Cheesy, Garlic Hasselback Potatoes

Let's just be honest with each other: these are amazing.  Yep, there I go tooting my own horn again.  But, really these are fan-freaking-tastic.  I made them to go with steaks and healthy onion rings (post and recipe to come) a few Sunday's ago.  I'm not a huge fan of a regular baked potatoes and so I thought Id' give these Hasselbacks a try.  

I have been seeing a lot of these Hasselback potatoes online lately and they really are perfect.  I love that they have a crispiness to them but aren't fried.  They are firm but not hard and have tons of flavor.  I loaded ours up with a garlic butter compote and cheddar but a simple sprinkling of salt and pepper with a drizzle of olive oil would be good as well.   

I promise, these are worth the fuss.

Musical Selection: Into the Mystic by the Wallflowers. This makes me want to slow dance in the kitchen with Mr. Schwartz. I'm a sap today.

Start by mincing up some garlic.  Yes, do you see, I'm using real garlic not the stuff in a jar.  Ah, I forgot how amazing real garlic is.  Wow, not going back to that canned business...if I can help it.

Add some butter and dried parsley.

A little grated parmesan.

Salt and pepper.

Stir to combine...set aside.

Cut up some cheddar....

Then, scrub a baking potato and slice thinly but not all the way through.

Then, stuff the potato.  I alternated between the compound butter and cheese.  Don't worry, one of mine broke, it gets a little tough to cram everything in.  I just stuck it together with the butter and it was just fine.

See, its like a little rainbow.  A delightfully cheesy and garlicky rainbow.

Mmmm...potato rainbows.  Once you have them stuffed, place the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees.  Once the butter and cheese start melting, the potato will start coming back into it's former shape.  I watched mine, and pressed it down a bit during baking.  One fell over, I put it back in the right spot and all was well in the world.

Then, this came out of the oven.  Omg.

Out of control. 

Cheesy, Garlic Hasselback Potatoes

2 large roasting potatoes, scrubbed

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese 

3 tablespoons dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

20 (inch by inch squared) pieces cheddar cheese 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

Combine garlic, butter, parmesan, parsley, salt and pepper together in a bowl. Set aside.

Cut cheese into squares, set aside.

Scrub potatoes and slice thinly to create a potato accordion.  Do not slice all the way through the potato.  

Stuff the potato first with butter, then cheese, then butter, and so on until all of the cuts are filled.  The potato will start to turn into a rainbow shape, that is okay.  

Place potatoes on a baking sheet.  Bake for about 45 minutes.  Check them after about 15 or 20.  If needed press them down in the middle and they will return to their more natural shape (not bowed).  

Enjoy!!! 

Recipe by: Mrs. Schwartz