Elevate your baked potato game with these Hasselback variations

Move over lingonberries and Swedish meatballs. Hasselback-style potatoes are America’s new favorite Swedish import.

There are loads of variations on the Hasselback, but the basic steps remain the same:

1. Cut some closely-spaced slits down the length of the potato, being careful not to go all the way through.
2. Brush the potatoes with a baste of fat (butter, oil, etc.) and bake.
3. Once the slices have opened more, you’ll want to brush again with more fat and maybe some yummy ingredients between the slats or on top.
4. Bake it again just long enough to achieve maximum meltiness, garnish it, then stuff it down your potato-hole, being careful to maintain some semblance of decorum if you have company over.

More: Hasselback potatoes are even better when you stuff them with pepperoni and lots of cheese

Now film yourself singing the Swedish national anthem and post it to YouTube because we totally owe them that. As accurately as we pronounce “Skarsgård,” what could possibly go wrong?

Whether you go the traditional Scandinavian route or Americanize the Helheimr out of it, Hasselback potatoes are a really stunning presentation for a dinner party or a date night in. The best part? There are no rules. Add as much or as little of any ingredient you like. Live a little. This is your potato, dammit!

More: Marshmallow-stuffed Hasselback sweet potatoes with brown sugar butter

Tips:

• You should baste your potato twice — before you put it into the oven and either halfway through or just before you add breadcrumbs (if you’re using them).
• If you’re using breadcrumbs, they should always go on about half to three-quarters of the way through cooking so they can get crispy.
• Anything sliced is meant to go between the slices, so it should be very, very thin. You don’t have to put them between every slice in the potato. Just use as much as you want and stuff it where it fits. If it won’t go between, on top is fine too.
• For dessert potatoes, skip the black pepper, but remember that salt actually enhances the sweetness. Try fleur de sel instead of kosher.

More:Take your rutabaga to a new level with this Hasselback technique

What are your ideas for stuffing a Hasselback potato? Head to the comments to let us know.