This cheesy and herby Hasselback Potato Gratin is a show-stopping holiday side dish. Made with three cheeses and fresh herbs, these potatoes are ultra delicious and so, so cheesy!

A classic potato gratin is the perfect side for any gathering, and this hasselback potato gratin really takes things to the next level. They’re elegant, impressive, and pair perfectly with so many dishes!

Cheesy Hasselback Potato Gratin

This cheesy hasselback potato gratin is officially my new obsession! The potatoes are perfectly tender with a creamy and ultra cheesy sauce and all my favorite herbs. What’s not to love?

For me, the holidays are not complete without potatoes. Yes, I love all my cozy braises, but I really need potatoes on the side. Whether it be mashed potatoes or a potato gratin, it’s necessary!

This show-stopping cheesy hasselback potato gratin gives you soft and tender potatoes with crispy edges, a deviation from a classic potato gratin. The textural contrast is perfection!

Instead of layering potatoes on top of one another, turning them to the side makes the edges perfectly golden brown and crisp. You’ll never make potato gratin another way!

Next time you’re serving up Cranberry Braised Short Ribs or Red Wine Braised Beef, these potatoes will pair perfectly!

Potato Gratin vs Scalloped Potatoes

While potatoes au gratin and scalloped potatoes are similar, the biggest difference is the sauce. Scalloped potatoes are cooked in a creamy sauce that begins with flour and butter (roux); whereas the sauce for potatoes au gratin is thickened by the starch in the potatoes.

There is some debate to say that scalloped potatoes don’t contain cheese, but I think both potato dishes benefit greatly from cheese. I often see cheese in both. While both are delicious, I find that scalloped potatoes curdle more readily than potatoes au gratin.

Hence, this hasselback potato gratin is my new potato recipe go-to.

What are Hasselback Potatoes?

Hasselback potatoes are potatoes or other items are sliced not-quite-all-the-way through in thin, even layers, which can be stuffed or topped with additional flavorings. It’s a way of creating more surface area for flavors and creating additional texture.

The name Hasselback comes from a restaurant in Stockholm, Sweden, named Hasselbacken, where the recipe for Hasselback potatoes was first introduced in the 1940s.

Instead of the laborious method of slicing potatoes “not all the way through”, we’re using a mandoline to evenly cut the potatoes before stacking them edge sides up for the same effect.

How to Make Cheesy Hasselback Potato Gratin

The key here is to use a mandoline so that the potatoes are sliced evenly, that way they cook evenly.

Tools Needed

• Mandoline
• Mixing Bowl
• Cutting Board
• Sharp Knife
• 2 Qt Baking Dish

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Potatoes. Russet potatoes are a must here. Their starch helps thicken the sauce and they don’t release much water to curdle the sauce.
• Cheese. I use a mix of gruyere, fontina, and parmesan because they’re the perfect blend of salty, funky, and melty.
• Herbs. Fresh thyme, rosemary, and sage give this hasselback potato gratin all the holiday flavors.
• Garlic. I like to grate my garlic on a microplane so that it evenly mixes in the sauce.
• Dijon. A bit of dijon adds a nice savory note.
• Heavy cream. Heavy cream is a must here, I do not recommend swapping in a lower-fat substitute.
• Butter. Greasing the baking dish liberally with softened butter keeps the potatoes from sticking.

The Process

1. Grate the cheese. Grate all three cheeses on a fine grate on a box grater and mix them together well. Set aside 1 cup of shredded cheese.
2. Mix the sauce. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cream, dijon, garlic, chopped herbs, salt, and pepper until smooth. Fold in all but 1 cup of the shredded cheese.
3. Slice the potatoes. Rinse and peel the potatoes. Use a mandoline to evenly slice the potatoes 1/8″ thick (about 2.5-3 mm). Add them to the cream mixture and toss really well, making sure to separate any potatoes that are stuck together so they’re coated in cheese and cream.
4. Layer the gratin. Grab small stacks of potatoes and arrange them in the prepared baking dish edge side up. If you’re using an oval dish, line the edges of the dish first and then the middle. If using a rectangle baking dish, make 3 lines of potatoes in the dish. Pour the rest of the cream from the mixing bowl over the potatoes, moving them around so the cream seeps in.
5. Bake. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment and then place the baking dish on top. This helps avoid a catastrophe in case there is a spill-over. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 30 minutes. Top the gratin with the reserved cheese and bake another 30 minutes. Let the potatoes rest for 20-30 minutes before serving.

Choosing the Right Potatoes

Using the right potatoes is essential to making hasselback potato gratin! Because there are no thickeners in the sauce like flour, you really need a starchy potato to make everything come together.

I always use russet potatoes for this recipe as it yields the best results. I’m team Yukon gold for mashed potatoes all the way, but waxy potatoes will only leave you with a broken and soupy potato dish here. Russets all the way!

In this instance, bigger is not better when it comes to potatoes. You want select medium potatoes so that the slices aren’t too big to fit in the casserole dish.

Tips for Making Hasselback Potato Gratin

This cheesy hasselback potato gratin is actually really easy to throw together with excellent results. However, there are always tips to make the recipe foolproof. Here are all my best tips for making hasselback potato gratin!

Use a mandoline. Even if you have excellent knife skills, it’s still hard to cut potatoes evenly. Use a mandoline for best results so that the even slices all cook at the same rate.

Grate your own cheese. Shredded cheese is coated in cellulose to keep it from clumping and doesn’t melt as well. Bust out the box grater and give it a little elbow grease to shred your cheese by hand. Make to to shred the cheese finely so that it can really get in between the potato slices.

Don’t skimp on fat. Now is not the time to try and make low-fat modifications to this recipe. Heavy cream has the thickness to avoid curdling when mixed with the juices released by the potatoes.

Don’t use a glass baking dish. Glass can conduct heat unevenly and even burn in some instances. I high recommend using a ceramic baking dish when making potato gratin.

Storage Instructions

If you have leftover hasselback potato gratin, let it cool to room temperature. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or foil and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.

To reheat, drizzle with a little cream and reheat in a 325 F oven until warmed through. Alternately you can warm the potatoes in a skillet with a little cream. Cover and cook over low heat until warmed through.

I don’t recommend freezing these leftovers.

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If you need a show-stopping potato side dish for the holidays, this Cheesy Hasselback Potato Gratin is it! It’s so easy to make and feels so impressive. If you do give this recipe a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about & seeing your SMF creations!

More Holiday Side Dishes to Try

White Cheddar Mac and Cheese
Garlic Green Beans
Brussels Sprouts Gratin
Brioche Dinner Rolls
Mom’s Classic Cheese Ball

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