Hasselback Potatoes with Garlic Herb Butter and Gouda!

Hasselback Potatoes are outrageously delicious, crispy, creamy slices of heaven and so much easier to make than they look!  

Hasselback Potatoes are an impressive side dish anyone can make! They are ethereally soft and creamy on the inside, crispy on the outside, dripping with Garlic Thyme Butter in every slice with a crescendo of melty gouda.  This recipe is ideal for special occasions, holidays (hello Easter) and company but easy enough for everyday – if you can slice, you can prep this recipe in minutes!  Best of all, this Hasselback Potato recipe can be made ahead of time for stress free entertaining – just pop the potatoes back in the oven to melt the cheese!  Serve these recipe alongside anything from chicken to pork tenderloin, to roast for a dinner everyone will praise.  Use my tips and kitchen hacks to help you easily make this show stopping side dish that’s a head above the rest!

Special occasions require a potato side dish because they are one of the most universally loved foods on the planet.  You can’t go wrong with Potatoes Au Gratin with Bacon, Company Mashed Potatoes, Melting Potatoes, Twice Baked Potatoes, Roasted Potatoes or Potato Salad, but these Hasselback Potatoes might be the most impressive of them all!

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HOW TO MAKE hasselback POTATo RECIPE VIDEO

WHAT ARE hasselback potatoes?

Hasselback Potatoes transform the humble potato into an impressive side dish that exudes elegance. They are distinguished by their beautiful accordion-like shape made by cutting thin, horizontal slits across the potato without slicing through, then stuffing the slits with melted butter, cheese and/or bacon. The potatoes bake up crispy on the outside, softy and creamy on the inside with pockets of flavor in every tender bite. 

Hasselback Potatoes are deemed superior to baked potatoes because each slice gets roasted and caramelized while still remaining soft and tender like mashed potatoes on the inside. The flavorings, whether oil or herb butter, bake right into each slice, so every bite is exceptionally flavorful.

WHAT POTATOES ARE BEST FOR hasselback POTATOES?

You can make Hasselback Potatoes with virtually any variety of potato; however, I find Russet potatoes (sometimes called Idaho potatoes) to be the best potatoes because:

• their skins are sturdier than other potato varieties so they hold their shape even with accordion slices
• their skins bake up crispier than other potatoes
• their interiors bake up soft like mashed potatoes and never gummy

HASSELBACK POTATO RECIPE INGREDIENTS

You only need a few simple ingredients to make the best Hasselback Potato recipe of your life.  Let’s take a closer (full recipe measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post):

• Potatoes: Choose medium Russet potatoes of uniform size free of soft spots.  
• Olive oil: Use a few tablespoons of olive oil to coat the exterior of the potatoes so they bake up crispy. Use extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor.
• Butter:  Potatoes and butter are match made in heaven! Butter is combined with garlic and herbs and then slathered in between the potato slices after they’ve cooked and begin to fan out.  Use unsalted butter so we can control the salt or reduce the salt in the recipe.
• Garlic:  Fresh garlic is divine with herb, butter laced potatoes.  The recipe calls for 4 garlic cloves but you can use more or less as desired and even substitute with 1 teaspoon garlic powder if you’re in a bind.
• Herbs:  This recipe calls for fresh thyme, rosemary and chives because they are not only a divine pairing but stand up to the heat of the oven.  You may also substitute with any dried herbs.
• Seasonings:  In addition to garlic and fresh herbs, the potatoes are seasoned with salt, pepper, and paprika to round out the flavors.
• Gouda:  In my opinion, Hasselback Potatoes are not the same without cheese – they always seem a little dry. However, add some Gouda, and you have the most delicious spuds on the planet.  While you can use cheddar, I think Gouda MAKES this recipe!  I particularly adore apple smoked Gouda.  Gouda tastes similar to cheddar but is milder and smoky with nutty, caramel-like notes.  Equally important, Gouda melts 1000X better than cheddar.  All that being said, if you don’t have Gouda, you can use all cheddar and it will still be tasty, just not as complex or sophisticated.

HOW TO MAKE hasselback POTATOES

These herbs laced, butter imbued Hasselback Potatoes are made in a few steps: 

• slice the potatoes
• coat in olive oil
• bake
• slather in garlic thyme butter
• add cheese
• melt the cheese

Let’s take a closer look at how to make this recipe with step-by-step photos (full recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post):

STEP 1:  PREP POTATOES

• Prep work:  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray for easy cleanup.
• Clean potatoes:  Scrub potatoes and dry very well. The drier the skins, the crispier they will become.

STEP 2: HOW TO CUT HASSELBACK POTATOES

• Create a flat base:  Because of their round nature, potatoes are wobbly.  In order for them to lay flat and not move around under your knife (dangerous!) or while baking, create a flat bottom. To do this, simply make a thin slice along the bottom of the potato – now your potato will lay flat and no one will ever know!
• Slice the potatoes: Next, place the potatoes flat on a cutting board and slice the potatoes into 1/8” slices without slicing all the way through the potato – you will want to leave about ½ inch of the potato intact on the bottom.   Try and make the slices as uniform as possible as this will ensure more even cooking, but don’t stress too much about it.  You can place two wooden chopsticks or utensil handles along the sides of one potato to help prevent you from slicing all the way through the base of the potato.  Take care on the tapered ends, however, you will have to eyeball these completely because they are above the chopsticks. 

STEP 3: grease the skin

• Cover with olive oil:  Transfer the potatoes to the prepared baking sheet and drizzle with 3-4 tablespoons olive oil, enough to generously coat the potatoes.  You can also use bacon grease or vegetable oil.  I find it easiest to coat them in oil by rubbing the oil in with my hands.
• Space out the potatoes:  Make sure the greased potatoes aren’t touching or else they will steam instead of bake up crispy.

STEP 4: bake the potatoes

• Bake:  Bake the potatoes at 450 degrees F for 50 to 60 minutes or until the potatoes are tender in the center.  Smaller potatoes will take less time and larger potatoes can take even longer, closer to 75 minutes.

STEP 5: add the garlic thyme butter

• Make the Garlic Thyme Butter: Near the end of the baking time, time mix together all of the Garlic Herb Butter ingredients in the medium bowl.  You don’t want to mix the ingredients together too early or the butter will start to harden.

• Add the Garlic Thyme Butter:  Brush the butter in between every slice using a pastry brush.  Don’t worry if butter drips off while you’re working, it will pool and can be used to baste the potatoes at the end of roasting. 

STEP 6: add the cheese

• Add cheese:  Insert the cheese slices in between every other cut of potato or every few potato slices if using 8 ounces cheese or in between every cut if using 16 ounces of cheese.
• Melt the cheese:   Return the potatoes to the oven and bake for an additional 3-5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
• Serve:  Garnish with additional chopped chives if desired and serve immediately.

Can you Make Hasselback Potatoes in the Air Fryer?

To make this recipe in the air fryer:

• Preheat Air Fryer to 350 degrees F. Spray the basking with nonstick cooking spray.
• Rub the sliced potatoes with oil and place in the basket.
• Bake the potatoes at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until tender.
• Open the basket brush in between the slices with the Garlic Thyme Butter and add the cheese.
• Return and bake and additional 3 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

recipe tips FOR the best hasselback potatoes

• Use similar sized Russet potatoes.  Use Russet potatoes for their structure and the fluffiest center.  When selecting the potatoes, hand-pick them as opposed to grabbing a bag so you can select potatoes of similar width so they cook in the same amount of time. 
• Clean and dry the potatoes thoroughly.  Scrub the outsides of the potatoes clean because you are eating the skins – we don’t want any grit in your teeth! Pat the potatoes very dry after washing or the skins won’t get as crispy.
• Don’t slice the potatoes all the way through the potato.  Start by slicing the very bottom off of the potatoes so they don’t roll around. This also makes it easier to make even slices. Place the potato between two chopsticks or utensils to prevent you from slicing all the way through the potato.
• Make uniform slices.  Try and make the slices as uniform as possible to ensure even cooking.  
• Don’t use delicate fresh herbs.  Only roast the potatoes with woody herbs such as thyme, rosemary, and sage. More delicate herbs can wilt and become flavorless. You can, however, use any dried herbs you like.
• Evenly coat the slices in herb butter.  I find it’s easiest to use one hand to separate the slices and the other hand to brush on the herb butter.  If your herb butter is running out before you are done, you can brush some butter from the bottom of the pan, add additional melted butter or another drizzle of olive oil. 
• Use a baking sheet so you don’t crowd the potatoes.  A regular half sheet rimmed baking sheet (13X18) works beautifully for this recipe.  It’s large enough to space out the potatoes so they can caramelize and the outsides can crisp up.  If you crowd them into a pan, they will steam instead.
• Be flexible with the roasting times.  Smaller potatoes will bake for less time, larger potatoes will bake for longer. 
• Bake until melt-in-your-mouth tender.   Use a fork to test for doneness in the center of the largest potato.  If the potatoes aren’t super soft, then continue to bake an additional 5-10 minutes – no wants hard potatoes!
• Use more or less Gouda.  There are a lot of potato slices, which means you need a lot of cheese to fill them!  You can stick with 8 ounces of Gouda sliced thinly into 1-inch squares and place every other slice or every few slices or splurge and use 16 ounces Gouda which will fill about every slice. 

POSSIBLE RECIPE VARIATIONS

Hasselback Potatoes can be dressed in any flavorings you choose.   Here are just a few ideas:

• Use different fresh herbs:  You can use other dried herbs in addition to or instead of the fresh thyme and rosemary such as oregano, marjoram, basil, tarragon, etc.
• Use different seasonings: Try swapping the seasonings for any of your favorite seasoning blends such as Cajun seasoning, ranch seasoning, Montreal seasoning, Italian seasoning, etc. or adding spices like chili powder, cayenne pepper, etc.
• Swap the butter:  Instead of butter, brush the slices with pesto, or dressings such as pepper ranch, blue cheese or Caesar.
• Add lemon: Add some lemon zest or lemon pepper in place of the pepper in the butter mixture along with a couple tablespoons lemon juice.
• Swap the Gouda:  Try cheddar, white cheddar, mozzarella, provolone, Havarti, Gruyere, goat cheese, nacho cheese and even cream cheese etc.
• Add cheese to garnish: Sprinkle the potatoes with goat cheese, feta cheese or gorgonzola cheese after roasting.
• Add bacon:  Top with crispy crumbled bacon before serving.
• Add toppings:  The toppings don’t stop at just bacon and cheese, try green onions, sour cream, ranch, pesto, caramelized onions (like this recipe), roasted broccoli, corn, beans, olives, smoked salmon, pico de gallo, guacamole or candied jalapeno peppers.
• Dairy-free: Swap the butter for dairy-free butter or oils like coconut oil or olive oil.
• Serve with sauce:  The glorious, buttery, cheesy, Hasselback Potatoes don’t need a sauce because they’re stand-alone fabulous, but they still are tasty with a side of pepper ranch, cilantro lime ranch, tomatillo avocado ranch, horseradish sauce, tzatziki, pesto, chimichurri, etc.

Make it a main dish

Have fun mixing up the cheese and toppings to make Hasselback Potatoes a main dish.  Here are just a few ideas:

• Buffalo Chicken Hasselback Potatoes: Top with buffalo chicken, blue cheese and roasted broccoli.
• Bacon Ranch Chicken Hasselback Potatoes:  Top with shredded rotisserie chicken, roasted broccoli, ranch dressing and bacon.
• Mexican Hasselback Potatoes: Top with taco meat, carnitas, shredded beef, carne asada, Mexican chicken or salsa verde chicken and your favorite toppings like black beans, corn, pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream and hot sauce.
• Fajita Chicken Hasselback Potatoes:  Top with fajita chicken, fajita steak, fajita shrimp or fajita salmon along with peppers, beans and sour cream.
• Greek Chicken Hasselback Potatoes:  Top with Greek chicken, feta, olives, pickled red onions, tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red bell peppers, pickled red onions, etc. and drizzle with tzatziki.
• Chili Cheese Hasselback Potatoes: Top with your favorite meat chili, turkey chili, barbecue chicken chili, buffalo chicken chili or Cincinnati chili.

HOW LONG CAN hasselback POTATOES BE REFRIGERATED?

Hasselback Potatoes should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or foil.  Properly stored potatoes will keep in the refrigerator for about five days. If you think you aren’t going to eat your potatoes by then, you can freeze them instead.

CAN YOU MAKE Hasselback potatoes AHEAD OF TIME?

Yes!  Hasselback Potatoes can be prepared almost entirely ahead of time or in stages, making them a great option for busy weeknights, meal prep, entertaining, or holidays.  All you have to do is pull the potatoes out of the fridge, and finish baking for a quick and easy side any night of the week!  That being said, they will be crispiest if served fresh. 

Here are some make ahead options:

• Slice Hasselback Potatoes:  Scrub the potatoes, slice and place in a bowl of cold water in the fridge with a teaspoon of lemon juice or white vinegar.   This will prevent the potatoes from turning brown due to oxidation.  When ready to bake, thoroughly dry the potatoes and proceed with the recipe.  Bonus, the vinegar water will help draw out the starch and make the outsides crispier!
• Prep ingredients:  Combine the fresh herbs, garlic and seasonings for the Garlic Thyme Butter and store in the refrigerator.  Add the melted butter when ready to use otherwise it will harden.
• Bake and add cheese:  This option will save you the most prep time the day of serving. Follow the recipe all the way up to adding the Garlic Thyme Butter.  Instead of returning to the oven, let the potatoes cool to room temperature, stuff with slices of cheese, cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.  When ready to serve, bake the potatoes at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes OR until heated through and cheese has completely melted.

HOW DO I REHEAT hasselback POTATOES?

Already baked Hasselback Potatoes (leftovers) keep fabulously well and make great leftover snacks, lunches or sides. You can reheat the potatoes in the microwave, oven or air fryer.  The microwave is quicker but you won’t get the same crispy exterior that the oven gives you – but honestly, I usually don’t have patience for that!

• How to reheat in the oven:  Bake the potatoes at 400 degrees F in a on a lightly greased baking sheet for 20-25 minutes or until completely heated through.
• How to reheat in the microwave: Place potatoes on a microwave-safe plate and microwave on high power for 60 seconds then at 15 second intervals as needed until heated through.
• How to reheat in the air fryer: Preheat the Air Fryer to 350 degrees F and cook for 5 minutes, or until completely heated through.

CAN hasselback POTATOES BE FROZEN?

Yes, Hasselback Potatoes can be frozen.  However, they won’t boast the same crispy, creamy texture once thawed, so I would only freeze leftovers and not freeze specifically to serve company in the future.   

HOW TO FREEZE hasselback potatoes

• Cool the potatoes completely then place in the freezer while still on the baking sheet; flash freeze for 1 hour or until solid.
• Wrap each potato in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container.
• Freeze potatoes for up to 3 months.
• When ready to eat, thaw potatoes in the fridge for 24 hours.
• Reheat with any of the above methods.

WHAT CAN I SERVE WITH Hasselback potatoes?

Hasselback Potatoes are delicious with practically everything from steak to chicken, to pork and fish.  Here are just a few delicious pairings:

• Beef: Steak and potatoes are a classic!  Serve these Hasselback Potatoes with honey balsamic beef, London broil, marinated flank steak, bacon wrapped filet mignon, beef brisket, spice rubbed steaks with herb butter, steak with balsamic herb cream sauce etc.
• Seafood: We love these potatoes with lemon garlic salmon, piccata salmon and asparagus, mahi mahi in lemon garlic cream sauce and lemon Dijon salmon.
• Shrimp:  Roasted lemon garlic butter shrimp is a popular favorite along with bacon wrapped shrimp, jerk shrimp and lemon garlic shrimp.
• Pork:  Garlic butter pork tenderloin (one of the most popular recipes on my site!), balsamic pork tenderloin, crockpot citrus honey pork loin, Cajun pork tenderloin and blackberry hoisin pork tenderloin.
• Chicken:  French onion chicken, lemon pepper chicken, balsamic chicken, oven fried chicken, and so much more!
• Holiday Food! Garlic butter beef tenderloin, herb butter turkey, brown sugar glazed ham, honey baked ham, baked ham with cider maple glaze, etc.

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