Cheesy Smashed Potatoes with Chickpeas

Making cheesy smashed potatoes with chickpeas is super-easy, and this savory potato recipe serves as a main dish or a side dish.

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About this Cheesy Smashed Potatoes Recipe

I’m a little late to the smashed potatoes trend, but I’m totally onboard now that I have this recipe under my belt. I set out to make a dish that could serve as a side dish or a main dish. With the chickpeas (AKA garbanzos) and cheese, this cheesy smashed potato recipe fits the bill. We had it for dinner with a side salad, but for those with a heartier appetite, these potatoes go great with fish or chicken.

I wanted to create a Mediterranean style cheesy smashed potatoes recipe, so I included feta cheese, garbanzos, and pesto. Feta cheese is one of my favorite cheeses. It’s delicious in salads and goes great with hummus, but it’s also good hot. Plus, feta cheese has some unique health benefits. You can read more about feta cheese here. Garbanzos are tasty and are full of plant protein. Recently, a neighbor gave us some homemade pesto and we’ve been on a pesto kick ever since. It really is the perfect finish for this dish. You can find it in the deli section or produce section of the grocery store.

Ingredients

• Small potatoes – either red or yellow potatoes work well.
• Chickpeas – also called garbanzo beans, these add protein to the recipe.
• Seasonings – butter, garlic powder, and cumin.
• Feta cheese – has a distinctive, sharp flavor.
• Mozzarella cheese – a milder cheese that melts easily.
• Pesto – drizzle on top after the potatoes are out of the oven to boost the flavor.
• Note: You can substitute extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) for the butter.

Making Cheesy Smashed Potatoes with Chickpeas

1. Cook the potatoes

• You can boil them for 15-20 minutes until tender or use an Instant Pot. I used my Instant Pot, so these instructions are for that method.
• Rinse the potatoes and put them in a steamer basket in the IP.
• Use the IP metal insert under the steamer basket and add a cup of water to the IP.
• Set the pressure setting to 12 minutes.
• When the pressure cycle is complete, release the steam and open the IP.
• Let the potatoes cool to the touch.

2. Put the potatoes on the baking pan

• Line a baking pan with parchment paper.
• Rub the potatoes with just enough oil to keep them from sticking to the parchment paper.

3. Smash the potatoes

• Smash each potato with a fork or potato masher.

4. Prepare the seasonings

• Melt the butter.
• Add the garlic powder and cumin to the melted butter and mix these ingredients.

5. Season the potatoes

• Drizzle the butter and seasonings on top of the smashed potatoes.

6. Add the Chickpeas

• Drain and rinse the chickpeas.
• Sprinkle the chickpeas over the potatoes.

7. Add the cheese

• Top with feta cheese and mozzarella cheese.

8. Bake the cheesy smashed potatoes

• Put the potatoes in a 350-degree oven for 5-8 minutes.
• The potatoes are done when the cheese is melted.

Serving Cheesy Smashed Potatoes with Chickpeas

Scoop two or three cheesy smashed potatoes onto a plate and serve with basil pesto on top.

Here’s a close-up showing the nicely browned cheeses on top of the smashed potatoes and chickpeas. Yum!

Expert tips for making cheesy smashed potatoes with chickpeas

• You can cook the potatoes the day before you smash them and add the seasonings and cheeses. This saves time and makes this an even easier recipe.
• Extra virgin olive oil is a healthy oil that you can use in place of butter.
• These cheesy smashed potatoes are good leftover. Either pop them back in the oven for a few minutes or microwave them. They make a filling lunch for work or school.

Other recipes you might like

If you like chickpeas you might enjoy polenta chickpea marinara and if you’re a potato fan, try my air fryer potatoes.