steaming basket (I like collapsible stainless steel baskets)
Potato masher (I like the horizontal handle style potato masher)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: American
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What do you think?
Questions? Other ideas for mix-ins? Leave them in the comments section below.
Related Posts
Pressure Cooker Smashed Garlic Red Skin Potatoes
Pressure Cooker Baby Potatoes with Butter and Parsley
Instant Pot Fingerling Potatoes with Herbes de Provence
My other Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Recipes
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Jeff the Chef @ Make It Like a Man! says
Thanks! I love using my instant pot, and am always looking for great recipes.
Diane says
Wow, that looks so delicious that I'm speechless. I have leftover red potatoes that need to be cooked after I had to buy a 10-lb. bag to make your wonderful corned beef and cabbage. That recipe is a game changer. Thanks for all your great work!
Mike Vrobel says
You're welcome!