Mini Parmesan And Garlic Hasselback Potatoes

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If you love crispy roasted potatoes (that aren’t fried), you’ve got to try these parmesan and garlic hasselback baby potatoes – baby roasted potatoes all prettied up and smothered in garlicky, cheesy heaven! 

Someone holding out a bowl of mini hasselback potatoes with parmesan and garlic

Easy, cute and impressive

Over the years I’ve collected some really good potato recipes to pull out of the hat for any occasion – and I love to share those with you!

My very favourite are these AMAZING Greek potatoes. If you haven’t tried them, stop reading this post and go and read that one instead. Those potatoes will literally change your life.

But I’m a big fan of these cute parmesan garlic hasselback potatoes, too. Here’s why:

  • They’re cute and impressive, but easy to make. They’re a fun side dish for a family dinner, but also fancy enough to serve at a dinner party.
  • They’re golden and crispy on the outside and creamy and super tasty on the inside. The buttery, garlicky, cheesy goodness gets into all the grooves. It’s crispy roasted potato heaven!
  • Looking specifically for baby or new potato recipes? Make these garlic parmesan hasselback potatoes and you won’t be disappointed.

So what are hasselback potatoes, anyway?

Hasselback potatoes are a Swedish invention. Swedish recipes have the potential to be very delicious. Just try this 6-ingredient Swedish chocolate cake, and these copycat Swedish meatballs (aka Ikea meatballs!) to see what I mean!

The basic idea is that you make cuts all the way across the width of the potatoes. You slice deeply, but not all the way through.

Then you drench the potatoes all over with a mixture of melted butter, olive oil and garlic before roasting.

Sometimes they’re known as hedgehog potatoes (one for the kids). Essentially, they’re fancy baked potatoes – but with the addictive crispy edges of the most decadent fries.

Whatever you want to call them, they end up:

  • crispy
  • creamy
  • buttery
  • garlicky
  • cheesy
  • good looking (!)

In other words, heaven on a plate. Am I making you hungry yet?

What kind of potatoes should you use?

This mini hasselback potato recipe is perfect for when small potatoes (perhaps called baby or new potatoes where you live) are in season.

The waxier and creamy the potatoes are, the better. But you can use any kind of small potatoes that you don’t have to remove the skins from before cooking.

In this recipe I’ve chosen to use mini potatoes for extra cuteness. But of course you can make hasselback potatoes with big baking potatoes too. Or how about hasselback sweet potatoes?

What ingredients you need

Ingredients to make mini parmesan garlic hasselback potatoes

You only need 6 (or 7!) main ingredients to make these gorgeous baby hasselback potatoes.

How do you make hasselback potatoes?

Collage of images showing how to make mini hasselback potatoes

These certainly aren’t culinary rocket science, but they’ll make you look like a pro!

This is all you have to do:

Step 1: Make deep cuts all the way across each potato at 2 to 3mm intervals. Go quite deep.

Some people like to rest the potato on 2 chopsticks so that the knife doesn’t cut all the way through. I don’t mind if I cut all the way through 1 or 2 potatoes, though. I do it nearly every time I make them. Oops.

Pro tip: I find the easiest way to slice is to hold the potato tightly with one hand and slice from one end into the middle. Then I turn the potato around and start slicing from the other end.

step 2: Baste with a mixture of melted butter, olive oil and tons of garlic!

Step 3: Season and bake for 30 minutes.

Step 4: Baste again – I use the juices in the pan first – and sprinkle with lots of parmesan cheese. Bake for around 25 to 30 minutes longer.

If you want to be really fancy, you can buy a hasselback potato cutter to help you slice the potatoes!

How long do you bake hasselback potatoes for?

You need to put aside a good 10 to 15 minutes to slice all the potatoes hasselback-style. Once you’ve done the first few you’ll get faster at it!

The rest is really easy. The cooking time can vary a little according to your oven and the exact size of the potatoes. I find roasting for 25 minutes, then basting, then roasting again for another 25 to 30 minutes to be about right.

You’ll find that the potatoes start to fan out as they bake during the second half of the cooking time! All the better to get the flavours right inside!

Of course you can make hasselback potatoes in the traditional way with bigger potatoes instead. If you do, make sure you increase the cooking time to about an hour and 10 minutes.

Mini parmesan and garlic hasselback potatoes

Look how they ‘fan out’ in the oven… perfect for stuffing cheese into!

Or make them in your air fryer

If you have an air fryer, you’ll be pleased to know it’s ideal for cooking mini hasselback potatoes in!

The main advantage of air fryer hasselback potatoes is the faster cooking time. I air fry my mini potatoes for around 30 to 40 minutes. Cooking time may vary according to the model you have, but it’s easy to ‘see’ when they’re done. Alternatively you can just taste one and see!

A close-up bowl of mini parmesan and garlic hasselback potatoes

Ways to vary them

You can’t go wrong with garlic and parmesan potatoes. But here are some alternative flavour combinations, just in case you’d like to switch things up a bit!

– paprika & thyme (just baste with the garlic butter and oil first, then sprinkle generously with paprika and thyme when you baste the potatoes again)

– plain salt & pepper, then serve with sour cream or Greek yoghurt and a big sprinkle of chives

– sprinkle over a little cumin, a pinch of cayenne pepper (just a pinch!) & fresh coriander at the end. You could even add a dollop of lime-infused Greek yoghurt to serve, too …mmmm!

– simple rosemary and black pepper

As mentioned before, you can also make larger hasselback potatoes. Or even hasselback sweet potatoes, which are particularly yummy!

How do you serve hasselback potatoes?

I’m pretty sure these mini parmesan and garlic hasselback potatoes would be very popular if they were handed around as party appetizers. Sprinkle with fresh herbs or finely chopped salad onions (spring onions!). Add small bowls of sour cream, or any kind of dip.

We usually eat them as a side dish with simply cooked meat or fish, and vegetables or salad. They’re really delicious with these easy baked chicken thighs.

If you’re a vegetarian, they’re also great with this popular baked eggplant with tomato and feta.

Feed me more potatoes!

  • These crispy smashed air fryer potatoes are also Greek style, but ready a little quicker than the potatoes above. You can make them in your regular oven if you prefer.

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Mini parmesan and garlic hasselback potatoes on a baking tray
4.30 from 17 votes

Mini parmesan and garlic hasselback potatoes

If you're a fan of crispy potatoes, you're going to love these super cute mini parmesan and garlic hasselback potatoes. Make them as a treat for the family, or serve them at your next dinner party.
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 50 minutes
Total: 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 4 as a side

Ingredients 
 

  • 2 pounds small potatoes, 1 kilo or 18-20 small or 'new' potatoes
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed (4-5 cloves)
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 ounce butter, melted (about 2 tablespoons or 30 grams)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • teaspoon pepper
  • 1 ounce parmesan cheese, grated
  • fresh herbs or finely sliced salad onions/spring onions to garnish, basil, chives, parsley, mint etc. (optional)

Instructions 

  • Pre-heat oven to 400F/205C and prepare a large baking tray (you can line it with baking paper for easier cleaning if you like).
  • Cut each potato into slices about 2 to 3 mm apart, without cutting all the way through. 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 prefer. 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 the salt and pepper. Bake for 25 minutes.
  • Take the potatoes out of the oven and baste again with the leftover olive oil/butter/garlic mixture as well as the juices in the pan. Then sprinkle most of the parmesan over them, poking plenty down into the ‘gaps’. Then return to the oven for about another 25 to 30 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through, golden and crispy.
  • Garnish with a bit more parmesan and the fresh herbs (if you like).

Video

Notes

How to slice the potatoes: Hold one end tightly and slice at even(ish) 3 to 4mm intervals. I find it easier to turn the potato around and cut from the other end once I’ve reached the middle. 
What kind of potatoes to use: You can use any small potatoes for this recipe. I find the creamy, waxy ones get the best results, but don’t worry too much because sometimes it’s difficult to know what kind of potato you’re buying!
You can even use bigger potatoes. If you use large potatoes however you’ll need to increase the cooking time a little, to around 1 hour and 10 minutes. 

Nutrition

Calories: 176kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 20mg, Sodium: 456mg, Potassium: 12mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 232IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 89mg, Iron: 1mg
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

About Helen Schofield

Don't expect to find anything fussy or complicated here. Just QUICK, EASY & (mostly!) HEALTHY recipes from the Mediterranean and beyond. ENJOY!

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87 Comments

    1. Oh wow, Cath, you’re making my mouth water! I love that you basted them with duck fat!

    1. Hi Mark! I’ve never tried this, but I really don’t see why that wouldn’t work. You might need to add 5 to 10 minutes to the cooking time though, as you’ll be cooking on the day from cold. Just eye-ball them in the oven, and I suspect you’ll be fine. Good luck!

      1. Thanks – Ill let you know how it goes – dinner party Thursday and want to get ahead by doing what I can a day in advance.

  1. 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!!! 🙂

    1. 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!

  2. 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

    1. 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! 🙂

      1. 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!

      2. Glad they turned out OK, Eline! I suppose cooking time could depend on the size of the potatoes, too. 🙂

  3. 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

    1. Hi Sammy! I’m so thrilled that you’re giving these a go. How did they turn out? 🙂

  4. 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

    1. 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! 🙂

  5. 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.

    1. Hi Cheri! Thank you so much for the lovely compliment. These are definitely the tastiest potatoes I’ve had in a while! 🙂

  6. Hasselback potatoes always impresses me. These are tasty and adorable! And they go so well with so many things.

  7. 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!)

    1. 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!

  8. 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 !

    1. Nous sommes souvent des jumelles dans la cusine, Eva! J’adore ca!! J’ai trop hate de voir ta recette bientot! 🙂