½teaspoonpaprika(sweet, hot, or smoked, your choice)
2tablespoonsfinely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
12ouncescheddar, Gruyere, or another hard melting cheese(thinly sliced into pieces about 1 inch square; about 48 slices)
To Serve (all optional, pick and choose)
4strips crumbled or chopped cooked bacon
Sour cream
Minced chives
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet or a 9x13-inch pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
In a small saucepan or skillet, melt the butter with the garlic over medium heat, stirring until the garlic is golden but not browned, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat, and stir in paprika, parsley, salt, and pepper.
Place two chopsticks, or the handles of wooden mixing spoons, along the long sides of each potato, one by one, and use a large sharp knife to slice the potatoes crosswise into ¼-inch slices, stopping once the knife reaches the wooden rods.
Place the sliced potatoes on the prepared baking sheet or pan, and use a brush to spread the butter mixture between the slices, being careful not to split the potatoes through the bottom. There should be only about one tablespoon of the butter mixture left.
Bake for about 1 hour, until the potatoes are tender and nicely browned along the edges of the slices. Remove the potatoes from the oven, but keep the oven on.
Slide one slice of the cheese into the space between every two slices of potato. Repeat for all of the potatoes. Brush the top of the potatoes with the remaining garlic butter. Bake for about 5 more minutes until the cheese is just starting to become melty.
Remove the hasselback potatoes from the oven and serve hot with the bacon, sour cream, and chives.
Notes
If you know you are making the Hasselbacks to be reheated later, bake them for an hour, but then take them out of the oven before you add the cheese slices. Reheat them in a preheated 425-degree oven for 15 minutes, then slip in the cheese and bake for the final 5 minutes as directed.
If the cheese has already been added, you can still reheat them in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes at 425 degrees, but the cheese will probably get very melty and drip out of the slices. I would use a spatula to scrape any melted cheese from the bottom of the baking dish and slather it over the top of the hot potatoes.