Hasselback Sweet Potatoes Recipe

Hasselback Sweet Potatoes Recipe

Make this Hasselback Sweet Potatoes Recipe for glossy, caramelized sweet potatoes with a maple-butter glaze.

Ingredients

Instructions

Step 1: Preheat and ready the baking vessel

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and position a rack in the center. Lightly grease a rectangular rimmed baking dish or sheet with a teaspoon of neutral oil or a quick spray of nonstick—this is the long-lived vessel for the whole bake, so keep it visible and clean on the marble surface while you work. Doing this first means the pan is ready the moment the potatoes are dressed.

Step 2: Clean, dry, and create a stable base

Scrub each sweet potato under cold running water until any soil is gone, then pat them completely dry with a clean towel—dry skin crisps best in the oven. Trim a very thin slice lengthwise off the bottom of each potato so it sits flat and won’t roll when you slice. For safety and even slices, rest each potato between two wooden chopsticks (or wooden spoon handles) as you make thin parallel cuts about 1/8 inch (3 mm) apart, stopping when the knife hits the guards so the bottom remains intact. The result should be four intact, accordion-like potatoes with neat, evenly spaced slits and dry, matte skins ready for glazing.


Step 3: Arrange and emulsify the glaze

Arrange the sliced sweet potatoes cut-side up in the prepared rectangular dish with a little breathing room between them so hot air can circulate. In a small bowl, whisk together melted unsalted butter, extra-virgin olive oil, pure maple syrup, fine sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika and the optional pinch of cinnamon until the mixture is fully emulsified and glossy; fold in finely chopped fresh thyme or rosemary so tiny green flecks are suspended through the glaze. Keep half of the mixture set aside in a small glass jar or bowl for basting. The visual result: a tidy row of slitted potatoes beside a small bowl of smooth, amber glaze speckled with herbs.


Step 4: Brush with glaze and begin a gentle covered bake

Using a pastry brush, generously paint the tops and sides of the potatoes with about half of the butter-maple glaze, coaxing some of the glaze between slices by gently fanning them open with the brush tip; the glaze should cling in thin ribbons between the slits. Loosely tent the rectangular dish with aluminum foil so it won’t touch the potatoes and set it aside on the marble surface—it’s ready to go into the hot oven. This panel captures the glossy, brushed potatoes in their rectangular pan and the foil tenting that prevents direct over-browning while the centers begin to soften.


Step 5: Baste, finish baking, and add garnishes

After the initial covered cook, remove the foil and baste the potatoes with reserved glaze and any collected pan juices, returning the dish uncovered for the remainder of the bake. Continue to baste every 10–15 minutes until the centers are tender and the slice edges are caramelized and slightly crisp (total bake ~45–55 minutes depending on size). If the tips darken too fast, loosely tent the dish for the final 10–15 minutes. Once done, brush any remaining glaze over the tops so it pools between slits, then finish with a final sprinkle of flaky sea salt, chopped fresh parsley, toasted pecans or walnuts, and optional crumbled feta or goat cheese—this yields glossy, deeply caramelized ridges, brown crisp edges, and bright herb specks.


Step 6: Rest briefly and serve from the baking dish

Let the rectangular baking dish rest on the marble for five minutes so the glaze thickens and clings; serve hot straight from that same pan as a side (one potato per person). The finished scene is a tight, very-close-up view of the same rectangular pan: steam-soft interiors visible between each crisp, caramelized slice, glossy maple-butter rivers, scattered thyme and parsley, toasted nut fragments and crumbled cheese catching the light.


Notes