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Are you craving for McCain® Smiles or looking for a fun way to serve mashed potatoes? Follow my smiley face fries recipe using 2 key ingredients: mashed potatoes and cornstarch. Season it with salt and pepper and serve it as an adorable snack for the kids or at parties!
All About Smiley Face Fries
If you are looking for a fun activity to do with the kids or a cute side dish for a meal, you should try making smiley face fries.
It is super easy to do with pantry ingredients and simple kitchen tools. You only need mashed potato slices, cornstarch, salt, and pepper.
The potatoes are steamed until soft for mashing before mixing with cornstarch, salt, and pepper. The fun part of this recipe is shaping it into a smiley face using simple tools.
You can use a bottle cap or any round cap for the round face shape, as well as chopsticks for the eyes and a spoon for the smile.
I fried the smiley face fries in oil, but you can cook them in an air fryer or oven as well. It is the perfect side dish for almost any dish, from sandwiches to burgers and fried chicken dishes. Serve it with your favorite dipping sauce or coat it with a seasoning powder.
For more potato recipes, check out these recipes as well:
- Potato Cheese Pancakes
- Sweet Potato Pancakes
- Accordion Potatoes
- Potato Noodles
- Sweet Potato Balls
- Purple Sweet Potato Paste
- Purple Sweet Potato Bun
- Salt And Pepper Potatoes
- Cheesy Mashed Potato Waffles
- Potato Cheese Puff Pastry Tart
Smiley Face Fries Ingredient Tips And Alternatives
This recipe only requires four everyday ingredients and you can customize them according to your liking. Don’t skip this section if you need ideas!
In this section, I share the best alternatives and various ways to spice up the potatoes with your preferred taste.
- Potato: The potatoes are thinly sliced before steaming. These are steamed to make them easy to mash into a smooth consistency. Similar to my Potato Cheese Pancakes recipe, I prefer cutting the potatoes into small pieces to steam them faster and evenly. You can use any regular potato, such as Yukon gold, red gold, and russet. Sweet potatoes or yam also work as an alternative.
- Salt: The potatoes are seasoned with salt. Use any type of salt, such as sea salt, pink salt, and kosher salt. When the potatoes are cooked, you can also sprinkle a bit of salt to add saltiness just like regular French fries.
- Black pepper powder: Salt with black pepper powder is the ultimate combination. Add a bit of heat and a woody piney taste to the mashed potatoes. Use black pepper powder or freshly cracked peppers. Alternatively, white pepper powder can be used, but the taste will be more earthy and musty.
- Cornstarch: The mashed potatoes are mixed with cornstarch. This helps give it a chewy texture and a crispy exterior. It makes the mashed potato firm, preventing it from falling apart better when fried. If the potatoes are too wet or sticky, gradually add more cornstarch until you get the right consistency. To replace cornstarch, you can swap it with the following alternatives, but the texture may be different.
- All-Purpose Flour (1:1 ratio)
- Arrowroot Powder (1:1 ratio)
- Tapioca Starch/Flour (1:1 ratio)
- Potato Starch (1:1 ratio)
- Rice Flour (1:1 ratio)
- Optional seasonings: If you want to add in-depth flavor, mix in some oregano, parsley, onion salt, garlic powder, onion powder, eggs, chives, breadcrumbs, and cayenne pepper (optional for a spicy version). For a buttery taste, fry the smiley face fries with butter instead of regular oil. You can also make it eggy by mixing the potatoes with beaten eggs or cheesy with parmesan cheese.
Storage Suggestions For Smiley Face Fries
I recommend making these in advance to have a ready-made supply whenever you crave smiley face fries. Freeze the smiley face fries by placing them first on a tray with parchment paper. Line them on a single layer and wait until they are fully frozen.
When the smiley face fries are completely frozen, you can stack them up in a freezer bag or airtight container. If you have leftover cooked smiley face fries, store them in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Reheat the fries in an air fryer, oven, or pan.
Serving Suggestions For Smiley Face Fries
If you like it plain and simple, serve the smiley face fries as it is. Should you decide to add more variety of flavor, I included a list of dipping sauces and powdered seasonings that go well with smiley face fries. Here are some suggestions to consider:
Dipping sauce
- Ketchup
- Mayonnaise
- Mustard
- Sweet chili sauce
- Creamy garlic dressing
- Spicy garlic dressing
- Ranch dressing
- Hot sauce
- BBQ sauce
- Buffalo sauce
- Sour cream
Powdered seasoning (for coating)
- Cheese powder
- Salt and pepper seasoning
- Bbq powder
- Chili bbq powder
- Sour cream powder
- Wasabi powder
- Sour cheese powder
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Cayenne pepper + garlic powder + black pepper powder
- Dried parsley + smoked paprika + garlic powder + salt + black pepper powder
Checklist Of Ingredients And Kitchenware To Prepare
Here are my recommended kitchen tools and a complete list of ingredients:
Kitchenware
- Steamer (If you don’t have a steamer, you can still steam without a steamer in 5 ways: pan with steamer rack, microwave, pan with sieve, rice cooker, and instant pot.)
- Potato masher or fork
- Rolling pin
- Round cookie cutter, bottle cap, or any round cap (to make the smiley face shape)
- Chopsticks, straws, or any tool (to make the eyes)
- Wooden spoon, metal spoon, or knife (to make the smile)
- Pot or pan for deep frying
- Spatula
- Knife and chopping board
Ingredients
- 300g sliced potatoes (peeled and thinly sliced)
- 5g salt
- 10g black pepper powder
- 20g corn starch
- Dipping sauce or powdered seasoning (optional)
How To Make Smiley Face Fries In 5 Steps
In a nutshell, the mashed potatoes are mixed with cornstarch and seasonings and then shaped into a smiley face before frying. The recipe can be done in 20 minutes or less in 5 easy steps! Watch how I did it with my Instagram or TikTok tutorial video.
- Clean, peel, and slice the potatoes into thin cuts. Steam the sliced potato for 10 minutes at 100°C.
- When the potatoes are soft enough to mash, mash them with a potato masher or fork and mix with salt, black pepper powder, and cornstarch.
- Mix the ingredients well and shape into a ball. Using a rolling pin, roll the mixture into a thin sheet.
- Make the smiley face shape. Use a cookie cutter or bottle cap to make the round face, chopsticks to make the eyes, and a spoon to form the smile. (Optional: Freeze the smiley face fries in the freezer for 30 minutes or more to make them firmer before frying.)
- Heat a pot with oil for deep frying. Fry the potatoes in hot oil at 356°F until golden brown. (Optional: Cook the smiley face fries in an air fryer at 360°F or 180°C for 10 to 15 minutes. Flip the smiley face fries halfway through the cooking time to cook the other side evenly. You can also bake it in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes at 400°F or 200°C.)
Pair this with Buttermilk Chicken Burger, Air-Fried Taro Chips, or Mushroom Grilled Cheese Sandwich.
Smiley Face Potatoe Fries Recipe
Ingredients
- 300 g sliced potatoes peeled and thinly sliced
- 5 g salt
- 10 g black pepper powder
- 20 g corn starch
- Dipping sauce or powdered seasoning optional
Instructions
- Clean, peel, and slice the potatoes into thin cuts. Steam the sliced potato for 10 minutes at 100°C.
- When the potatoes are soft enough to mash, mash them with a potato masher or fork and mix with salt, black pepper powder, and cornstarch.
- Mix the ingredients well and shape into a ball. Using a rolling pin, roll the mixture into a thin sheet.
- Make the smiley face shape. Use a cookie cutter or bottle cap to make the round face, chopsticks to make the eyes, and a spoon to form the smile. (Optional: Freeze the smiley face fries in the freezer for 30 minutes or more to make them firmer before frying.)
- Heat a pot with oil for deep frying. Fry the potatoes in hot oil at 356°F until golden brown. (Optional: Cook the smiley face fries in an air fryer at 360°F or 180°C for 10 to 15 minutes. Flip the smiley face fries halfway through the cooking time to cook the other side evenly. You can also bake it in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes at 400°F or 200°C.)
