Hashelback Potatoes with Crispy Bacon & Melted Cheddar
Hashelback Potatoes with Crispy Bacon & Melted Cheddar
A baked potato is already good. Hasselback it, and it becomes something else entirely.
The potato move for a cookout table, straight out of our summer grilling lineup.
The cut is the whole move. Thin vertical slices through the potato, stopped just before they break through, let the heat reach places a whole potato never gets. At 450°F, those edges open up and crackle. Every slice develops its own crust while the interior stays dense and creamy. You get caramelized, shatteringly crisp edges on every cut surface, not just the skin.
The wooden spoon handles are not optional. They sit on either side of the potato and stop your knife before it cuts through, that’s the only technique you need to nail. After that, a garlic-and-olive-oil mixture brushed generously into every crevice does the rest. The oil finds the gaps, carries the seasoning all the way down, and gives you a crackle on the exterior after 50 minutes of high heat.
Preheat the oven before you start cutting. You want it fully at 450°F before the potatoes go in, that immediate blast of heat is what starts the crisping from minute one.
Sharp cheddar goes on in the final five minutes. It melts down into the slices instead of sitting on top. Crispy chopped bacon and a cold dollop of sour cream finish the plate. This isn’t a loaded baked potato. It’s a side dish that holds its own next to prime rib, grilled steak, or herb-roasted chicken, something you’d put on a dinner party table and not have to explain.
Russet potatoes work best. Their starchy interior turns almost fluffy under the crust. Get them medium-sized for consistent bake time, and dry them completely before brushing with oil. Any moisture left on the surface steams instead of roasts, and you want the crackle, not the steam.
Get the oil into the slices. Season hard. Don’t rush the bake.
Flavor First.
Hasselback Potatoes with Crispy Bacon & Melted Cheddar
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Thoroughly wash, scrub, and pat dry all potatoes to remove any dirt and excess moisture.
- Place one potato between two wooden spoon handles (the handles act as a guide to prevent cutting all the way through). Using a sharp knife, carefully cut vertical slices 1/4-inch apart from one end to the other, allowing the spoon handles to stop your knife.
- Repeat with remaining potatoes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper to create the oil mixture.
- Using a pastry brush, generously coat the top and sides of each potato with the oil mixture, working the seasoning between the slices as much as possible.
- Place potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for 50-55 minutes until they are very tender when pierced with a fork and the edges are golden and crispy.
- Remove from oven, sprinkle cheddar cheese evenly over the top of each potato, and return to oven for an additional 5 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Top each potato with a dollop of sour cream, a sprinkle of crumbled bacon, and fresh green onion or chives.
- Serve immediately while the cheese is still warm and the exteriors are at their crispiest.
Nutrition
Notes
- Use the spoon handles — Two wooden spoon handles, one on each side of the potato, stop your knife before it cuts through. No handles? A butter knife laid flat on each side works just as well. Get the cut right and the potato fans open cleanly in the oven.
- Slice uniform, slice even — Consistent 1/4-inch cuts mean the whole potato cooks at the same rate. Uneven slices give you some edges done, some still soft — fix that with a steady hand and a sharp knife.
- Work the oil into the gaps — Brush the garlic oil into the slices while the potato is still fresh-cut and slightly open. That’s your window to get seasoning deep into the flesh, not just on top of it.
- Make ahead without losing quality — Cut and oil the potatoes up to 4 hours ahead, cover, and refrigerate. When you’re ready to cook, add 10–15 minutes to the bake time to account for the cold start.
- Finish with something cold — Sour cream mixed with a pinch of smoked paprika or fresh dill changes the whole flavor profile. Put it on cold right before serving. The temperature contrast against a hot, crispy potato is the point.
- These work best next to something with real weight to it. Pair with herb-roasted chicken, grilled steak, or prime rib and let the potato hold its own flavor rather than disappear into the plate.
- For a dinner party setup, serve them straight from the baking sheet — the sizzle from the oven is part of the presentation. Put toppings out separately and let guests finish their own. Extra crispy bacon, sour cream, caramelized onions, and fresh chives all work.
- A crisp arugula salad with lemon vinaigrette alongside cuts through the richness — the acid and bitterness balance the fat in the potato and cheese.
- For a standalone appetizer, scale up the bacon and swap the cheddar for crumbled goat cheese. The fanned presentation holds toppings in the slices, which makes them easier to pass.
- Cover leftover hasselback potatoes and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat in a 300°F oven for 10–15 minutes to bring back the crispiness. The microwave will soften the exterior — skip it.
- If you want to freeze them, do it before adding toppings. Bake fully, let cool completely, freeze on a sheet pan, then transfer to a bag or container. They’ll keep up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat in the oven.
- The sour cream, bacon, and chives always go on fresh, right before serving.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Frequently Asked Questions
How do you keep hasselback potatoes from cutting all the way through?
Set two wooden spoon handles on either side of the potato before slicing, they stop your knife at the right depth and keep the potato intact. A butter knife laid flat on each side works too. Slice straight down, 1/4-inch apart, from one end to the other.
What type of potato is best for hasselback potatoes?
Russets. Their starchy interior gets fluffy inside while the exterior crackles at high heat. Medium-sized russets bake consistently, large ones take longer and can dry out before the center is done.
How do you get crispy hasselback potatoes?
Two things: dry the potatoes completely before brushing with oil (surface moisture steams instead of roasts), and bake at 450°F for the full 50–55 minutes before adding cheese. High heat and no shortcuts.
Can you make hasselback potatoes ahead of time?
Yes. Cut and oil the potatoes up to 4 hours ahead, cover, and refrigerate. Add 10–15 minutes to the bake time if they’re going in cold. Don’t add toppings until right before serving.
Can you make hasselback potatoes in an air fryer?
You can. Use medium russets that fit your basket without crowding. Air fry at 400°F for 35–40 minutes, flipping halfway, then top with cheese and return for 3–4 minutes to melt. The exterior crisping is solid, slightly less even on the interior than the oven, but it works.
What toppings go well on hasselback potatoes?
Sharp cheddar and crispy bacon are the base. From there: caramelized onions, crumbled goat cheese, smoked paprika sour cream, fresh chives, diced jalapeño, or a drizzle of hot honey.
More like this: Kinder’s Recipes
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