Cheesy hasselback potatoes: Crackly cheese-topped au gratin potatoes with deliciously crispy edges baked in a screaming hot cast iron dish.
Let’s Forget January Resolutions
Let’s talk carbs today, yes?
Because, it’s no longer January and so resolutions are no longer relevant.
We’ve made it through the Super Bowl with all the dip and Valentine’s Day with alllll the desserts.
In between and thereafter, we’ve squeezed in plenty of salad, grains, and meatless meals to make up for crappy weekend eating.
But it’s also winter and as much as we love lighter meatless meals, we do also crave hearty, meaty meals.
I finally found an old-school butcher shop in our area a few months ago and I recently picked up a bunch of short ribs which got braised in a red wine sauce (amazing!).
After the ever-complicated decision of what to serve them with (over polenta, grits, or mashed potatoes), I ultimately went for these cheesy hasselback potatoes on the side instead.
In all honesty, I was dying for true hasselback potatoes in adorable, individual, stand-alone servings. But I kept cutting through the bottom of the potatoes and I ended up hacking up the potatoes into almost paper-thin potato slices with very few pretty accordion-like potatoes leftover.
So I cut all of them into slices, mixed up a quick cheese-milk au gratin mixture and lined them up like little soldiers in a gratin dish.
What emerged from the oven after an excruciatingly long bake time was pure perfection. Crispy potato edges peeking out over the edge of the screaming hot cast iron dish with tender and herby au gratin potatoes nestled beneath a lid of crackly cheese.
I can’t make this stuff up, friends.
We scarfed these cheesy hasselback potatoes down like it was our job. There was no turning back.
We ate the leftovers over the rest of the week with pan-roasted chicken and Dijon pan sauce for dinner and beneath poached eggs for breakfast.
And in between those meals, just out of the pan with a fork. I won’t judge you if you do the same.
Thanksgiving Side Dish Inspiration
If you’re looking for some side dish inspiration for what else you can serve these cheesy hasselback potatoes with for a holiday meal like Thanksgiving, might I suggest a few ideas?
- Thanksgiving stuffing in the crock pot
- Creamed corn from scratch
- Roast turkey roulade
- Homemade cranberry sauce
- Roasted acorn squash and pear salad
- Sweet potato and roasted apple soup with maple croutons
- Maple roasted butternut squash
- Honey yeast rolls with maple butter
What to Serve these Cheesy Hasselback Potatoes with
Obviously, these potatoes would be excellent alongside some grilled steak. But they would also be outstanding with Ina’s turkey meatloaf, this chicken with country gravy, this butterflied and grilled chicken, or even bacon and onion jam burgers!
And if you want to go in a completely different direction flavor-wise, try serving some shakshuka (poached eggs in fiery tomato sauce) over these crispy potatoes. What a way to WOW your family or guests!
Cheesy Hasselback Potatoes
Cheesy hasselback potatoes are like a crackly cheese-topped gratin potatoes with deliciously crispy edges baked in a screaming hot cast iron dish. They're rich and INCREDIBLY satisfying.
Ingredients
- 3 oz grated Gruyère or comté cheese
- 2 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 4 to 4 ½ lbs russet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick on a mandoline slicer (7 to 8 medium, see note)
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F with a rack centered in the oven. Grease the sides and bottom of a 2-qt casserole or gratin dish; set aside.
- Combine the cheeses together in a large bowl. Transfer 1/3 of the cheese to a smaller bowl and set aside. Stir the cream, garlic, thyme, and a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper into the cheese in the large bowl. Add the potato slices to the bowl and toss them gently with your hands to coat all of the pieces.
- Line the slices up side-by-side in the prepared dish, starting around the edge and working your way into the center. Pour the remaining cheese-cream mixture over the potatoes until the mixture reaches halfway up the side of the dish. Discard extra mixture.
- Cover the dish tightly with greased foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 30 minutes, until the top is pale brown. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake for a final 30 minutes, until the potato edge are crispy and the cheese is deep golden brown. Let the potatoes rest for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
adapted from The New York Times
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I can’t tell you how excited these photos make me! These potatoes sound AWESOME!
I have a hard time making true hasselback potatoes too so I LOVE this version!! They look even better, in my opinion 😀