So, what is with the lengthy title to a potato dish that seems like Potato au Gratin? Well, that’s because this dish is a whole lot more than just “au gratin.” First, you must know that “gratin” merely is a culinary technique in which an ingredient is topped with either breadcrumbs, cheese, egg, cream, or butter to create a browned crust. In this case, I am using cream and cheese. So what is Hasselbacken? It is actually a hotel and restaurant in Stockholm, Sweden, where Hasselback Potatoes were first created in the 1950s that they are world-renowned for creating. The original Hasselback potato is a baked potato that has been sliced anywhere from half to three quarters through but not all the way, so the potato holds it’s shape. You can see an original here if you scroll down to the brunch section of the page.
With this recipe, we sliced the potatoes all the way through so they could be coated in heavy cream and cheese. We then stacked them on edge versus laying flat. So really, this is just Hasselback-esque.
I made two pans of these on the same day; one for Gary’s department holiday potluck and the other for a holiday potluck that we attended that same evening. Please keep in mind that the volume of my recipe is perfect for a potluck with at least 15 people. Otherwise, you probably cut the recipe in half.
Potato Gratin with Cheese ala Hasselbacken
Ingredients
9 ounces shredded Gruyère cheese*
6 ounces shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese*
3 cups heavy cream
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 ounce fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
5 pounds russet potatoes, sliced 1/8-inch thick (best to use a mandolin for consistency)
Kosher salt and black pepper, as you like
2-3 tablespoons butter
Grated Parmesan without anti-caking filler (optional)*
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 10 x15 inch, 5-quart casserole dish (or similar) with the butter.
Wash each of the potatoes to remove any dirt. Pat dry with a towel. Do NOT slice the potatoes until you have the cream and cheese mixture prepared.
Combine cheeses in a large bowl. Large enough to hold the entire volume of this recipe. I use my largest stainless steel mixing bowl. Reserve approximately a third of the shredded cheese to top the dish later in the process. Set the reserved portion aside.
Add cream, garlic, thyme, and oregano to the rest of the cheese mixture. Season with salt and pepper as you like it. Set it off to the slide so that you can begin slicing the potatoes and place them in this bowl. As you slice each potato, add it to the mixture to coat.
Continue until all potatoes are now in the cream mixture. Carefully work the potatoes through your hands until every slice is coated. Yep, every slice. Take your time. Do not rip or tear the slices. Your goal is, so no slices are stuck to another without cream and cheese between them.
Assembling your Potato Gratin
Once they are all coated, begin to arrange the slices on their edges into a neat stack. (think tightly packed dominos). You are standing these stacks on their side. Lay your piles around the walls of the casserole dish first.
Then fill in the rest of the dish until they are tightly packed. Feel around for loose stacks and fill in. If necessary, slice an additional potato, coat with cream mixture, and add to the casserole. We are looking for tightly packed.
Pour the excess cream mixture evenly over the potatoes until the mixture comes at least two thirds up the sides of the casserole dish. Do not use any more than that.
Cover the dish tightly with foil and transfer to the oven. Place on the middle rack and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until the top is pale golden brown, about 40-45 minutes longer.
Carefully remove from the oven. Sprinkle the remaining cheese onto the casserole. If you like caramelized cheese, you may want to use more cheese so that it is covered from edge to edge and can seep down the inside edge of the dish. I used extra shredded Gruyère and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheeses as well as some grated Parmesan (No filler). That is what I do. Return the casserole to the oven.
Bake another 30 minutes until deep golden brown and crisp on top. Remove from the oven. Allow to rest for 10 minutes and then serve.
Download Printable PDF Here: Potato Gratin with Cheese ala Hasselbacken
Check out the cork project that I completed. I used an old window panel. Popped out the glass. Cleaned it up. Attached a cardboard backing and filled it with corks from what we have collected over the years.
That is all for now.
Cheers,
rick
That potato dish is so beautiful!