Hasselback Potatoes Au Gratin

“It’s all about the sauce.” The first time I made this recipe everything tasted delicious. Christopher agreed, but there was a long, silent pause after he cleared the first few bites. To me, that meant there was something wrong, so I asked him to tell me what was missing. He said, “Sauce. This needs more sauce.”

How dare he? Ha-ha! He’s a very honest taste-tester, that’s why he always reaps all the profits of being married to a food blogger.

This is a “must” for the holidays. When else is it legal to combine heavy cream, cheddar cheese, and potatoes? Never. It’s just not allowed. Except for Thanksgiving. This recipe will give your stretchy pants a reason to exist.

The key to making hasselback anything is all in the cut. I used a pair of chop sticks on each side of the potatoes to keep my knife from going all the way through. Hold your spuds steady and go slow if you need to. The cuts are not only pretty, but also functional to get a lot of sauce in between.

Again, I adjusted this recipe AFTER I took the picture. So you will likely get more sauce on yours. The key is, like Christopher said, to make it ooey-gooey and comforting. Enjoy!

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HASSELBACK POTATOES AU GRATIN

Ingredients

INGREDIENTS

  • 8 medium russet potatoes
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 3 large garlic cloves minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 3 cups cheddar cheese
  • 2 tablespoons rosemary or thyme finely chopped

Instructions

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
  2. Slice the potatoes into hasselback style by making 1/8 inch cuts into potatoes. Place item on either side of potatoes (e.g. chopsticks, skewers) to keep knife from going all the way through.
  3. Coat the inside of a baking dish with butter, ensuring to spread well. Arrange potatoes in dish.
  4. Combine cream, milk, flour, garlic and spices in a medium mixing bowl. Pour over potatoes.
  5. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes, then remove foil and bake for 40 minutes.
  6. Meanwhile, combine cheese and herbs (e.g. rosemary, thyme) in a small mixing bowl. Sprinkle evenly over the top of potatoes and cream mixture. Bake for an additional 5-10 minutes. Serve warm.
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