Hasselback Potato Casserole

It's never a good idea to make a completely new recipe for guests that you want to impress.  It's an absolutely terrible idea to make that recipe for guests and then blog it!  Welcome to the world of food blogging.  😂  I post new recipes almost exclusively on this blog, and believe me when I tell you that I make plenty of mistakes along the way - and most of them I've served to unsuspecting guests. 😅 That doesn't deter me though - I figure that my recipe blunders make for entertaining material for the blog as I walk the line between cautionary tale and instructional recipe coach.  

Speaking of recipe missteps, can we all just agree that the parsley is the prettiest thing in this Hasselback Potato Casserole photo?  Here's the thing - I nailed the flavor on what is supposed to be an elegant starchy side dish but, I completely missed the mark on presentation.  🤦🏻‍♀️  In my defense, this was my first attempt at hasselback casserole so there's still hope that my potato stacking skills will improve with practice. 😅

The good news is that I've made so many recipe mistakes that I've become an expert at identifying the cause of the mistep.  In this case, I sliced my potatoes too thin and I couldn't get them to line up in the nice neat rows that I had envisioned.  Then I added so much cheese to the top of the casserole that I couldn't even see the potatoes through the melted crust.  

Despite it's less than ideal appearance, this Hasselback Potato Casserole would be a great addition to any menu.  Don't judge this side dish by it's slightly disheveled cover - it's crazy delicious.  Honestly, I feel like no matter how you combine cheese, bacon and potatoes - it's going to be amazing.  I know that you're going to love this just as much as my family did. 

Hasselback Potato Casserole
6 slices bacon, chopped
2 cups onion, chopped
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary
1 Tablespoon butter
4 1/4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled
1 1/2 cups Gruyere cheese, shredded 
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 teaspoons salt
​1 teaspoon pepper

Cook bacon in skillet until crispy.  

Stir in onion and 1/2 cup broth.  Cover and cook 5-7 minutes. 

Uncover and cook until onion is browned. 

Add garlic and 2 teaspoons rosemary.  Cook 1 minute.  Remove from heat. 

Grease an 8" square baking pan with butter. 

Slice potatoes into 1/8" thick slices.

Combine potatoes, 3/4 c. gruyere, 1/2 c. parmesan, salt, pepper, onion mixture and 3/4 c. broth.

Arrange potatoes in pan in 3 rows.  Pour remaining broth over potatoes.

Cover pan with foil. Place on baking sheet and bake 1.25 hours at 400.

Uncover and bake 30 minutes longer or until potatoes are golden brown. 

Combine 3/4 c. Gruyere and 1/2 c. parmesan.  

Remove potatoes from oven and sprinkle with cheese mixture.

Bake 15 minutes longer.  

Remove from oven and let sit 10 minutes before serving.

I recommend that you google hasselback potato casserole so that you can get a better idea of how this delicious dish is supposed to look. 😅 Just don't toss this recipe aside because it looks messy.  Sometimes, messy is necessary - which is basically the motto of my kitchen.  🤣
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Caio!

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