Smashed Potato, Smashed Smashed Potato

Then you MASH POTATO, MASH MASH POTATO!!!!

Such is the refrain from one madhouse song I learned in VBS this past week.  Since then, my head has been ringing with one of three things:

"When I was one I sucked my thumb the day I went to sea..."
"Baby shark do do, do do do do.... ANGEL SHARK!!!!!"
And
"Form potato, form form potato...."  You can guess what follows.

If you haven't been hanging out with elementary school kids, you may be very, very lost as you read those lyrics.  I at once envy you and feel sorry for you.  You see, I am not at all a "kid" person.  I find them baffling, exhausting and altogether... not for me.  On the other hand, I enjoy their ebullient energy, which I believe is best used when channelled through songs such as the above.

All you elementary school teachers out there, bless you.  I could not do your job for all the tea in china, for a billion bucks, to save my life.

Or any other cliche meaning the same.

However, I can and do looooove to cook potatoes, so it should come as no surprise that this song inspired a potato dish this week.  Also, I served it with Pioneer Woman's prime rib lazy-fied, and this is based on her potato recipe as well.  If only I had an awesome cattle ranch, I'd be the Skipper to her Barbie... but I don't, so I'm not.  Ah well.

Ingredients:
6-8 small red potatoes
lotsa salt
fresh ground pepper
shredded Parmesan cheese (the real stuff. THROW THAT GREEN CAN AWAY!)

1) Boil potatoes til fork tender in copiously salted water.
2) Drain potatoes and place on oiled cookie sheet.
3) Using a potato masher, MASH POTATO ONLY ONCE!  Apply consistent pressure, not whacking blows, just until potato bursts and flattens.
4) Either apply olive oil with pastry brush or use the spray can kind until potatoes are lightly covered.  This will hold on the pepper and cheese.
5) Sprinkle with salt, pepper and cheese to taste.  I like lots of cheese.
6) Bake at 450 for 30 minutes.