Parmesan Crusted Crab Cakes and Crispy Smashed Potatoes
Parmesan Crusted Crab Cakes and Crispy Smashed Potatoes are super crispy and crunchy.

I wanted crab cakes. So, I made crab cakes. I made these scrumptious, Parmesan coated, deliciously crispy crab cakes.
But, don’t let that bread crumb crusted golden color fool you. These babies are cram packed with crab. No massive filler in these babies. When you bite into them, you will get a mouthful of deliciously sweet crab, a hint of Dijon, and crispy Parmesan. YUM!
What goes better with crab than potatoes? I thought about making some baked fries, but then I saw these baby potatoes from Melissa’s Produce and knew exactly what I was going to make! Smashed potatoes!!
And no, that’s not boiled potatoes that are simply smashed with a potato masher until they resemble mashed potatoes a la Rachel Ray. These are boiled to just fork tender, then mashed with a tenderizer or a glass until they form coin-shaped rounds that are then crisped up in the oven.
Honestly, don’t they look fabulous? These potatoes cured my need for any fries. They are super crispy on the outside and nice and tender and tasty inside. You’re not going to want fat-laden french fries after eating this golden goodness. Trust me when I say this. I’m the HUGEST advocate for french fries, but these? These potatoes? HOLY WOW! Just make them. You’ll see what I mean.
While you’re at it, grab a fork. You will definitely want to dig into these scrumptious crab cakes. They are full FULL of crab meat and flavor. The Parmesan crust on the outside, makes them all cheesy good. Mmmmm. Okay, when’s lunch?
Honestly.
As if this meal couldn’t be healthy enough, I added an iceberg wedge with fat free dressing. Yup. A well rounded meal on that plate right there! Who says you have to go out for delicious crab cakes? I sure don’t and I live a stones throw from Maryland and their famous crab cakes. Yeah, all full of bread crumb filler and Old Bay.
Don’t get me wrong. I like Old Bay. It’s just so 80s.

Parmesan Crusted Crab Cakes and Crispy Smashed Potatoes
Parmesan Crusted Crab Cakes and Crispy Smashed Potatoes are super crispy and crunchy.
Ingredients
- 1 pound baby gold potatoes
- 2 tablespoons low fat mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup cracker crumbs
- 1 large egg white
- 1 pound lump crab meat, picked clean
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400. Place the potatoes in a pot of cold water and bring to a boil. Boil until just barely fork tender. Drain the potatoes and place on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown flipping the potatoes halfway through the cooking time.
- While the potatoes cook, make the crab cakes. Combine next eight ingredients (mayonnaise through egg white) in a large mixing bowl. Fold in the crab meat being careful not to break up the lumps.
- Combine the breadcrumbs and the Parmesan cheese in a shallow dish. Form the crab mixture into four patties and dredge in the panko mixture. Refrigerate the patties 30 minutes to an hour.
- Place the potatoes in large pot of cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until just fork tender. Place the potatoes in a baking pan covered with aluminum foil coated with cooking spray. Using a potato masher or heavy glass, mash until the potatoes pop open and are slightly mashed. Bake for 15 to 10 minutes or until crispy.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add two tablespoons olive oil. Cook two patties 5 to 7 minutes on each side or until they are cooked through and brown. Repeat with remaining oil and patties.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 529Total Fat 23gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 16gCholesterol 165mgSodium 1297mgCarbohydrates 48gFiber 4gSugar 4gProtein 33g