# Hasselback Potatoes



## chilerelleno (Oct 20, 2019)

*Hasselback Potatoes*
Preheat oven to 400°
OR
Smoker to at least 375°, hotter is better for these.
When cooking these in the smoker I use very light smoke and for not more than an hour.  
Careful, they can easily take on too much smoke.

Use a starchy potato variety for best results.
Prep potatoes by carefully cutting 1/16"-1/8" slices approx 2/3+ into the spuds.
Baste potatoes in fat/oil, e.g. bacon grease, butter or vegetable oil.
Lightly salt or otherwise spice, making sure to get seasoning into the cuts.
Bake for 45 min, pull and baste with seasoned butter, be sure to get plenty of seasoned butter into the cuts.  
Any other seasonings or herbs can be added at this point.
Return to oven and cook till edges are browning/crisping up nicely and the interior is fork tender. 
Should be about 30-40 more minutes.


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## Sowsage (Oct 20, 2019)

That looks yummy!


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## pc farmer (Oct 20, 2019)

Even better done in the smoker


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## chilerelleno (Oct 20, 2019)

Sowsage said:


> That looks yummy!


Thanks, they were.
It's a good recipe, easy and tasty.
My youngest boy loves them done real buttery with plenty of salt and garlic.


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## chilerelleno (Oct 20, 2019)

pc farmer said:


> Even better done in the smoker


Yep, they're good in the smoker too.

Except I can't get hot enough to crisp them.
And gotta be careful as they can easily take on too much smoke.


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## chef jimmyj (Oct 20, 2019)

I've made them a few times. Guess I'm too rough, they all broke in one or more spots. Still tasted good but not as pretty as yours...JJ


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## chilerelleno (Oct 20, 2019)

chef jimmyj said:


> I've made them a few times. Guess I'm too rough, they all broke in one or more spots. Still tasted good but not as pretty as yours...JJ


LOL... You're not alone in that.
I always do that to a few, chop the ends off, cut a little too deep here or there, they fall apart in prep or after cooking.


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## JCAP (Oct 20, 2019)

Love these but I too am guilty of slicing some too far on occasion. Still fantastic eats.

Those look great!


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## chilerelleno (Oct 20, 2019)

JCAP said:


> Love these but I too am guilty of slicing some too far on occasion. Still fantastic eats.
> 
> Those look great!


Thanks.


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## udaman (Oct 20, 2019)

love doing these, some times ill put them 
on the BBQ with a little cheese on top
with the rotisserie burner on to crisp
them up..  always a great hit..


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## Andyroo (Oct 20, 2019)

Those look great never tried them in the smoker, may have to give it a try. The key to not cutting all the way through, is to stick a bamboo skewer through the the potato, so that you only cut to the skewer then pull the skewer out when your done cutting.


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## chilerelleno (Oct 20, 2019)

Andyroo said:


> Those look great never tried them in the smoker, may have to give it a try.
> 
> *The key to not cutting all the way through, is to stick a bamboo skewer through the the potato, so that you only cut to the skewer then pull the skewer out when your done cutting.*


That's a great tip/hack, thanks.


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## siege (Oct 20, 2019)

Those look picture perfect !  Bet they taste that  way too .
  I found the easiest way to cut them is to put 2 nylon or wooden spoons on the cutting board parallel to each other, with the potato length wise between then. Slice away and let the  spoons control the depth of your cut. A couple of pieces of wood dowel would work, too.
  A butter and olive oil combo with Parmesan stirred in is  really tasty when you smoke the spuds. Stir often, the parm sinks to the bottom of the bowl.


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## forktender (Oct 21, 2019)

Andyroo said:


> Those look great never tried them in the smoker, may have to give it a try. The key to not cutting all the way through, is to stick a bamboo skewer through the the potato, so that you only cut to the skewer then pull the skewer out when your done cutting.


Damn, why I never thought of doing that is beside me.
That is a great pro pointer that will come in handy.
I love this forum just for this reason, you never know when you're gonna learn a new trick to make things easier.
Thank you.


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## xray (Oct 21, 2019)

Very nice John!!!, I’ve made these a few times.

I use two wooden bamboo skewers placed on each side of the potato as a guide when slicing, that way I don’t go all the way through.

I also cut a small sliver sliced longways off the potato, this stops it from rolling around. You could even place that slivered piece underneath the sliced potato, it will open the potato up a bit more to accept more seasonings....sorry I can’t explain it better. A picture is worth a thousand words here.


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## tropics (Oct 21, 2019)

Nice


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## gmc2003 (Oct 21, 2019)

Thanks for the recipe John, I've seen them before but never tried one, and always thought they were spiral cut(which is why I never tried it). So it's kind of a cross between a baked potato and oven fries. I bet a little melted cheddar and bacon crumblings will go good on those babies. 

Point for sure
Chris


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## tropics (Oct 21, 2019)

Chile sorry for the 1 word reply,tree guy showed up love them hasselback with bacon,cheese LIKES
Richie


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## SmokinVOLfan (Oct 21, 2019)

Those look great could see them being a big hit in my house. Thanks for sharing!


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## uncle eddie (Oct 21, 2019)

Here to serve up the bonus points mentioned in your other Banner Headline post.  Great job and cool creativity!


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## Bearcarver (Oct 21, 2019)

Freaking Awesome, John!!
Like Chris, I've seen these for years but never tried it.
This one is explained good enough that I can see it doesn't look that difficult, even for an old Crippled up Bear to give it a shot!
So Copied, Pasted, Printed, and into The Line.
Thanks Buddy!
Like.

Bear


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## tx smoker (Oct 21, 2019)

Yessir....you went and did it again. gave me one more thing I GOTTA make. I could see Tracy going gaga over these. Well, I'm sure I'd love them too. This looks like a perfect opportunity to utilize the Rec Tec. Smoke low for a bit then jack up the temp to crust them....all the while adding stuff like finely crumbled bacon and maybe some cheese.

What's not to LIKE!!

Oh baby!!
Robert


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## Winterrider (Oct 21, 2019)

Dang it.. That will be on about page 8 in the to-do- list. Not order specific by any means.


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## chilerelleno (Oct 21, 2019)

siege said:


> Those look picture perfect !  Bet they taste that  way too .
> I found the easiest way to cut them is to put 2 nylon or wooden spoons on the cutting board parallel to each other, with the potato length wise between then. Slice away and let the  spoons control the depth of your cut. A couple of pieces of wood dowel would work, too.
> A butter and olive oil combo with Parmesan stirred in is  really tasty when you smoke the spuds. Stir often, the parm sinks to the bottom of the bowl.


And another great tip/hack, thanks.


forktender said:


> Damn, why I never thought of doing that is beside me.
> That is a great pro pointer that will come in handy.
> I love this forum just for this reason, you never know when you're gonna learn a new trick to make things easier.
> Thank you.


I know, right... Great place and people.


xray said:


> Very nice John!!!, I’ve made these a few times.
> 
> I use two wooden bamboo skewers placed on each side of the potato as a guide when slicing, that way I don’t go all the way through.
> 
> I also cut a small sliver sliced longways off the potato, this stops it from rolling around. You could even place that slivered piece underneath the sliced potato, it will open the potato up a bit more to accept more seasonings....sorry I can’t explain it better. A picture is worth a thousand words here.


I fully know what you're describing, thanks for yet another useful tip/hack.


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## chilerelleno (Oct 21, 2019)

tropics said:


> Nice


Thanks


gmc2003 said:


> Thanks for the recipe John, I've seen them before but never tried one, and always thought they were spiral cut(which is why I never tried it). So it's kind of a cross between a baked potato and oven fries. I bet a little melted cheddar and bacon crumblings will go good on those babies.
> 
> Point for sure
> Chris


Chris, thank you and you're welcome.
I've seen them spiral cut, too much for me to try too.
This way seems to much easier.
Cheese and bacon are good, but hard to get into the slices.


tropics said:


> Chile sorry for the 1 word reply,tree guy showed up love them hasselback with bacon,cheese LIKES
> Richie


No problemo Richie.


SmokinVOLfan said:


> Those look great could see them being a big hit in my house. Thanks for sharing!


My pleasure sir.
They're pretty popular, give'em a go, sure your family will like them too.


uncle eddie said:


> Here to serve up the bonus points mentioned in your other Banner Headline post.  Great job and cool creativity!


Thanks again Eddie.


tx smoker said:


> Yessir....you went and did it again. gave me one more thing I GOTTA make. I could see Tracy going gaga over these. Well, I'm sure I'd love them too. This looks like a perfect opportunity to utilize the Rec Tec. Smoke low for a bit then jack up the temp to crust them....all the while adding stuff like finely crumbled bacon and maybe some cheese.
> 
> What's not to LIKE!!
> 
> ...


Yep, another on the list for ya Robert.
My bet is she does, and you're stuck making these regular like.


Winterrider said:


> Dang it.. That will be on about page 8 in the to-do- list. Not order specific by any means.


You and me both, so much to try and not enough time.


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## chilerelleno (Oct 21, 2019)

So many of y'all mentioned Cheddar-n-Bacon.
Well ya know I'm a leftovers guy, so I took some and hit'em with the broiler to crisp them, added some Cheddar-n-Bacon and dinner was on.

Yep, they were good.


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## Sowsage (Oct 21, 2019)

chilerelleno said:


> So many of y'all mentioned Cheddar-n- bacon.
> Well ya know I'm a leftovers guy, so I took some and hit'em with the broiler to crisp them, added some Cheddar-n-Bacon and dinner was on.
> 
> Yep, they were good.


Holy potatoes!  Thats what they were made for right there! I also want to comment on nthe very very consistent knife slices! Very nice!


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## chilerelleno (Oct 21, 2019)

Sowsage said:


> Holy potatoes!  Thats what they were made for right there! I also want to comment on nthe very very consistent knife slices! Very nice!


It was kind of a bummer, the cheese didn't melt into the slices and the bacon fell off while eating.
It all stayed on top, maybe bacon with the cheese over it next time.
If I was really serious about my presentation I'd take the time and effort to individually insert between every other slice.


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## Bamabww (Oct 22, 2019)

One of my favorite recipes so far, thanks.


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## Hawging It (Oct 22, 2019)

Yes please. I will take 3 of them.


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## xray (Oct 22, 2019)

Have you ever made a hassleback potato gratin? It’s another thing I have bookmarked but just haven’t had the chance to do.


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## browneyesvictim (Oct 22, 2019)

Nice taters John! They sure look fancy. I love oven bakers. I've only smoked potatoes once and didn't care for it. However, these just might hit the rotation in the kettle with the vortex for that high indirect heat. Point for sure!


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## chilerelleno (Oct 22, 2019)

Bamabww said:


> One of my favorite recipes so far, thanks.


You're welcome, it's one of mine too.
My thanks to the Swedish guy who first made them.


Hawging It said:


> Yes please. I will take 3 of them.


Sorry ate the last this morning as Fried Taters.


xray said:


> Have you ever made a hassleback potato gratin? It’s another thing I have bookmarked but just haven’t had the chance to do.


No, you've the recipe, share and I'll give'em a go this week.


browneyesvictim said:


> Nice taters John! They sure look fancy. I love oven bakers. I've only smoked potatoes once and didn't care for it. However, these just might hit the rotation in the kettle with the vortex for that high indirect heat. Point for sure!


Thanks Bro.
What happened with your smoked taters that you didn't care for, too much smoke?


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## SmokinAl (Oct 22, 2019)

Looks pretty darn good there John!!!
Al


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## chilerelleno (Oct 22, 2019)

SmokinAl said:


> Looks pretty darn good there John!!!
> Al


Thanks Al, they make a nice presentation and taste good too.


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## browneyesvictim (Oct 22, 2019)

chilerelleno said:


> Thanks Bro.
> What happened with your smoked taters that you didn't care for, too much smoke?



That might have been it. Dunno really. I have used a potatos to hold my temp probes. It works good for that, but not as a snack as I thought it would. For one they took too long to cook through at that low of a smoke temp. It just kind of shriveled and dried up before it was cooked so the texture was off. And yeah, it took the smoke pretty heavy. I can see cutting it Hasselback style would cut down on the time, solve these issues.


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## xray (Oct 22, 2019)

[QUOTE="chilerelleno, post: 2010690, member: 119065No, you've the recipe, share and I'll give'em a go this week.[/QUOTE]


Here’s the recipe I have bookmarked, as stated I haven’t made them yet but it’s on the list. Just looking at it I’m thinking of adding onion, subbing dry for fresh thyme and incorporating smoked sharp cheddar cheese along with the other cheeses. The cheese amounts seem small, but I won’t know til I weight it out. 

https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/12/hasselback-potato-gratin-casserole-holiday-food-lab.html


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## sandyut (Oct 22, 2019)

yup makin these for sure!


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## Bearcarver (Oct 22, 2019)

Bearcarver said:


> Freaking Awesome, John!!
> Like Chris, I've seen these for years but never tried it.
> This one is explained good enough that I can see it doesn't look that difficult, even for an old Crippled up Bear to give it a shot!
> So Copied, Pasted, Printed, and into The Line.
> ...




Guess I didn't type loud enough!
That's OK, I've been ignored before, John.

Bear


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## tx smoker (Oct 22, 2019)

Bearcarver said:


> Guess I didn't type loud enough!
> That's OK, I've been ignored before, John.



I know the feeling all to well Bear. Sometimes I turn the volume down on the keyboard so it doesn't bother Tracy and I forget to turn it back up.

Developing a case of CRS,
Robert


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## chilerelleno (Oct 22, 2019)

Bearcarver said:


> Freaking Awesome, John!!
> Like Chris, I've seen these for years but never tried it.
> This one is explained good enough that I can see it doesn't look that difficult, even for an old Crippled up Bear to give it a shot!
> So Copied, Pasted, Printed, and into The Line.
> ...





Bearcarver said:


> Guess I didn't type loud enough!
> That's OK, I've been ignored before, John.
> 
> Bear


*MAYBE YOU SHOULD'VE YELLED!
*
LOL, Do Bears get grumpy before hibernation?
Easy now old man, not being ignored... Here have a picnic basket.
I'm not perfect, but damn, I could swear I replied to you and it was something like,
"Thanks John,
yep so easy even an ol'Bear can learn a new trick.
Kick it up to the front of the line."


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## chilerelleno (Oct 22, 2019)

browneyesvictim said:


> That might have been it. Dunno really. I have used a potatos to hold my temp probes. It works good for that, but not as a snack as I thought it would. For one they took too long to cook through at that low of a smoke temp. It just kind of shriveled and dried up before it was cooked so the texture was off. And yeah, it took the smoke pretty heavy. I can see cutting it Hasselback style would cut down on the time, solve these issues.


Yep, taters take on a lot of smoke quick.


xray said:


> chilerelleno said:
> 
> 
> > yup makin these for sure!
> ...


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## chilerelleno (Oct 22, 2019)

tx smoker said:


> I know the feeling all to well Bear. Sometimes I turn the volume down on the keyboard so it doesn't bother Tracy and I forget to turn it back up.
> 
> Developing a case of CRS,
> Robert


Literally wore out several keys on my notebook's keyboard.
So I bought a good gaming keyboard, mechanical type with Blue MX keys that are both tactile and clicky, and it is loud, click'ick! click'ick! click'ick! click'ick!


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## tx smoker (Oct 22, 2019)

chilerelleno said:


> So I bought a good gaming keyboard, mechanical type with Blue MX keys that are both tactile and clicky, and it is loud, click'ick! click'ick! click'ick! click'ick!



That's WAY beyond my very limited computer skills....but I'll take your word for it.

Beta max machine still flashing 12:00,
Robert
p.s. y'all remember the beta max machines?


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## forktender (Oct 22, 2019)

I'm not sure if you will see this in time of not 

 chilerelleno

I was wondering if they spread open a little bit when they are baking @400*? We just had some crazy family s*** take place, and we might be eating a whole lot more potatoes for the next year, I guess it's a good thing potatoes are as versatile as they are. 
I actually have two in the oven right now and was just curious if they will open a bit or not.

PS. 
I won't have to worry about picking up those damn apples ever again. We have to move unfortunately, life just threw us a whole lot of lemons. I guess we will need to learn how to make Dan's killer smoked lemonade. 

Thanks a bunch Chile, I appreciate your helpful spirit.

Dan


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## chilerelleno (Oct 22, 2019)

They tend to open up in the last half of the cooking.

Sorry to hear about Murphy paying you a visit.


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## forktender (Oct 22, 2019)

Thank you Chile.
I really appreciate the quick response.
They are starting to look pretty damn good.


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## forktender (Oct 22, 2019)

Yum, these are awesome treats, thank you.
Dan


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## Bearcarver (Oct 23, 2019)

chilerelleno said:


> *MAYBE YOU SHOULD'VE YELLED!
> *
> LOL, Do Bears get grumpy before hibernation?
> Easy now old man, not being ignored... Here have a picnic basket.
> ...




Thanks John!!
At least I got your attention!
I am kicking it up to near the front of the line.
Hopefully I don't screw it up---Not sure I have a sharp enough knife to cut such thin slices---Maybe my Electric Knife??
Can't wait to try this Swedish Tater!!

Bear


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## xray (Oct 23, 2019)

Bearcarver said:


> Thanks John!!
> At least I got your attention!
> I am kicking it up to near the front of the line.
> Hopefully I don't screw it up---Not sure I have a sharp enough knife to cut such thin slices---Maybe my Electric Knife??
> ...



Morning Bear, I think any knife is with a decent edge would do, just remember you’re not cutting all the way through so the potato stays intact without ending up with slices.

Think of it like a dado cut from your woodworking days. 

Here’s a good illustration of using something on the side of the potatoes to act as a stop. Skewers, chopsticks, wooden spoons dowels etc. would all work.






I wonder if an electric knife would rip it apart since the slices are so close to the bottom of the potato. Sounds like an easy experiment, if it doesn’t work at least you have homefries for breakfast fast now.


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## Bearcarver (Oct 23, 2019)

xray said:


> Morning Bear, I think any knife is with a decent edge would do, just remember you’re not cutting all the way through so the potato stays intact without ending up with slices.
> 
> Think of it like a dado cut from your woodworking days.
> 
> ...




Thanks Xray!!
I'll try the electric knife first to see how it works. Be great if it works--I use it for a lot of things. I know before I got my French Fry Cutter, I had a hell of a time trying to cut Fries with a knife--That's what worries me.
And Yeah, I read all the comments about the ways to stop the cut short of all the way through. I'm good there.

Bear


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## rc4u (Oct 23, 2019)

maybe melt cheese with some cream n pour over top at end till browned..  I would soak the cut potato in water n rinse good to get rid of some of the starch or maybe boil for few minutes always makes better fried taters.. hmm so many ways to make a good thing flop or shine.



chilerelleno said:


> It was kind of a bummer, the cheese didn't melt into the slices and the bacon fell off while eating.
> It all stayed on top, maybe bacon with the cheese over it next time.
> If I was really serious about my presentation I'd take the time and effort to individually insert between every other slice.


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## chilerelleno (Oct 26, 2019)

xray said:


> [QUOTE="chilerelleno, post: 2010690, member: 119065No, you've the recipe, share and I'll give'em a go this week.




Here’s the recipe I have bookmarked, as stated I haven’t made them yet but it’s on the list. Just looking at it I’m thinking of adding onion, subbing dry for fresh thyme and incorporating smoked sharp cheddar cheese along with the other cheeses. The cheese amounts seem small, but I won’t know til I weight it out.

https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/12/hasselback-potato-gratin-casserole-holiday-food-lab.html[/QUOTE]
Gonna make these tomorrow, thanks Joe.


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## schlotz (Oct 26, 2019)

chilerelleno said:


> LOL... You're not alone in that.
> I always do that to a few, chop the ends off, cut a little too deep here or there, they fall apart in prep or after cooking.



ah, someone beat me to it with the wood spoon trick!


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