The term hasselback may be new to you, it was certainly new to me. Basically hasselback refers to anything that has been sliced thinly, but not all the way through. The results are a dramatic fan appearance. Potatoes may be delicious but they are rarely gorgeous. Hasselback potatoes are gorgeous. They look like they require years of culinary experience and skill but really, all you need is a sharp knife, some cold butter, and any two utensils with thin wooden handles (more on that later.) Oh, and potatoes, you definitely need potatoes. My potatoes were quite large so one was enough to feed two people. Smaller potatoes will make this recipe easier on you. The gouda, rosemary, and bacon make this smokey cheesy dish some serious comfort food.

For this recipe you will need:

2 medium or 1 large potato, washed and dried

4 tablespoons butter, cold, sliced very thinly and stored in the freezer until ready to use

4 oz. smoked gouda, sliced into thin rectangles, stored in the freezer until ready to use

1 teaspoon chopped rosemary

2 tablespoons olive oil for drizzling

2 tablespoons heavy cream or half and half

1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar

2 pieces cooked bacon, crumbled

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2. Place two utensils (I had a spider and a small spatula) with thin wooden handles on the sides of the rinsed potatoes. These will prevent your knife from cutting all the way through the potato.
3. Gently stuff the cut spud with the gouda and butter, alternating between the two. Every other slit should be full of cheese, the rest with butter. Sprinkle with the chopped rosemary. Drizzle with the olive oil. My potato was so large that I had to support it with two balls of tin foil on either side. This is normal and as it cooks you can remove the balls of foil. The potato will lay flat again I promise.
4. Bake for 45 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven and immediately drizzle with the heavy cream or half and half. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese and bacon bits on top and bake for another 15 minutes.
6. Serve hot.