“Hasselback potatoes are a type of potato dish, not a variety of potato, as is sometimes mistakenly believed. The name is derived from the restaurant where they were first introduced in the 1940s, Hasselbacken in Stockholm, Sweden which opened in that city in 1748 and where they are called hasselbackspotatis. Hasselback potatoes are a simple dish, and in their simplest form, are nothing more than whole potatoes cut in such a way as to resemble a fan or accordion when roasted. The outside of the potato becomes crisp and brown while the inside is soft and creamy (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-hasselback-potatoes.htm).”  I took that definition straight from the wiseGEEK website. And even cited it with the URL!  I probably did not cite it correctly, but you get the point.  The site has a little bit more information on it, about them, if you so desire to know more.

I made these a couple of weekends ago.  The are extremely easy to make.  Really the only way you can mess them up it to under cook them.  Which is exactly what I did!  So we cut off all of the outside parts that were cooked and all the cooked parts were wonderful!  I “get” these now.  Before I actually made them I thought they looked cool but would taste awfully boring next to something like a “twice baked” or a “way over loaded” plain baked potato. But I could tell, even from the under cooked version, that the insides become creamy almost to the point of a mashed potato but obviously not mashed.  It is very difficult to explain.  It is like the inside gets completely saturated with the butter (like a butter sponge).  Then when you take a bite it is like taking a bite of the part of the mashed potatoes that have the pat of butter right next to them.  So you get a little mouthful of melted butter with your potato.  So that, is that. I will be making these again, soon!  This time I will just increase my cooking time by 1/2 hour and decrease my potato size by 1/4.

– 2 large baking potatoes (you be the judge)

– 1 stick real butter (sliced thin)

– 8 oz. of your favorite suitable cheese, sliced thin ( I used the South fork Sausage by Manwaring, pictured above) It is a cheese local to me but it would have the same consistency of monterey jack.

-S & P

Cut potatoes in thin slices, only do not cut all the way through the potato. Only cut ~ 3/4 of the way through (see photos above).  Place butter and cheese between slices, alternating (see photos above). Top with S & P.  Place in small, foil lined, roasting pan.  Bake, uncovered, at 400 for 60 to 120 minutes.  Cooking time all depends on the size of the potato.  The potatoes pictured I baked for 60 min.  They could have used another 30 min. That is it.  Remove from oven, Eat Them!

P.S. Check out Manwaring’s handmade cheese website. They have, limited, yet unique products.