Sweet potatoes are always one of those foods where I feel like there should be a lot of excitement. They’re colorful, nutritious, and technically, very versatile. Yet, we always seem to just go back to making them the same exact way over and over again. Baked, maybe mashed, possibly dusted with cinnamon if we’re feeling fancy. They’re good in that form, don’t get me wrong. But the reality is… they’re a little boring.
I didn’t even know how far down the sweet potato road I was until I found this recipe on Food52. It’s one of those recipes that make you go, “Wait… why haven’t I been doing this?” It completely transforms what sweet potatoes are. It takes them from an obligatory side dish to something you genuinely want to eat.
Enter: Hasselback sweet potato. If you’ve never Hasselbacked a potato before, it looks way more intimidating than it actually is. It really is just cutting the potato almost all the way through but leaving the bottom intact. This makes it fan out a little like an accordion. You then stuff it with all kinds of deliciousness and roast it until it’s bubbly on the inside. Furthermore, it becomes crispy and golden on the outside. It’s basically the best of both worlds in terms of texture.
Now imagine that cooking method with a sweet potato. Yes…THAT’S a completely different experience! Honestly, it’s one of the best things ever. It hits that great sweet and savory spot. So now we get that rich, butter flavor, without losing the natural sweetness that is just fantastic about sweet potato to start. And again because of how the roasted sweet potato is cut, it gets crisp, caramelized edges throughout the whole sweet potato. This is different from a typical baked potato, where you only get crispy edges on the outside of the potato. It really makes you feel like you’re eating something much more luxurious than it is. So yummy! 100%!!!
Now, it’s not just about the taste. There is something instinctively special about the presentation of the dish that contributes to that enjoyment. Hasselback sweet potatoes are not something you would normally make—nor serve—unless you were trying to impress your friends, family, or in-laws. But they are really not difficult to make. Once you get the hang of slicing them (pro tip: lay chopsticks or wooden spoons on either side of the potato to prevent cutting all the way through), the rest is literally layering flavors and putting it in the oven. And if we’re talking about impressing people, let me tell y’all, once I made this recipe and people went nuts. They loved it, seriously asking for seconds. We had no leftovers the next day, even though my husband wouldn’t mind to take another bite of it.
This recipe is definitely great for holidays. It brings that coziness of holiday mode where you want to put on a sweater and pour a glass of wine. But honestly? It works any time. Weeknight dinners, weekend brunches, or even meal prepping for the week—it’s the type of dish that feels like you have made a step up from your regular rotation without additional steps.
If you’ve been in a sweet potato rut or if you just want to show off to someone about your cooking skills without going overboard, then this is a recipe! It is the kind of recipe that reminds you why you enjoyed cooking in the first place. To have fun, to taste and experiment, to enjoy the food you make! I showed my mother-in-law this recipe and I’m not exaggerating when I say that she has made it a lot since then!
Click here for full ingredient list and step by step instructions! You won’t look at sweet potatoes the same way again—and that’s a good thing.
