Hasselback Sweet Potatoes

pinterest graphic of close up of a hasselback sweet potato - 1

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Hasselback Sweet Potatoes look like you slaved over them, but truly they are an easy delectable side dish that will leave your guests in awe.

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Sweet potatoes are always a favorite of mine. I eat them all year long, but I especially love them around the holidays. Not only are they delicious on their own, but they are high in fiber, and offer your body some great vitamins and minerals.

While there are a million delicious ways that you can prepare sweet potatoes (Hello, did someone say Sweet Potato Fries ???), these Hasselback Sweet Potatoes are a show stopper around the holidays. They are shockingly easy to make and will wow your guests. They should absolutely be on your Thanksgiving and Christmas tables.

Made these for Thanksgiving. They were delicious.

What are Hasselback Potatoes

Hasselback Potatoes are potatoes that are cut part of the way through in thin slices down the length of the potato. They were created in 1953 by Leif Elisson , a chef in training at the Hasselbacken restaurant in Stockholm, Sweden

How to Make Hasselback Sweet Potatoes

Cut the sweet potatoes. Place a wooden spoon (or wooden skewer) on either side of the sweet potato. Starting at the point where the potato makes contact with the counter, start making 1/8 inch cuts down the length of the potato. The wooden spoons will prevent you from cutting all the way through. Repeat this with three more potatoes.
Make the butter topping. Whisk together melted butter, maple syrup, kosher salt, garlic and dried rosemary and thyme.
Brush the potatoes. Add about half of the butter mixture to the tops of the potatoes with a brush.
Bake the potatoes. Half way through baking, you will remove the potatoes from the oven. Using a fork, carefully lift the potato from the middle about an inch or two off the baking sheet. This will allow the potato to open up more. Then brush on the rest of the butter mixture and return them to the oven.

a sweet potato with two wooden spoons, one on each side, that is being cut hasselback style - 4

Cutting Hasselback Potatoes

These are not the easiest thing in the world to cut, but don’t stress about it. I had a few pieces that didn’t cut right and came apart from the potato. I just set them inside the sweet potato and moved on with life.

A few tips for cutting hasselback potatoes:

Use wooden utensils on either side of the potato. This will keep you from slicing through the potato. Keep in mind that you want to use something you don’t mind marking up a little. Thick wooden skewers would also work well.
Work slowly. If you try to move too quickly through these you will get slices that are too big or too small. That being said, even when you take your time, you will only spend a minute or two cutting each potato.

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Are hasselback potatoes peeled?

No, there are no need to peel potatoes before cutting them hasselback style.

Can hasselback potatoes be made ahead of time?

I would not recommend making these ahead of time. They will brown after they are cut and won’t look nearly as appealing.

Can I make this recipe with russet potatoes instead of sweet potatoes?

Yes! And you can keep everything else the same when you do it.