Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Molten Raclette Cheese Skillet Step-by-step instructions

Before you start

Measure every ingredient into small prep bowls, pat proteins or vegetables dry with paper towels, and preheat your pan thoroughly before adding oil so browning starts cleanly without steaming.

Take your time with each step, and the result will be worth every minute spent in the kitchen.

Instructions

Prep and Aromatics

1. 1Smash the potatoes flat
   Place each cooked potato on the wooden board and press it with the bottom of a glass until it flattens into a thick disk. Keep the pieces roughly even so they brown at the same pace. Set them aside beside the rosemary, garlic and green onions.
   Look for Potatoes split at the edges and look flat, but still hold together in one piece.
   Tip Smash only as many potatoes as the skillet holds in a single layer, so none of them steam.
2. 2Heat butter and oil
   Set the cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and add the butter and the neutral oil. Wait until the butter melts and foams slightly, then lay the smashed potatoes in the pan in a single layer, cut side down.
   Look for Butter foams and the fat shimmers across the whole pan.
   Tip The oil keeps the butter from burning while the potatoes take on their color.
3. 3Season and crisp
   Press each potato gently with a spatula to extend the crust. Season with kosher salt, scatter the smashed garlic cloves and the rosemary sprigs over the pan, and let the potatoes sizzle undisturbed until the bottoms turn deep golden.
   Look for A steady sizzle rises and the edges start to brown and turn crisp.
   Tip Resist moving the potatoes early; the crust forms only when they sit still.

Every ingredient is evenly coated, fragrant and progressing at a steady gentle sizzle without sticking to the pan surface.

Take a moment to check the color, texture and aroma before moving on to the next stage.

Main Cooking Stage

4. 4Grate and scatter raclette
   While the potatoes crisp, grate the raclette cheese on the large holes of a box grater. Scatter the fine shreds generously over the potatoes so they cover the pan and fall between the pieces.
   Look for Cheese shreds lie in a fine, even pile across the potatoes.
   Tip Grate the cheese cold for clean shreds that melt evenly into pools.
5. 5Melt the raclette
   Continue cooking over medium-high heat until the cheese melts into bubbling golden pools and the potato edges turn deeply crisp and lacy brown. Watch the pan so the butter does not darken too far.
   Look for Cheese bubbles into golden pools and the lacy edges turn deep brown.
   Tip Lower the heat slightly if the cheese starts to scorch before the bottoms are crunchy.
6. 6Check the crunch
   Lift one potato with tongs to check that the bottom is crunchy and the cheese has fully melted. The potatoes should release easily from the pan when the crust is ready.
   Look for Bottoms are crunchy and the cheese is fully molten with no raw shreds left.
   Tip If a potato sticks, let it cook another minute before trying again.

Every ingredient is evenly coated, fragrant and progressing at a steady gentle sizzle without sticking to the pan surface.

Take a moment to check the color, texture and aroma before moving on to the next stage.

Final Glaze and Plating

7. 7Transfer to a board
   Use tongs to lift the crispy potatoes and the melted cheese onto the wooden board, keeping the golden crust intact. Arrange them in a single layer so the crust stays crunchy.
   Look for Potatoes lift cleanly, with cheese clinging to their crispy edges.
   Tip Work quickly so the cheese does not harden before serving.
8. 8Top and serve warm
   Spoon a creamy dollop of sour cream over the potatoes, then add the sliced green onions, the chopped chives and a light sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Serve warm while the cheese is still molten.
   Look for Golden cheese is still soft and glossy, and the herbs sit bright green on top.
   Tip Serve right away; the crust softens as it cools.

Every ingredient is evenly coated, fragrant and progressing at a steady gentle sizzle without sticking to the pan surface.

Take a moment to check the color, texture and aroma before moving on to the next stage.

Common mistakes

Avoid crowding the pan or flipping too early before a crust forms, keep the burner at steady medium-high heat so aromatics never scorch, and season in balanced layers rather than only at the end.

How to tell it’s done

The dish is ready when the exterior shows even golden color, the center feels tender when pressed gently with a fork, and the sauce coats the back of a spoon glossy and fragrant.