Hasselback Sweet Potatoes
Whether you are looking to wow your guests or treat yourself to a stunning baked potato, learn the simple trick to easily make Hasselback Sweet Potatoes!
Hasselback is now my new favorite way of enjoying baked potatoes. Especially baked sweet potatoes!
I mean, hey, not only are they super soft and creamy and unbelievably tasty, they’re also super cool to look at. Seriously, put one of these beauties on a plate and it clearly becomes the star of that plate! I think that even those who aren’t really big on sweet potatoes would badly want to eat this one, just because it’s so pretty!
And while it might look like one needs to hold a degree in Intricate Potato Slicing Techniques in order to successfully make the Hasselback cut, rest assured that it’s not the case at all. There’s a very simple trick to cutting these and once you know it, it becomes SUPER easy!
Ah, and of course, if you really don’t care for sweet potatoes, you can use this very same technique with any kind of potatoes, although you might want to use a different kind of seasoning…
So… you ready to go? Alright, let’s do this, then. You’ll see, it’s incredibly easy!
First, you’ll want to carefully select your tuber candidates…
You need potatoes that are as uniformly shaped as possible and about twice as long as they are wide.
Also, it really helps to choose potatoes that naturally sit nice and steady on any given flat surface, but if they’re a tiny bit wobbly and need a little help in keeping steady, just remove a thin slice of flesh from their underside.
No one will ever notice…
Now, we need to get the slicing started. Of course, we don’t want to slice all the way through the potato, so to make sure this doesn’t happen, lay wooden chopsticks on either side of your tuber. This will prevent the blade from ever slipping too far…
Clever and simple!
You do need to be careful when slicing the extremities, though, as these tend to sit a little bit higher and sometimes aren’t covered by your instant protective contraption. So keep a close eye on your blade for those few cuts…
You’ll want to hold on firmly to the potato and chopsticks and slice your potatoes as thinly as you can, although not paper thin.
You’ll want those slices to hold their shape nicely after the potatoes have been baked!
It’s also important that you slice your potatoes as evenly as possible. This will ensure more even cooking, for starters, but will also be a lot more visually pleasing.
So slices about yay thick and as even as possible.
Not too complicated, is it?
And there you have it. Perfectly sliced potatoes, almost ready for the oven.
They look just like giant caterpillars, don’t you think? Or a slinky, maybe?
Oh, and although they are much fun to play with at this stage, by all means, resist the urge. You wouldn’t want to break them now that you’ve worked so hard (or not!) at slicing them this perfectly.
Now we need to add a little bit of yummy flavor to these puppies.
Spoon the spicy honey mixture over them and gently push it down between the slices by rubbing the potatoes all over with your fingers. This will ensure maximum distribution of flavor.
Lastly, place a dab of ghee over each potato, cover with foil and send to the oven for about an hour.
See that stuff that’s at the bottom of the pan? That’s pure crack, I swear!
Do NOT let that go to waste! Spoon it over your finished baked potatoes, then garnish with a few chopped nuts, some fresh parsley and a tad more ghee.
Serve to your guests and prepare to get complimented big time!
Hasselback Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 large sweet potatoes, (about 250g each)
- 2 tbsp unpasteurized honey
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp Himalayan salt
- 1/2 tsp dried chili pepper flakes
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 2 tbsp pecans, chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F
- In a small mixing bowl, add honey, mustard, rosemary, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, chili pepper flakes and black pepper and stir with a spoon until well combined. Set aside.
- Wash the potatoes and, if necessary, remove a little bit of flesh from the bottom so the potatoes sit flat and steady on the cutting board.
- Place a wooden chopstick on either side of the potatoes and, with the help of a sharp knife, slice the potatoes as thinly as you can without going all the way through. The chopsticks will help to prevent that from happening, but you still have to be careful on the ends, for the chopsticks might not be high enough to completely cover them.
- Spoon the honey mixture over the potatoes and push it in between the slices by rubbing the potatoes with your fingers.
- Place the potatoes in a baking dish, add a little dab of ghee on top of each potato and cover with foil.
- Bake in a 375°F oven for 60 to 75 minutes.
- About 15 minutes before the potatoes are done cooking, remove the foil, baste with some of that liquid that's at the bottom of the baking dish, sprinkle with chopped pecans and resume cooking
- At the moment of serving, garnish with chopped parsley, drizzle with a little bit more of that delicious cooking liquid (that stuff is pure crack, I swear) and top with another little dab of ghee.
Nutrition
If you’ve tried this recipe, please take a minute to rate the recipe and let me know how things went for you in the comments below. It’s always such a pleasure to hear from you!
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37 Comments on “Hasselback Sweet Potatoes”
Happy New Year Sonia! Hope 2014 brings you health, hapiness and anything else you wish for! I’ve just started a new whole30 yesterday so I’ll be coming here often for inspiration… 🙂
AWESOME Simone, that is just fantastic. I’m not currently doing a Whole30 myself, but you can sure find a lot of recipes that are compliant on this site. Did you know that I also created a board where I pinned all of my Whole30 compliant recipes? Check it out here: http://www.pinterest.com/healthyyyfoodie/thf-whole30-compliant-recipes/
Hey, good luck to you, Simone. I know you can do this. Always remember: It’s only food, and it’s only 30 days! 😀
I have been wanting to try to make these bad boys for a long time, but they look so intimidating! I generally stick to recipes that require cutting potatoes once, in half, due to the fact that I generally almost slice all my fingers off. Any more than 1 cut and we’re getting too risky. However, you make it look easy..so I’m gonna try it!
If I don’t return, it’s because I no longer have the fingers to type. I’m sure it’ll be worth it though.
LOL! Please do return Taylor, I don’t want you missing even one finger. Your comments always cheer me up, it would be a disaster if they were to suddenly disappear. You know what? Maybe you should have someone else slice the tubers for you, just to be on the safe side, you know! 😉
On a more serious note, I do hope you enjoy the potatoes. I’m telling you, they’re just like candy, only they do your body good! What’s there not to like about them? 🙂
What if we cooked them for 20 minutes, more or less took them out of the oven and sliced them at this softer stage, added the seasonings and carried on, from that point? They should be a lot easier and less dangerous to slice!!!???
The potatoes aren’t that hard, or dangerous to slice, Di. They’re only a little tricky as you don’t want to be slicing all the way through…
I have been dying to try this technique Sonia, and this post just pushed me over the edge! Loving the addition of mustard – I can almost taste these in my head already!!!! I’m having guests tomorrow night and I’m going to make these for them – I’m sure they will be a huge hit! Thanks for the motivation!!!
Ah, but they are so easy to make, Mellissa, you’ll be wondering why you waited so long to try. I’m certain that they will be a huge hit, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind! 🙂
i like these. looks great with sweet potatoes!
Thank you Dina!
Loving the sweet, spicy, and salty combination with these sweet potatoes Sonia! Totally pinning and can’t wait to give them a try. Sharing on social media as well! 🙂 Happy New Year, have a great weekend!
Oh thank you Krista! You totally rock! 😀
I’ve never though of cutting sweet potatoes like that before and yes they do like caterpillars! But they also look fantastic and I shall be trying the recipe for myself very shortly
I really hope you like them, Kerry. If you’re anything like me, they will end up on your regular rotation, that’s for sure! 🙂
Ya killin me Sonia! But seriously, sweet potatoes are my drug. If I could only eat one food the rest of my life, they would be it. I was just telling my mom that I wanted to try making potatoes like this and then bam, you post this. Coincidence? I think not…
REALLY? Wow, that’s weird! Well, I’m so very happy I posted this when I did and now, I expect a full report of your experience. Please do fill me in and let me know how the whole prep went, but especially, how you enjoyed the finished product. Because seriously, if you like sweet potatoes so much, I think you’re gonna die when you eat these. They’re pure heaven, I swear!
Hasselback potatoes are the bomb. Seriously, I’m such a big fan.
I like mines with just garlic, coarse sea salt, olive oil and rosemary but your flavor combination looks fantastic. Can’t wait to try it!
Sometimes, simpler is better! Your version sounds really yummy too! I’d add a bit of black pepper, though. For me, no meal is complete without pepper! 😉
Yes, I want to eat these, please! And I will not be forgetting any of the stuff at the bottom of the pan, I promise.
Haha Emily! Just one taste and you’ll be licking it clean anyways! Hope you like. 🙂
If you ask me what i like the most how these gorgeous potatoes are cut.The way you cut them Sonia is really many years of practice behind it..lol.And yeah after seeing it baked out from that pan is so so yummy..dam my mouth getting watering mate.Sure i will gonna make this.
So kind of you to say, but it’s easier than it looks. For sure, you need to give it a try! 🙂
yeah baby! gonna try this manyana. yum yum yum and thank you.
These turned out horrible! They were to spicy and salty. I ended up having to bake them for 2 hours and by that time all the “sauce” was burnt onto the dish. Such a waste and disappointment.
Real sorry to hear, Megan… but seriously, 2 hours to bake sweet potatoes? Something’s not right, here… I don’t think that the recipe can be to blame for that!
Geez – you need to check your oven and did you use yams or sweet taters?
So I bought a huge bag of sweet potatoes today, and my husband, who loves all things sweet potato, just had to have one. A quick dash out into the cold to my rosemary plant and I had all the ingredients on hand. He doesn’t yet know what’s coming his way, but I’m waiting patiently to take those bad boys out of the oven, and trying hard not to drool in the meantime. I tasted the sauce so I already know this recipe is a keeper.
Thanks!
HAHA! Hope your hubby was happy and enjoyed the nice treat you prepared for him, Charisse. What a lucky man he is! 🙂
A little confused as to how this is a ‘healthy recipe’? I get that it’s whole food and all, but a similar recipe on the Food Network site has half, or less, of the following: (Maybe you should leave out the ghee!)
Calories 324 (you)/ 150 (FN)
Total Fats 9.4g (you)/ 4g (FN)
Saturated Fat 4.3g (you)/ 2g (FN)
Carbs 56.9 (you)/ 24 (FN)
Sodium 521 (you)/ 260 (FN)
Sugars 22.9g (you)/ 8g (FN)
Cholesterol 16mg (you)/ 10mg (FN)
Absolutely. Feel free to leave it out if it makes you feel better, Dawn!
Try reading some articles on Paleo, healthy fats, and healthy sugars plus complex carbohydrates and it will make more sense 😉
Hi Sonia!
I’m making a bunch of these puppies tonight, hope the girls will like them as much as I do.
Maike
I certainly hope so too, Maike! Fingers crossed! 🙂
I love everything about this recipe! Can’t wait to try it.
I did not read through all of the comments, but I think once it is grilling time, wrap the sweet potato up in alumni foil and grill them. That is what I am going to try!
This recipe is a keeper
Tried this on some old sweet potatoes that I had forgotten in the pantry, definitely past their prime, but this recipe perked them right up! Can’t wait to try on some fresh taters, precious!