Recently I was organizing my menu for Hanukkah and thinking about how I could streamline making latkes for 10 people. I came up with making smashed potatoes that are brushed with oil (honoring the story of the oil lasting eight nights) and can be partially made ahead to avoid any last-minute hassles in the kitchen.
The potatoes are first cooked just until fork tender and then smashed and placed on parchment-lined sheet pans. They can be made ahead up to this point. These crusty morsels make a tasty bed for the traditional topping of sour cream and apple sauce—and because I love color, I add a sprinkling of ruby red pomegranate seeds for a colorful flourish.
