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Warning, I was a little intimidated by the directions, but once I got over my initial potato cutting stage fright I found that it was actually much easier than I first anticipated. I only had to toss two botched potatoes (I cut all the way through on accident) and by toss I mean I sliced them up and threw in the oven, a small batch of fries.

Ingredients

8 (6 to 8 ounces each) potatoes
1/4 cup fresh-grated Parmesan Cheese (Parmigiano-Reggiano)
1/2 cup fine bread crumbs
5 tablespoons butter (melted), divided
1 teaspoon paprika
Coarse salt, to taste
2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley (garnish), optional

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450° degrees F. Oil a large shallow glass baking dish.

Rinse and scrub the potatoes thoroughly before using.

Peel the potatoes. Place the peeled potatoes on a cutting board and cut a narrow 1/4-inch slice from the bottom of each potato; discard the slice (this helps the potato lie flat and not roll).

Place two long handled wooden chopsticks on each side of the potato lengthwise. Use a sharp knife and slice each potato crosswise, making 1/4-inch apart slices, cutting down vertically. The chopsticks will prevent the knife from cutting entirely through the potato. You need to leave 1/4-inch of the bottom of the potato intact.

As you finish cutting each potato, drop them into cold water to prevent discoloring. Gently flex the potato fans open while rinsing under cold running water. This rids the potatoes of excess starch that can impede fanning. Dry potatoes well before baking.

Combine remaining ingredients except for the garnish with one or two tablespoons of melted butter depending on the sized of your potatoes in a blender or food processor, I used my mini one, until fully mixed.

Cover cut potatoes with melted butter making sure get inside the slits then press cheese and paprika mixture on each one like you would a spice rub.

Oil a baking dish or a jellyroll pan to place potatoes on, bake covered with aluminum foil for twenty-five to thirty minutes. Remove cover and bake for another fifteen to twenty minutes or until outside is crispy and but potato is soft. I usually use a paper towel and give them a squeeze, that way you can tell if they are still hard in the center. You could always use a thermometer. Baked potatoes should reach a temperature of two hundred degrees fahrenheit.

Drizzle with any remaining butter and serve with garnish of your choice. This recipe called for parsley, which isn’t my favorite. I substituted cilantro but any herb would be great.

Tips: When buying potatoes look for the long type that are great for baking.

I didn’t use chopsticks they refused to stay in place! I simply eyeballed it. Make sure you use a sharp knife and make your slits close together so that the pieces of potato in between each cut is about a quarter of an inch thick and be very careful to stop at close to the same point on each cut leaving about a quarter of an inch at the bottom so that your potato stays intact.

These potatoes spread open like a deck of cards certainly made an impression on my guests! The next time I make the Hasselback Potato I am going to top them with a dab of sour cream or maybe Greek yogurt. You could always add any kind of cheese you like to the breadcrumb mixture or any spice, like cumin or finely minced garlic. Either way this is a great item you can prepare ahead of time and throw in the oven when your guests arrive so they are ready when it’s time to sit down. Enjoy!

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