Bacon Hasselback Potatoes

What does Hasselback mean, you ask?  I had no clue either, so I looked it up, and...

Blurry potatoes.  Culprit below.

 ...despite my sometimes extremely impressive Googling skills, I didn't find much, other than that the name comes from some restaurant that they originated from in Sweden.  Boring.  They kind of look like  a loaf of sliced bread to me (Mmmmm....bread. No!  That's not very gluten-free, Megan!)

This recipe comes from my new November 2012 Food Network Magazine.  Basically, bacon + potatoes + boatloads of butter = really great side dish.  Beware the cooking time; I didn't realize that they take two hours to bake until it was too late.

This blog post comes from a previous post about a bacon-themed supper club night that The Hubby and I did with some friends.  I want it to be that night again right now.  If you want to read the full blog post about Bacon Night, click here to go back to that page.  Otherwise, enjoy...

Bacon Hasselback Potatoes

Makes:  12 servings

Ingredients

• 4 slices thick-cut bacon, each cut crosswise into 9 pieces
• Kosher salt
• 12 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 

Directions
Lay the bacon pieces on a baking sheet a freeze until hard, about 30 minutes.  This will make them much easier to stick into the potatoes later on.  Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350F.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Using a sharp knife, make crosswise cuts in each potato, about 1/8 inch apart, stopping about 1/4 inch from the bottom.

Add the potatoes to the boiling water and cook for 4 minutes.  Remove with a slotted spoon and carefully transfer to a baking sheet.  Let cool slightly.  Pat the potatoes dry, then insert 3 pieces of frozen bacon into the cuts of each potato, spacing the bacon evenly and letting it poke out of the top.  Melt 5 tbsp. butter and brush generously over the potatoes and in the cuts.  Reserve any excess butter for basting.  Season the potatoes with salt and pepper.

Transfer the potatoes to the oven and bake until the outsides are browned and crisp, about 2 hours, basting halfway through with the reserved melted butter.

When the potatoes are almost done, melt the remaining 3 tbsp. butter and mix with the green onions, parsley, and garlic.  Spoon over the potatoes and roast for 5 more minutes.  Transfer to a platter and season with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

Recipe Source:  Food Network Magazine - November 2012