You Can Make Potato Smileys From Home And It's So Easy

During lockdown, people are looking to any means they can for sources of comfort, and for many this has meant reverting back to their childhood with nostalgic food.

We've seen it all since lockdown, with people making their own versions of classics from the past, from school dinner cake to Angel Delight.

But the latest retro food throwback that's receiving a second wind is potato smileys.

Enjoyed in school dinners of the 90s alongside our turkey dinosaurs and baked beans before Jamie Oliver came in and messed everything up (cheers, Jamie), the smiley-faced potato treats were comfort food embodied.

While you can still buy frozen potato smileys from brands such as McCain's, time-rich lockdowners have decided to have a go at making them their own - and they look just like the real thing.

The best part about it, is that homemade potato smileys are so easy to make.

Food blogger Cook With Parul shared her simple recipe with Tyla, and it requires just a few ingredients.

To make a batch of 14, all you'll need is 5 medium potatoes, 2 slices of bread, corn starch, chilli powder, salt and a cookie cutter.

• Start by peeling your potatoes and par boil them. Once they've cooled, grate them using a normal grater into a bowl.
• Next, grab your slices of bread and grind them up into crumbs into the same bowl. Mix the potato and bread crumbs together with your hands.
• Next, add 4 tbsp of corn starch, half a tsp of chilli powder and a tsp of salt tot he mix. Greasing up . your hands slightly with some butter, knead the mix into a dough like texture.
• Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Next, lay out some baking paper or a tray and grease with oil.
• Divide your cooled dough into two parts, and taking one part, spread into out with your hands so it's roughly 1.5cm thick.
• Grab your cookie cutter, dust it with corn starch and cut the dough into circles. You should get roughly 7 out of one half of the dough.
• Finally, dig the end of a spoon into the smileys to make the eyes and use the spoon end to make the smiley mouth.
• Repeat with the other half of your dough.
• You can then cook these straight away by deep drying them on a medium flame, flipping as you go, or put them in a freeze bag for cooking later.

Pexels

Easy, nostalgic and delicious - what's not to love?

Topics: Tasty Food, Food And Drink, Tasty Food, Food And Drink

Ciara Sheppard

Ciara is a freelance writer working for Tyla. After graduating with an English Lit and Media degree from the University of Sussex, Ciara held jobs at GLAMOUR and Yahoo Style before packing up for a solo travelling trip around South America.

@ciarasheppard