“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex. It takes a touch of genius, and a lot of courage, to move in the opposite direction.” -Albert Einstein.
Today we’re keeping things simple.
Because as humans, we tend to make things much more complicated than necessary.
You’ve invited your husband’s boss to dinner, and want to impress him, so you find the most gourmet-looking meal on Pinterest and start making a grocery list. Hours of hard work later, you’ve produced a delicious meal. But as soon as everyone leaves, it’s time to address that giant stack of dirty pots, pans, mixing bowls and spoons in the kitchen sink…
What if instead, you just simplified your life and baked a potato?
Next time you’re trying to impress someone (your boss, your boyfriend or your long-time-no-see-childhood friend), keep these Cheesy Hasselback Potatoes in mind. They only require 1 pan, a knife, a cheese grater and a few simple ingredients, and before you know it, you have a gourmet-looking side dish ready to impress any guest.
Because of our simplicity theme we’ve got going here, this Cheesy Hasselback Potatoes recipe is as simple as it gets. But, if you’re feeling bold and want to get more creative, this is the recipe to do it with. We’ve made these with russet and sweet potatoes, stuffed them with peppers, onions, turkey bacon and jalapeños. We’ve used cheddar cheese, feta and pepperjack, and experimented with different sauces, spices and seasonings. Get creative! You can turn this side dish into a complete meal with just a few tweaks…
Because some days are just potato days.
Ingredients
- 4 large russet potatoes
- 1/2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 Tbsp. butter, melted
- Fresh pecorino cheese, grated (can substitute freshly-grated parmesan)
- Kosher salt and freshly-ground pepper
- Your favorite seasonings and herbs (dried thyme, oregano, basil, etc.)
- Fresh herbs for topping (we used chives)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°
- Make 1/8'' thick slices across each potato. (To help keep the slices uniform, it's helpful to place the potato lengthwise between wooden spoons or chopsticks and slice down until hitting them).
- Place the potatoes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and brush with olive oil, making sure it gets down into the cracks.
- Sprinkle with salt, pepper and any additional seasonings you'd like.
- Roast for 30 minutes, baste with butter and continue roasting for another 30 minutes.
- For the last 5 minutes of roasting, sprinkle the cheese over the potatoes.
- Remove from the oven when the potatoes are crispy and golden brown and the cheese is melted.
- Top with fresh herbs and serve.
Notes
*Get creative! You can stuff the potato cracks with anything you'd like. Bacon, sautéed peppers, feta cheese, caramelized onions, jalapeños, etc. Also great using sweet potatoes and sprinkling with cinnamon.
31 Comments
These look delicious! I love making baked potatoes like this so that they get crispier!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
Kari, Right? The crispiness is addictive. 🙂
I have seen these done but never tried it myself. Love that you use olive oil. Will have to make these next time we have baked potatoes.
Candy, Yes next time you’re in the mood for a baked potato, give them a try! You might never go back.
These look great! Potatoes cooked like this are my 10 year old daughter’s favorite food. Looks like I’ll need to give this recipe a try. Thanks for sharing.
Renee, I’m with your daughter on that. Hasselback Potatoes are so much better than your typical baked potato! Let us know how she likes the recipe 🙂
These look amazing. Such a great addition to any meal. I’m picky about potato texture but want to try these.
Dia, I’m not a huge fan of the texture of potatoes either, that’s why I love these. Each slice becomes a little crispier so you don’t get that starchy, mushy potato texture as much. Hope you like them!
I can’t believe I’ve never tried to make these myself yet. They are so appealing and would add a great touch to a meal!
Liz, give them a try! I’m sure you’ll love them 🙂
This is so gorgeous. I know my husband would love it – he’s def a potatoes with stuff sort of guy 🙂
Natalie, It sounds like your husband and mine could be friends haha. Give him a potato smothered in melty cheese and that’s all he needs to be happy 😉
The kids love potatoes and I am sure they would love these as well -potatoes and cheese cant really loose!
Edward, so with you on this one. Cheese and potatoes…definitely a winner! And this is one is kind of fun to eat, too. Hope you like them!
i love hasselback potatoes and new thing is apples with oats etc! soooo good and fancy looking
Leslie, We’re glad you like hasselback potatoes too! They really are fun to eat, make and serve. Happy cooking!
Being from Northern Ireland, I’ma big fan of the humble spud and with cheese? Ahh perfect lunch treat!
Sarah, That’s so cool you’re from Ireland! I’ve always wanted to go there. And I’m glad you appreciate the humble spud. It’s such a versatile food, and can be easily dressed up when you just add some cheesy goodness to it 😉
These look so yummy! In fact I think I might just make them tonight!
Allie, if you do end up making them, let us know how they turned out!
Yum!!! My kids love these so much 🙂 Thanks for the dinner idea!
Malena, That’s awesome your kids like them! I’m sure you all have fun cutting them up together and sprinkling them with cheese. 🙂
I cannot wait to try those!
Justin, Let us know how you like them when you do!
Definitely agree with you that it’s best to keep things simple! These also look delicious and I love that you gave some ideas on variations and how to turn this into a complete meal. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Tess, glad you like it! Simple, fresh meals are the BEST.
I can not wait to try these out. They look really difficult to make but after reading the recipe it seems so easy!!
Marleen,they aren’t hard at all! Try them and let us know what you think. Hope you love them:)
These look super tasty. We eat a lot of potatoes in my house and it’s always good to have ways to change them up a little bit. Love that this recipe looks super easy.
These look amazing definitely my style !! Love mine with ranch.
What a simple and delicious looking summer side!! Definitely giving these a try this BBQ season 🙂