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If you love crispy, tasty potatoes (that aren’t fried), you’re in luck. You’ve got to try these – little roasted potatoes all prettied up and smothered in garlicky, cheesy heaven!
When I lived in Greece (ha … you thought I’d stopped beginning posts with that phrase, didn’t you? Or rather, hoped … nope, sorry.)
So, when I lived in Greece, I had to get used to many things that were quite ‘different’, to say the least, including the food, of course. Take potatoes, for instance, as that’s what today’s recipe is all about. Here in the UK, there are tons of different kinds of potatoes available – some better for mashing, others for chips, others for baking … you get the picture.
So over in Greece, there only ever seemed to be one type of potato available at any one time. Maybe there were big ones and small ones (if I was lucky), but there wasn’t a fancy name like the ones we have here in sight. This is not to say that the potatoes on offer weren’t good – they usually were – but I never had any idea what they were supposed to taste like or what they were best for.
I survived to tell the tale, of course, but I must admit I’m now pretty happy to have a bigger choice of potatoes!
Right now here in the UK a cute little potato called the Jersey Royal is in season. They’re grown in an especially rich soil on the island of Jersey in the British Channel Islands (close to France!) and so end up sort of melt-in-your-mouth creamy and almost buttery in texture. I know, they sound delicious, don’t they? And this is NOT even a sponsored post for Jersey Royal farmers (apparently there are only about 20 of them!) … although I certainly think it should be!!
Another thing I’m definitely NOT saying that you need Jersey Royals to make these garlic & parmesan hasselback potatoes. Oh no no. All I’m saying is that any of the multitude of types of small ‘new’ waxy potatoes that you don’t have to remove the skins from before cooking that seem to be in abundance at this time of year are PERFECT for making these crispy, creamy, buttery, garlicky, cheesy and, if you ask me, pretty good looking little bites.
Don’t you agree these are pretty snazzy-looking? I’ve been wanting to try making some hasselback potatoes for ages. I think they are usually made with bigger baking potatoes, and you can totally try that too if you like (just increase the cooking time to about an hour and 10 if you do, though). BUT I thought the small potatoes lent themselves more naturally to being smothered in a yummy mixture of olive oil, butter, garlic and parm.
These certainly aren’t culinary rocket science, and I bet you can pretty much guess how they are made. All you have to do to make them is make deep cuts all the way across each potato at about 3 or 4 mm intervals. Go quite deep, but of course take care not to cut all the way through the potato and cut it in half, although believe me you probably will do that to one or two in your excitement to get the potatoes cooked and in your mouf as fast as poss!!
You need to put aside a good 10 minutes or so to prepare all the potatoes, but then all you have to do is baste them and throw them in the oven for 40 to 45 mins – not literally like I did, though. I slid them into the oven a bit too enthusiastically and they toppled all over the oven … oops!
Look how they ‘fan out’ in the oven … perfect for stuffing cheese into!
The key to getting these super tasty and crispy is to baste once at the beginning with your oil/butter and flavours and then baste them again half way through cooking. The potatoes sort of fan out as they cook, you see, so the second ‘basting’ gets right inside and helps them crisp up even better. I chose to baste my potatoes with garlic and parmesan and leave it at that, but I reckon these ideas would be great, too …
– paprika & thyme
– plain salt & pepper, but with a splodge of sour cream or Greek yoghurt, cheese & chives on the top at the end
– cumin, a pinch of cayenne pepper (just a pinch!) & fresh coriander at the end (maybe with a splodge of lime-infused Greek yoghurt to serve, too …mmmm!)
– rosemary & black pepper
I’m sure you can think of other ideas to try! We ate these as a side dish with a salad and quiche, but I’m thinking they’d be great with a steak or grilled chicken, too, or even just on their own as a not-too-naughty afternoon snack.
Serves: 4 as a side
- about 20 ‘new’ or small potatoes, welled washed/scrubbed & dried
- 4 or 5 cloves garlic, crushed
- 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
- a large knob of butter (about 30 grams)
- salt & black pepper
- about 25 grams/1 ounce parmesan cheese, grated
- fresh herbs to garnish - basil, chives, oregano etc. (optional)
- Pre-heat oven to 200C/400F.
- Cut each potato into slices about 3 to 4 mm apart, without cutting all the way through it, and place on a baking tray.
- Melt the butter in a small dish in the microwave (30 seconds should do it) or in a small saucepan if you don’t have a microwave. Add the olive oil and garlic and stir together.
- Baste each potato well with the butter/olive oil/garlic mixture with a pastry/basting brush (make sure you scoop up plenty of the garlicky bits!), sprinkle with plenty of salt and pepper and then bake for 20 minutes.
- Take the potatoes out of the oven and baste again, then sprinkle most of the parmesan over them, poking plenty down into the ‘cracks’. Then return to the oven for about another 20 minutes or until the potatoes are dark golden and a bit crispy.
- Garnish with a bit more parmesan and the fresh herbs (if you like).
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We love hassleback potatoes, but it was only recently that I though “why not make mini versions”. Yours look so cute.
Great minds, Dannii ….!! I suppose the mini ones take a bit longer to slice up, but I think it’s worth it. More surface area for more crispiness!!
I often find myself saying “When I lived in London” and I was only there 5 months. Brag away! I’ve been seeing these tots everywhere lately so you just convinced me to make them soon.
Yes, yes, make them!! I was actually in Greece for about 14 years, so I suppose I’ve ‘earned’ the right to say ‘when I lived in Greece’ rather a lot … teeheee! Have a good weekend, Chrissy!! 🙂
What a fabulous idea to make a mini version of hasselback potatoes! I am SO making these!
You won’t regret it, Marissa! (well, I hope not!!) Have a great weekend! 😉
I would be smiling wide if these showed up on my plate! Darling little things that are too cute to eat – but I would anyway. Nice, Helen!
Thank you, Lori! Oh, definitely not too nice to eat … we gobbled them up!! But they did make us smile, too 🙂
These potatoes look gorgeous! Love me some hasselback potatoes. I feel so fancy whenever I make em.
Thank you, Melissa! I must say I did feel quite fancy eating these! 🙂
For your first attempt, I’d say you nailed it. I would make a meal out of that whole pan. Perfection.
Thanks, Janette! Blush, blush, blush!! 🙂
Phwoar. I reckon I could eat my body weight in these spunky spuds #yum
Ha! Well, I think we almost did!! Thanks for passing by! 🙂
Helen, I have been thinking for ages of making those potatoes. So beautiful!
Thank you! You really must try them! 🙂
I’m not sure I could live in a place that only had one potato choice, haha! Can you believe that I’ve never made hasselback potatoes before?! I love that these are little baby ones, so cute! These look so good! I think I could eat a tray of these for dinner 🙂
Hi, Izzy! Actually, I totally can believe it because I hadn’t tried them until now either! I can imagine them with all your lovely Mexican ingredients piled on top, too!
I’ im love with mini potatoes, but sometimes it is difficult to find them even here 🙁 your mini version looks amazing Helen! Love the spices that you recommend, too! Could eat the whole pan 🙂
Well, we pretty much DID eat the whole pan! I’m surprised that you can’t find small potatoes easily where you live, though! Not even right now when they’re in season? Anyway, big hasselbacks are good, too. You could try those instead!
“So when I was in Greece…’ Ha! I feel like I say that about every Italian dish I make! 😉 These are super cute! Perfect for me, someone who loves carbs… because they’re small, that means I can eat more, right? 😉
Of COURSE it means you can eat more!! I love your Italian recipes, Kathleen. If I could choose somewhere else to go and live, Italy would definitely be top of my list. Better not make my life any more complicated though by adding in another country to the mix! 😉
Oh Helen, Helen, Helen… I do love these! And you lived in Greece? Well I only dated Greek boys growing up 🙂 So we have even MORE in common 🙂 My mother in law made a variation of hasselback potatoes for Passover this year and my husband downed like 5 …and i downed about 10… It’s been on my list to make it ever since… These are fab!!!
Hey, Mila! Loving our ‘Greek connection’ … haha! I’d been wanting to make these for ages, too. I was sort of fibbing that this recipe should feed 4, because actually Mr. Scrummy and I pretty much ate them all to ourselves! 🙂
Gorgeous potatoes Helen! You cut these so precisely and the cheesy garlic combination is ridiculously good. We do enjoy potatoes in almost any form and it’s been a while since we’ve done hasselback. I’ve got to give this a go! Plus, it’s a great way to use those green onions! 🙂
Hello sweet Mary Frances! Thanks for saying I cut these precisely! It took a while but I must say it was worth it because each ‘slice’ ends up all soft but at the same time a little crispy, just like those thinly sliced french potatoes that you bake. OK, I’m waffling now but anyway … make these potatoes!!
These are most definitely snazzy-looking! Potatoes are my favorite starch and yet, I’ve never tried making hasselback potatoes!
Hi, Shashi! Glad you agree these are snazzy!! Do try making them – you’ll love them!
What a great idea to make mini hasselback potatoes. I can never finish a regular sized one on my own, this is so clever.
Glad you like this idea, Kathy! I know what you mean about the big potatoes – these are far less overwhelming! (although I must admit I end up eating too many of the small ones!)
I’ve been having serious savory cravings lately – namely potatoes! Needless to say but these hasselback potatoes are looking incredible! Anything garlic and Parmesan flavored is bound to be fabulous. Gorgeous photos Helen!
Oh thanks for the compliment on the photos, Alyssa! I didn’t have to try too hard to make these look delicious, to be honest!
I think I could live on potatoes!! Seems Greece may be similar to Australia only a few varieties (if you can call it that) at any one time and nothing special, well at least that is the case in the supermarkets. Lovely photos I could eat them right out of the dish.
Hi, Denise! Happy I’ve made you crave these and hope you give them a try some time!
Oh, I do love hasselback potatoes and you additions make them even better – thanks Helen.
Oh, you’re welcome, Rachel! Glad you like these!
I love hasselback potaotes–they are so elegant and fun. I think including them with a quiche makes a great meal!
Yeah, they’re a great side dish! Thanks for passing by, Kristen! 🙂
That’s really interesting that there was such a limited choice for potatoes there!
And I’m with you – these are snazzy! I always think hasselback potatoes look so cool! They sound wonderful!
Thanks, Ashley! Glad you think these are snazzy, too! 🙂
I see you write “splodge of yoghurt” and all I can think is “that’s SO BRITISH!!” He he!! So funny to hear about the one type of potatoes sold in Greece (other than size!). I think that’s the same in Japan as well. Like in the UK, we have quite a few in Australia which can actually be confusing because most people don’t know what type of potatoes to get! I didn’t know that hasselback was better made with waxy potatoes, that’s quite interesting! I tend to just use a single type of potatoes because it’s a great “all rounder” 🙂
This looks amazing as always! I could serious stuff a whole one in my mouth in one go, I bet 😉
Hmmm … to be honest my ‘waxy potato’ trick here isn’t based on any kind of scientific ‘evidence’, but I like the way the ‘waxy’ potatoes end up – sort of like those french baked sliced potatoes. All soft and creamy … mmmm!
Bet you could stuff more than 1 of these in your mouth in one go, Nagi … teehheeee!
So freaking adorable, I can’t even stand it lol ! I love making these for a baked potato bar during the holidays ! Such a winner !!
A baked potato bar – what a great idea! You could make these plain and then provide all the toppings for people to choose from – love it!
Wow these look absolutely wonderful and super crispy! I’ve never made hassle back potatoes before can’t wait to try!
They really are worth trying, Kelley. All that basting makes them lovely and crispy!
I haven’t tried making hasselback potatoes yet, mostly because eating a whole russet potato is way too much for me. I love potatoes though and am definitely going to try this like you did with small potatoes. So perfect!
Yeah, I know what you mean, Kristen. Sometimes the big potatoes are a bit overwhelming. With the small ones you can have as few or as many as you like – in my case, loads!! Hope you do give these a try some time. They’re so worth the little bit of effort!
With all the potato recipes I’ve ever made, I’ve never prepared them in this manner. It will be a nice change up. Now…to get those tasty looking potatoes you were raving about over here in the U.S. With only 20 farmers, I doubt that will be any time soon. Cheers!
Hi Holly! Oh, I know! Sorry about that little tease!! I’m sure you can get just as tasty potatoes over there, though. Any small ones (or bigger, to be honest) will do! Hope you give them a try some day!
I’ve never tried hasselback anything before.. so I definitely think I need to give this recipe a go! Delicious Helen!
Hi, Thalia! Oh, do give these potatoes a go! They take a while to slice, but they’re very easy and so worth the effort when you’re stuffing them into your mouth!
It’s so funny how much something as simple as a potato can vary around the world! I hope I can find ones similar to your Jersey potatoes here, because I need these hasselbacks in my life!
Oh, I bet you have potatoes just as yummy, if not yummier, over there! You definitely DO need these in your life, though!! 🙂
We also get only one kind of potatoes here! At the most, they’re called ‘new’ and ‘old’ potatoes! The Royal Jersey potato sounds sooooo yummy! If I could lay my hands on them, I think that’s all I would eat! hahaha! 😀
I’m loving these hassle back potatoes! They’re my absolute favourite !!!!! <3
Hello Samina!! Well, never mind … those humble ‘old’ and ‘new’ potatoes do just fine most of the time! 🙂
Helen, these potatoes look so delicious. If they were right in front of me, I’d eat the entire pan, good thing they’re not!! With a steak, whoa. Perfection. I loved your little story about Jersey Royal potatoes, wish I could get some this side of the pond. With have to settle for new potatoes which are still pretty good.
Oh yeah, sorry about that, Laura … teasing you with things you can’t get over there! I forgot I have real live gardeners among my readers!!
I love your new look, Helen! The blue is such a tranquil, beautiful color. and of course the white everywhere, and I love how you put the menu bar right at the top! I already swooned over your tiny hasselbacks on Facebook but I’m happy to do it again. So, are these potatoes small enough that you can just pop them in your mouth? Rhetorical question – I have a big mouth and would likely have no problem. A large knob of butter? Awesome. Never heard it put quite like that, must be an English thing. You guys are the best. 🙂 XXO! And pinning!
Hey, thanks Meggan! I actually didn’t change all that much – just the header and the colours, but I’m liking it so far. Feels nice and relaxing and ‘clean’.
Meggan, if you have as big a mouth as you say you do, then you could probably quite comfortably stuff about 3 of these in your mouth at the same time. Try it and enjoy!! 😉
On a pensé à nouveau dans la même recette !! C’est drôle, mais elle n’est pas encore dans le blog ! J’ai réalisé la mienne il n’y pas longtemps ! Tes photos sont magnifiques !! Elles sont déjà dans mon pinterest 😉
Heureusement, ici c’est comme en Angleterre, on trouve touts sorte de pommes de terre !
Nous sommes souvent des jumelles dans la cusine, Eva! J’adore ca!! J’ai trop hate de voir ta recette bientot! 🙂
Mouth-watering pics + amazing recipe = the kind of post I love reading on a Monday morning. Also, I can relate to your potato story. I don’t know if it’s because I didn’t use to cook that much when I lived in Brazil (since I lived with my mom), but I don’t remember seeing the varieties of potatoes I see here in the US. They seriously have more varieties than I could possibly experiment with… (Just kidding, I’m determined to try them all!)
Hello, Olivia! Really happy you have cheered up your Monday morning! Isn’t that weird how the US and UK (and Australia) all have this amazing variety, but a lot of other places just don’t? I must say though that Greece really does make good use of the ingredients it does have and generally I like the food there much more than I do here!
Hasselback potatoes always impresses me. These are tasty and adorable! And they go so well with so many things.
Thank you, Thao! Really happy you like these pretty little potatoes!
Hi Helen, oh I am such a potato fiend and these are just so adorable and delicious looking, glad you now live where you have a bigger selection.
Hi Cheri! Thank you so much for the lovely compliment. These are definitely the tastiest potatoes I’ve had in a while! 🙂
YUM’d! This looks delicious. A definite must try! Please come share your blog posts over at the Home Matters Linky Party! We’d love to have you for a visit. The Door OPENS tonight at 9pm Pacific Time. 🙂
~Lorelai
Life With Lorelai
Thank you for the invitation, Lorelai! I will do that! (it will be 5am over here in the UK, but I’ll pop over a few hours after that!) Thanks for passing by and Yumming! 🙂
I am making this yummy looking potato for my family tonight. I will let you know how they like it but I am already drooling….lol
Hi Sammy! I’m so thrilled that you’re giving these a go. How did they turn out? 🙂
Heey! I’m going to try to make these this afternoon, but i have one question. Maybe I read over it, but do you need to cook them first or do you put it raw in the oven with the herbs?
x
Hi Eline! Sorry I haven’t replied before now (I suspect this is too late if you were going to make them 2 days ago!) But yes, you do put them into the oven raw. Don’t add the parmesan until 20 minutes through the cooking time though. And then you sprinkle the fresh herbs over at the end (if you like – the herbs aren’t essential). Hope you did/do give them a go and that they turned/turn out well! 🙂
thanks for the reply! i did make them and they turned out okey. I did have to bake them longer before they were good, but I think that that has something to do with my oven.
thanks!
Glad they turned out OK, Eline! I suppose cooking time could depend on the size of the potatoes, too. 🙂
I love making hasslebacks and a really quick easy way to make sure that you don’t cur all the way through is to put the potato in a wooden spoon, cut down and the slight curve of the spoon will act as a barrier. It takes me 2 minutes to do a whole bag of jersey royals!!! 🙂
Wow, what a brilliant tip Beth. I’m definitely going to do that next time I make these. I might even add a note to the recipe. You’re a genius!