Hasselback Potatoes: Frugal and Fabulous

I first saw these potatoes back in college when my then-boyfriend (now husband) had a Swedish roommate.  The roommate made these potatoes and they looked pretty good! At the time, my cooking skills were more along the lines of opening up a box of Tuna Helper, so I forgot about them and put them out of my mind.

Recently, I saw them again on Pinterest and decided to learn how to make them myself. I discovered that in Sweden they’re called Hasselback Potatoes.   There are many variations, but this is the one I landed on.  Plus, I used my homemade pesto to top them off!

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3-4 russet potatoes, skin on
• sea salt
• 3-5 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Place potato on a cutting board and slice almost all the way through each potato at about 2-3 mm intervals. Arrange the potatoes in a baking tray and insert the garlic in between the slits (the garlic serves to wedge open the potatoes, allowing the butter and olive oil to drizzle down in the between the slices).  Melt the butter and blend in the olive oil, then brush on the potatoes.  Sprinkle on a little sea salt according to your taste.  Bake for about 40-45 minutes or until the potatoes start to brown.  Top with sour cream, cheese, pesto, or anything that you’d normally put on a baked potato.