Recipe Of The Day: Cheddar Herb Hasselback Potatoes

Getting creative for dinner is always a fun way to test out your cooking skills, but sometimes nothing beats a good old-fashioned plate of meat and potatoes. But you can get creative with that classic combination. Instead of baked potatoes, mashed potatoes or any other potato recipe, consider hasselback potatoes for dinner tonight.

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For the unfamiliar, hasselback potatoes are potatoes that are sliced nearly all the way through and baked, leading to a stunning presentation and a texture that is somewhere between baked potatoes and crispy oven-baked fries. The best part of a hasselback potato is that you can get creative with them and how they're topped. For the ultimate crust, we like this cheddar-Parmesan-bread crumb mixture. It makes the crispiest side dish that's guaranteed to be steak's new bestie.

The key to making great hasselback potatoes is to slice them correctly. Make sure you evenly cut each potato at 1/4-inch slices, leaving the very bottom still intact. This method ensures that the potato retains its structure, but it gives you room to easily stuff it with your favorites, like cheese, bacon, chives or anything else you fancy. 

For this recipe, you'll be topping the potatoes with a bread crumb and cheese mixture. Stir together some olive oil, salt and pepper with grated Parmesan, cheddar cheese, bread crumbs and a few staple seasonings. Once the potatoes are done baking, broil them for about one minute to get an exceptionally crispy golden brown layer. Serve the tasty side dish alongside some of these easy four-ingredient entrees perfect for busy weeknights. 

Cheddar Herb Hasselback Potatoes

Ingredients

• 4 russet potatoes
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper, divided
• 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Directions

Step 1: Preheat oven to 450F.

Step 2: Trim 1/4-inch from ends of 4 russet potatoes.

Step 3: Slice potatoes crosswise at 1/4-inch intervals, leaving bottom 1/4-inch of potato intact. (Need a foolproof method to achieve the Hasselback effect? Place a wooden spoon or dowel rods on either side of the potato to prevent your knife from cutting all the way through.)

Step 4: Gently rinse potatoes, being careful not to break apart. Place potatoes, cut-side down, on a microwave-safe plate and microwave about 10 to 12 minutes until slightly softened, turning potatoes halfway through cooking.

Step 5: Line large shallow baking pan with foil. Arrange potatoes, cut-side up, on baking sheet.

Step 6: Brush potatoes with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper.

Step 7: Bake 30 minutes or until skin is crispy and potatoes are lightly browned.

Step 8: Meanwhile, mix remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1/3 cup panko, 1/3 cup Parmesan, 1/4 cup cheddar, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, and 1/4 teaspoon onion powder in small bowl.

Step 9: Remove potatoes from oven.

Step 10: Top potatoes with panko-cheese mixture, carefully pressing some of the mixture into cuts.

Step 11: Broil about 1 minute or until cheese is golden brown.

Recipe courtesy of McCormick